Get Closer With Handsome Korean-American Actor Ricky Kim
Ricky Kim came to Korea to volunteer and to teach English but ended up working in the entertainment industry as a model and actor. His tall frame, athletic physique, and the mixture of Asian-American features got him a head start as a model and actor.
After successfully performing as an actor, he moved on and participated in a sport-themed variety reality show. Due to his handsome face and athletic body, he gained more popularity from his appearance in Law of the Jungle. His appearance in the outdoor program suited his character well because he loves traveling and physical activity.
In this article, Byeol Korea will provide you with a detailed explanation of everything about the handsome American-Korean Ricky Kim. So, stay tuned and keep scrolling down.
Full Profile of Ricky Kim
- Name: Ricky Kim
- American name: Ricky Lee Neely
- Korean name: Kim Kyung-ho (김경호)
- Date of Birth: June 19th, 1981
- Place of Birth: Texas, USA
- Height: 183 cm
- Weight: 81 kg
- Blood type: O
- Management: Bonboo Entertainment
- Education: Kansas State University, Mass Communication
- Zodiac: Gemini
- Chinese Zodiac: The Year of Rooster
- Twitter: Rickykim81
- Instagram: taetaefamilyofficial
- YouTube: taetaefamiliy
Interesting Facts About Ricky Kim
- He doesn’t have a Korean name but his mother and grandfather gave him his family name.
- His son and daughter are officially registered with English names but they are called with Korean names in their house and kindergarten. Ricky Kim usually addresses his only son by his English name Asher.
- Australian comedian, Sam Hammington, asked Ricky Kim’s permission to name his son with the same Korean name, Tae-oh.
- According to Korean law, the children who were born to a Korean mother and were born in Korea rightfully earn American citizenship as well. From birth, all of his children have dual citizenship.
Ricky Kim’s Career Journey
Ricky Kim was born to an American father and a Korean mother. He majored in Mass Communications at Kansas State University. He visited Korea to volunteer and teach English in 2005 and left Korea to travel to other countries.
He decided to return to Korea and pursue a career in modeling and entertainment. He debuted in the MBC mini-series Miracle in 2006 under the name Ricky Kim. He started gaining attention for his acting talent after performing a supporting role in the popular SBS drama On Air. he managed to get the male leading role in the comedy movie My Darling FBI in 2008. He frequently appeared in sports-themed variety-reality shows such as KBS2’s Let’s Go Dream Team! Season 2 and SBS’ Law of the Jungle.
His breakthrough came when he performed the role of Doctor Heron, one of the first missionaries in Korea. He admitted that he had difficult times with the Joseon Kingdom Korean language that was used in the drama. He basically practiced reading the script throughout the days. He couldn’t sleep well because the lines of the script were going through his head. At first, the practice wasn’t working well. After he changed his work ethic and started enjoying his role, Ricky Kim did well and fans loved his character.
In an interview with online media, he said that he wants to change the stereotype of foreign actors. They are usually good looking, always smiling and having a good character. He wanted to break away from the stereotype and perform as a Korean-American actor.
Regarding his choice in selecting a TV program, Ricky Kim revealed that he had done a career suicide in the past. He explained that the variety-reality programs didn’t speed up his career progress at all. However, he wanted to show the fans and viewers his true self and be honest with his status.
He said that he has done things that probably killed his acting career. Some of them were getting married at the age of 28 years old and having babies right after the marriage. He announced his marriage to the public and even showed his pregnant wife on one of his TV programs. In short, he did what Korean celebrities mostly avoid, that is showing their private lives.
