A spotlight on
Chil Kong '91
BS in Marketing and Psychology
An innovator and ground breaking leader in the Theatre community across the country, Chil Kong has directed over 20 critically acclaimed productions garnering rave reviews from the Seattle Times (noted as a RISING STAR in 1997), Seattle Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Weekly, Backstage West, and the Boston Herald among others. He has brought to the stage new works like A DIRTY SECRET BETWEEN THE TOES and TRAPEZOID as well as an All Asian American cast of WEST SIDE STORY, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, a deconstructionist version of the MIKADO by Gilbert and Sullivan titled THE MIKADO PROJECT, and the upcoming CLOSER THAN EVER (sample list).
Transitioning into film, Chil Kong has directed a film short entitled POLLEN written by Nic Cha Kim, a Sitcom Pilot based on the award winning book SCREENING PARTY by Dennis Hensley, an independent pilot THE OH-MALLEYS, a full length independent feature THE MIKADO PROJECT (in post production), and a full length feature entitled K-TOWN PI slated to shoot in late 2009. He is a graduate of the Coro Southern Leadership Program in San Diego and currently serves as the Co-Artistic Director of the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble.
Chil Kong’s acting career began with a bang, literally, when he was cast as White Suit, the Assassin, on ABC’s LOST. His scenes pitted him against star, Daniel Dae Kim, and was told in flashback sequences in Korean to round out the story-line of the character, Jin.
He followed with a role as a Minister on the last season of HBO’s critically acclaimed SIX FEET UNDER. Other Guest star roles include the (now cancelled) Freddie Prinze Jr. vehicle, FREDDIE, and the Bryan Singer Executive Produced FOX hit, HOUSE where he played a morgue tech in the season finale.
He filmed an Akiva Goldsman Executive Produced Pilot, THE CURE, in 2007.
In the Summer of 2005, he had his first large screen role, in NaRhee Ahn’s film, PURITY, which won 2 Gold Medal for Excellence awards from the Park City Film Music Festival in 2006.
His role as Reverend Kim in this dramatic story of a young girl coming to terms with her Mother’s death by obsessive cleaning and cooking and spending time with the town’s local ‘bad boy’, led to Michael Kang considering him for his upcoming film about the Korean underworld in New York’s Koreatown – WEST 32nd, which stars John Cho (HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE) and Grace Park (BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA).
In between PURITY and WEST 32nd, he shot a minor role in the film, FREEDOM WRITERS (2007), which stars Hillary Swank as an earnest teacher working in a troubled inner city school. Though small, his part was pivotal to the plotline, and even earned a ‘shout out’ from film reviewer, Dave White (Author of ‘Exile in Guyville’) on Movies.com:
“Shout Out: I was surprised to see my friend, Chil Kong show up as Convenience Store Owner with a shotgun. It’s one of the weirder elements of living in Los Angeles when someone you know actually walks into the frame…”
Michael Kang’s film, WEST 32nd premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007. The role of ‘Detective Park’ is the one that he considers his ‘big break’. Executive Produced by legend Teddy Zee, the film was shot in New York City in the summer of 2006. The experience gave Mr. Kong a chance to fall in love with New York ‘all over again in a way that was completely satisfying’ coming back as a working actor and not just an admiring visitor.
His next ‘big break’ was provided by Executive Producer/Writer, Dennis Hensley, as Barry, the musician boyfriend of one of the main characters, Lauren. The story revolves around a group of friends in Los Angeles who find common experiences through the movies that they love to watch and poke fun at. SCREENING PARTY will make it’s debut at Los Angeles’s OUTFEST in Summer 2007.
He recently finished the Miramax film, CROSSING OVER, written and directed by Wayne Kramer (THE COOLER). The film stars Harrison Ford, Sean Penn, Ray Liotta, and Ashley Judd.
CROSSING OVER is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities, struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism, and the clash of cultures.
Mr. Kong has drawn upon his own experience of becoming an American for the role of Chin Kim, and is thrilled to be a part of such a project. He is also happy to be working again with actor, Justin Chon, whom he met in 2005 on an indie film that has yet to be released.