As viewers delve back into the enigmatic world of Lost, the recent arrival of the iconic noughties show on Netflix has reignited interest in its captivating storyline and talented cast. It’s a fitting time to explore the journeys of its stars, particularly Yunjin Kim, who portrayed the resilient Sun-Hwa Kwon.
Kim’s path to Lost was serendipitous. Initially auditioning for the role of Kate, she impressed the producers, who then crafted the character of Sun specifically for her. “My character was written after my audition; Sun became Sun after my audition,” Kim revealed in an interview. “They were like, ‘You’re so good but you’re not right for Kate.’ I thought, ‘Great, I had a great audition with J.J. Abrams, I’m happy with that,’ and kind of closed the chapter on that.”
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However, fate had other plans. Shortly after, Kim received a call from her agent with exciting news: “They’re going to write a role for you.” A 40-minute phone call with J.J. Abrams sealed the deal, and Kim was on her way to becoming an integral part of the Lost ensemble.
Interestingly, before Lost beckoned, Kim had another opportunity knocking at her door – an audition for Grey’s Anatomy. “Lost was one of my first auditions but Grey’s Anatomy was my first. I did not audition for Sandra Oh’s character [Cristina Yang], it was for Izzie. And I got a callback,” Kim shared
Despite the promising prospect of Lost, Kim initially remained committed to the Grey’s Anatomy callback. “When this whole thing went down with Lost as far as J.J. is going to write me a role and how amazing that was, that day or the next day, I had a callback,” she recounted. “And I was like, ‘I’m going to go and do this callback.’ My agents were like, ‘Why? You got cast on an amazing show. You should pack up and try to find a place in Hawaii.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know, I might like Grey’s Anatomy more.'”
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Ultimately, Kim chose to embrace the unknown and embark on the Lost adventure, a decision that undeniably shaped her career. “I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. What if this falls out, you know? I had no guarantee. But anyway, I ended up not going back to the callback,” she admitted with a laugh.
