“Minari” Star Alan S. Kim Talks BTS, Teenagers, and Oscars 2021

By Jae-Ha Kim
Teen Vogue
April 25, 2021

A few things to know about Minari star Alan S. Kim. He was just seven years old when he won his first movie role. That, of course, was his scene-stealing portrayal of David in Lee Isaac Chung’s beautifully-nuanced and semi-autobiographical Oscar-nominated film. Both he and David were born in the United States and spoke Korean as their first language. Unlike David — who lived in shorts and cowboy boots and sported floppy bangs — Alan is a bit of a fashionista. This is fitting, given his modeling roots (Pottery Barn Kids).

Even for Zoom interviews with outlets like Teen Vogue, Alan was sharply dressed in an all-black ensemble, with his hair neatly brushed to the side. And during this year’s awards season, the actor has been outfitted by designers such as Armani and Thom Browne.

Minari is up for six Academy Awards tonight, including marquee nominations for Chung (Best Director, Best Original Screenplay) and actors Steven Yeun (Best Actor) and Youn Yuh-jung (Best Supporting Actress). Alan — who won a Critics Choice Movie Award for best young performer — said he’s excited about reuniting with Chung and his castmates.

“Is this a dream?”😭💖Congratulations to #Minari star Alan Kim, the #CriticsChoiceAwards winner for Best Young Actor! pic.twitter.com/LwqISe2nmR

— Minari (@MinariMovie) March 8, 2021

He’ll next be seen in the movie Latchkey Kids, as well as the TV series Nora From Queens, where he will be featured in flashbacks as the child version of Awkwafina’s dad (played as an adult by BD Wong). This was one of the last interviews the third-grader gave as an eight year old.

Teen Vogue: Will you be attending the Academy Awards in person?
Alan: The producer luckily got me to go to the Oscars, so yeah.

TV: What are you going to wear to the ceremony?
Alan: My mom says it’s a secret, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a tuxedo or something.

TV: Your Minari dad, Steven Yeun, was so serious in the movie. Is he silly in real life?
Alan: I guess so. After the scene where I “wet the bed” [makes finger quote marks to ensure we know he was just acting], my pants got wet, so I changed into new pants. I left it on the fan to dry and Steven was like, “이거 누구 팬츠야?!” (“Whose pants are these?!”)

TV: Did you name any of the chicks that were in Minari?
Alan: I took a chick and named it Chickie. I would let him down and pick up another random chick and be like, “Hi, Chickie.” I got messed up so much that I didn’t know which one was Chickie after he hopped away.

TV: Do you know that a lot of people think your acting is great?
Alan: [Shrugs] Yup, I know that. I feel just fine with it.

TV: Have you started work on Latchkey Kids yet?
Alan: No, that is going to be at the start of summer.

TV: You play a 9-year-old character in that film. Do you like the idea of playing someone older than yourself?
Alan: Yes, but I turn nine [on April 23], so basically not exactly.

TV: Happy early birthday! I just made miyeok-guk (미역국) for my mother’s birthday. Does your mom make you this Korean birthday soup?
Alan: Well, yeah, I think so. Yeah.

TV: What did you pick for your doljabi (돌잡이) on your first birthday?
Alan: I didn’t remember it until my mom told me right before this meeting. I grabbed a hammer – and that stands for like the judge or the lawyer. And then I also got money.

TV: Do you mean a gavel?
Alan: Yeah.

TV: Does the “S” in your name stand for a middle name or your Korean name?
Alan: It’s my Korean name, Sun. Basically my name means kind or nice.

TV: Both our last names are Kim. Do you think we look alike at all?
Alan [after staring at my face intently]: No, I don’t think so.

TV: You’re a purple belt in taekwondo. Are you best at forms, boardbreaking, or sparring?
Alan: Well, I don’t do sparring, really. It takes a few minutes, but now it takes about one hit for breaking. So, I’d say forms, because I can memorize it in three weeks.

