Actor Jay Kim Stars in the Film "The Dragon's Lair"

LOS ANGELES - April 17, 2015 - PRLog -- Few people know from childhood exactly what their calling is; many start off on one path, only to find that their dream job is not what they had envisioned. It is rare that a person grows up with their childhood dreams unchanged.

Growing up in South Korea, Jay Kim wanted to do it all, and found the solution lay in front of the camera. Kim began acting in his teens, and has since filled the shoes of some incredible characters, all of which of have allowed him to fulfill his dreams of "becoming" a diverse range of professions. He’s been perfecting his craft for years, and it is clear to anyone who’s seen his roles on both film and stage that Kim is an extraordinarily talented actor.

As an actor, Kim uses his performances to live vicariously, becoming characters of all backgrounds and walks of life. He’s shown an incredible amount of diversity in his characters, and that’s just the way he wants it. Acting for Kim is a means to experience life through the eyes of his characters, and he uses that to try to live as many lives as he can.

“I always seek out and want different kinds of roles, so I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play Lee,” Kim said, referencing his role in The Dragon’s Lair, his latest upcoming film.

Directed by Halldór Fannar Sigurgeirsson, The Dragon’s Lair is the latest action-packed nail-biter from the Icelandic actor-director whose past work includes films like The Love Pentagram, Lost Angels, and The Curse of the House. Kim, who has worked with Sigurgeirsson in the past on The Love Pentagram, said the director is “splendid and professional,” and praised his creativity and his ability to handle whatever comes his way on the set.

“I’ve never heard him raise his voice, even in the most stressful circumstances on set; he basically reflects on the problem and finds a  way to solve it in a calm fashion,” Kim said. “Coming from an acting background, he knew he had to let us have the freedom of finding our own characters. He trusted us to be dedicated workers, and we didn’t let him down.”

The Dragon’s Lair is a multi-faceted dystopian thriller set in the near future. It centers on a group of rebels fighting to retake control from a dictatorial government. Kim plays the role of Lee, one of the younger members of the group of freedom fighters. Lee is a loyal young man that struggles with his older comrades, who don’t always give him the credit he deserves because of his age.

“Lee is the young, energetic one, eager to prove to the ‘old dogs’ that it’s not about experience, but rather youth,” Kim said. “He respects his fellow teammates, but his personality dictates that they’re holding him back from fully unleashing his potential due to their being older.”

Kim truly threw himself into his character, both on- and off-screen. A former member of the South Korean Special Forces, Kim took some cues from his past experience to help embody the character.

“I started getting up at 6 a.m. every day to workout as a soldier would, maintained a certain diet, and constantly worked to be in the right physical shape,” Kim said. “I used to be in the military so I know the routine of a soldier.”

Audiences can catch Kim’s knockout performance in The Dragon’s Lair, which is scheduled to tour the film festival circuit upon release in 2016.