Daniel Henney is an actor and model from the United States who has appeared in both South Korean and American films and television series. He began his modeling career in 2001 while still in college, when he worked as a model worldwide in Italy, France, the United States, and Taiwan. In 2005, he made his acting debut in the Korean drama ‘My Lovely Sam Soon,’ and in 2006, he made his cinematic debut in ‘Seducing Mr. Perfect.’ Following his success in Korea, his acting skills and good looks helped him land important roles in Hollywood films like as ‘X Men Origins: Wolverine,’ in which he co-starred with Hugh Jackman, and ‘The Last Man,’ in which Arnold Schwarzenegger starred. He joined the popular American police procedural drama series ‘Criminal Minds’ in 2015. Daniel has been a frequent attendee at award shows, and several of his performances have earned him major Korean accolades, including the Grand Bell Award, the Korean Association of Films and Critics Award, and the People’s Choice Award. He also played Tadashi Hamada in the animated film ‘Big Hero 6,’ in which he voiced the character.
Childhood and Adolescence
Daniel Henney was born Jeom Deok-su to a Korean mother and an Irish father in Carson City, Michigan. He claims to have had a terrible and traumatic childhood. He was born on November 28, 1979, at a time when racism in American culture was at an all-time high, particularly against Asians and Africans. Daniel was occasionally beaten up and subjected to racial comments from his classmates. However, when Daniel goes on to narrate the experience, he claims that everything he has gone through has made him stronger as a person, and that he gradually stopped paying attention to it.
Daniel was a studious student who excelled in academics, and his athletic ability was aided by his powerful build. He was a terrific basketball player and led his team to the finals of several basketball inter-school tournaments while attending Crystal High School in his hometown. After being a victim of racial abuse as a child, he set out to prove his worth, and he accomplished his goal. He received scholarships at Alma College and Albion College based on his basketball achievements, and eventually went on to the University of Illinois in Chicago. Modeling happened by coincidence during his undergraduate days, and by the time he dropped out, he was already knee deep in the modeling world, having traveled France, Italy, and Hong Kong.
Modeling won him a few commercials, and he made his debut with an ad for Odyssey Sunrise, a cosmetic by Amore Pacific. He knew very little Korean at the time, so when he was initially offered a role in a Korean drama, he was hesitant. However, he eventually took the plunge and began his acting career on South Korean television. Daniel Henney’s first acting performance was a cameo in the South Korean sitcom ‘Hello Franceska’ in 2005. In the same year, he made his full-fledged acting debut in ‘My Lovely Sam Soon,’ where he was originally chastised for his ‘not so proficient Korean,’ but grew on audiences thanks to his lovely appearance and acting talent. Daniel played a doctor in the series, and despite the fact that it was a minor role, he received positive reviews.
Daniel became a household name after starring in one of the most popular Korean dramas, ‘My Lovely Sam Soon,’ and ultimately landed some more juicy roles in 2006’s ‘Spring Waltz,’ where he played one of the main cast members and represented the role of Philip rather nicely. By that time, it was clear that he had grasped Korean, and his acting abilities had also improved. In 2006, he was involved in a little scandal since he had previously claimed to have a degree in Economics from the University of Illinois, but there was no evidence that he had actually graduated from the university. This had a minor impact on his career because he was chastised by the media for lying, but he persevered and made his first film appearance in 2006 with the romantic comedy ‘Seducing Mr. Perfect.’
In 2007, he starred in the South Korean drama film ‘My Father,’ in which he portrayed the lead part of a man who sets out in quest of his biological parents, which was the most crucial role of his career up to that point. Daniel received a lot of praise for his very emotional portrayal of a damaged young man in the film, which was a box office hit. For his performance, he received a Blue Dragon Film Award and a Korean Association of Film Critics Award.
Daniel next starred in the 2009 drama ‘Three Rivers,’ in which he played Dr. David Lee, one of the main characters, and in the same year he made his debut appearance in Hollywood. In the blockbuster picture ‘X Men Origins: Wolverine,’ he was cast in the character of Agent Zero. Next to Hollywood icon Hugh Jackman, he performed a supporting part. The picture did poorly at the box office and was widely lambasted by critics.
In 2010, he starred in ‘The Fugitive: Plan B,’ an action series that was enormously popular in South Korea, and the rights for it were even sold in Japan, Thailand, and a few other East Asian nations, resulting in even more international renown for Daniel. In 2012, he made a cameo as a music producer in the series ‘Papa,’ and the following year, he starred in the American romantic comedy film ‘Shanghai Calling,’ which addressed racism in an endearingly amusing way. For his performance in the film, he was awarded Best Actor at the Newport Beach Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival. – In 2013, he reprised his role as a supporting character in another Hollywood mega-budget action picture, ‘The Last Stand.’ The high-octane action film did well at the box office and garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, which is a good thing for an all-out action movie.
Daniel next starred in ‘Revolution,’ where he had a three-episode cameo role, and in 2014, he portrayed an agent in one episode of ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,’ as well as the lead character in the South Korean spy thriller ‘The Spy: Undercover Operation.’ Daniel joined the cast of ‘Criminal Minds,’ a popular American police procedural program, in 2015. Daniel had already become a big figure in America as a result of the series, and he made a cameo appearance in the Korean drama ‘Dear My Friends’ in 2016.
Personal Experiences of Daniel
Throughout his career, Daniel Henney has dated a number of actresses and models, and one of his most well-known relationships was with Maggie Q, a Hollywood actress who has acted in films such as ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘Live Free or Die Hard.’ The couple started dating in 2005 and dated for a few years before splitting up. Since then, Daniel has kept his personal life a closely guarded secret. Daniel enjoys playing basketball in his spare time and claims that if he weren’t an actor, he would have pursued a career in the sport.
Estimated Net Worth
Daniel Henney is a $5 million dollar net worth Korean-American actor and model. Daniel Henney is a model who started his career in 2001 after being born in Carson City, Michigan. Throughout his college years, he worked as a model in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Taiwan, and the United States.