Daniel Henney is an American actor with an extensive career as an actor and model. Henney has worked in the entertainment industry for more than two decades. In that time, he has established himself as an actor of note and has had the chance to act in both leading and supporting roles in several TV shows and movies.
Henney’s first major role was in 2006. It was in the K-drama My Lovely Same Soon. Since then the actor has managed to transition into Hollywood, successfully. A feat that very few other actors in the K-Drama industry have been able to do. In this article, we cover his life and career so far.
Daniel Henney Lied About Having A Degree
Daniel Henney was born on the 28th of November, 1979 to Christine and Philip Henney. The actor was born in Michigan, which is where he also spent a lot of his childhood. His mother is a South Korean who was adopted by American parents while his father is English.
Henney was on track to become an athlete. He was very good at basketball and he gained some celebrity status for it. The actor would then go on to attend multiple colleges. In 2007, he was embroiled in a scandal about his education. It came to light that the actor had never graduated from university and had falsified information about getting a degree. It was during the same time that it came to be known that the actor’s college hopping came to be known. The actor had attended Albion College, Alma College, and Elgin College, all schools in Illinois but he finally dropped out to pursue a career in Modelling.
How Did Daniel Henney’s Career Start?
Daniel Henney moved to Korea in the early 2000s. Before that, he had lived in Asia for a while, modelling in different countries around the world including the US. During the same time, he worked on some minor off-Broadway plays but it was until he moved to Korea that he experienced major success. The actor’s first big break came with a commercial for the cosmetic line Amore Pacific. Then this led to him becoming an ambassador for other brands.
By 2005, Henney was cast to play the role of Dr. Henry Kim in My Lovely Sam Soon. This shot the actor into the limelight and shortly after he became a sensation in the Korean film industry. His success in this role hinged on his inability to speak any Korean, as his character was an Asian American who did not speak the language. In the next year, he bagged another major role, thanks to his nationality as an Asian American. Spring Waltz was also very successful and only contributed to his growing fame. Four years later in 2009, Henney made the transition from the Korean film industry to Hollywood. His debut was in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where he played Agent Zero. Daniel Henney has continued to build his career as an actor but primarily in Hollywood. The actor has also continued to model and remains signed to the modelling agency he worked with when he was in Korea.
What Are His Major Performances?
Daniel Henney has managed to build a successful career in the two industries. In Korea, some of the other films and TV shows he worked on include Seducing Mr. Perfect, My Father, Hello Franceska, Dear My Friends and Papa. For his work on My Father, Henney set the record for the first foreigner with the most wins in a particular category across different awards. As his career progressed in the country, Henney had to learn the language and this gave him access to a wider selection of roles.
In Hollywood, after his performance in Wolverine, the actor started to bag roles in TV shows and films. One of his first major works in TV was in Three Rivers where he played a doctor. He would then go on to guest star in Criminal Minds, playing Matt Simmons for five years. When the show was cancelled, he had a lead role in the spinoff series Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Some of Henney’s credits in film include Missing, One Night Surprise, Big Hero 6 and Confidential Assignment 2: International.
Where Is Daniel Henney Now?
Daniel Henney continues to act, particularly his Hollywood career. In 2019, he joined the cast of the highly acclaimed TV Show The Wheel of Time. He is set to star in the upcoming film Dog Days. This will see the actor return to his Korean roots.
On his personal life, Henney has managed to keep a lot of his life away from the public. In October of this year, the actor got married. His wife is Ru Kumagai, who is an actress. The couple, who had been dating for a long time, had a very intimate ceremony.
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