TV: You might earn your black belt by the time you’re 11 or 12.
Alan: Probably. I’ve only got four more belts.

TV: Would you want to do a show or movie where you use your taekwondo skills?
Alan: I’m not sure. I really just want to do any movie, except horror or romance.

TV: You wear cowboy boots in Minari. What kind of shoes do you wear in everyday life?
Alan: Mostly sneakers or sandals.

TV: Do you wear shoes in your house?
Alan: No, I actually take them off. I go outside with sneakers, so when I come back in they’re going to be dirty and then the floor’s going to be like dirty.

TV: What about your dog, Cream. How clean is he?
Alan: On the top, he’s always clean. Absolutely clean. He might be a little wet, but clean! But his feet when we scrub them are sooooo dirty.

TV: I know you like “Sugar” by Maroon 5. Do you like any K-pop bands?
Alan: Well, I mean, the boy band BTS. I know only a few songs like “DNA” and “Dynamite” and… [Our BTS talk is interrupted by Cream, who wants Alan’s full attention.] Oh no, Cream, stop chewing on that slipper! He loves doing mischievous things like taking my sister’s dance shoes and chewing on them. It’s her old ones, but still…

TV: What kind of chores do you have at home?
Alan: My sister usually feeds Cream. I usually pick up Cream’s poop. [Wrinkles up his nose] Too smelly. But, I mean, poop is smelly. I get the mail and packages. I don’t know why I like to do it, but yeah.

TV: This interview is for a magazine called Teen Vogue. What do you think teenagers and young adults are like?
Alan: My sister is about to be a teenager. For a start, she looks at her phone too much. She looks in the mirror too much. She likes to buy stuff a lot. And lastly she has a pen addiction. She has tons of pens. And she also is bossy a lot.

TV: Do you wish you had a little brother or sister so you could boss them around?
Alan: No, that’s Cream’s job to me. I don’t know why, but Cream thinks I’m his baby. So yeah. He’s a mini Samoyed… No, he’s an American Eskimo dog [from Korea]. I searched this up and it said that his color is like biscuit cream. They are like watchdogs, but they aren’t exactly good at being a guard dog.

TV: Who’s your favorite actor or actress?
Alan: [Laughs] Sonic the Hedgehog! And Steven.

TV: What makes Sonic so awesome?
Alan: I mean, first he’s a cute hedgehog and he runs fast, so that’s a unique power, I guess.

TV: We used to grow minari when I was little. Have you ever eaten it?
Alan: I haven’t grown it before, but I have eaten it with meat. I don’t know what kind of meat it was. I just remember it was meat. It was really good.

TV: Have you ever been to Disneyland or Disney World?
Alan: I never went to Disney World, because we never went to Florida. But we have gone to Disneyland two times. One was when my sister was doing her Frozen national tour. And another time was when I was a baby. I don’t remember that, though. I do remember the second time. It was really fun, actually. I got a souvenir Lightning McQueen baggage thing.

TV: I’m going to say a few things and then you tell me which you like better, OK?
Alan: OK.

TV: Brownies or cupcakes?
Alan: Hmmm, I mean they’re both good! I guess brownies, because with brownies you can put on frosting and then boom! It’s a cupcake!

TV: Kimbap (김밥) or japchae (잡채)?
Alan: Kimbap, I guess. It tastes better and you can put in the other choice in the kimbap.

TV: Dogs or cats? And remember – Cream is listening.
Alan: Dogs! I mean, cats are cute, but I like dogs better.

TV: Cars or airplanes?
Alan: Cars. I get plane sick. [Looks over to the side, laughing] Yeah, Cream’s trying to eat a fly!

TV: Second grade or third grade?
Alan: Second grade. I’m doing online school. But in second grade, there was more free time. You know what I mean? Free time.

Check this out: “Minari” Film Review: Deconstructing the American Dream