Meet Alan Kim: Minari Breakout Star and Cowboy Aficionado

Published on Feb 12, 2021 at 10:05 AM

A24

Minari (pronounced "mee-nah-dee") is one of the best movies you will see this year, largely because of Alan Kim. At the ripe age of 7, Sundance's biggest breakout star captivated viewers with his masterful performance and insanely cute outfits — he walked the red carpet in Park City, UT, dressed as a cowboy, giving a nod to the film, which follows a Korean-American immigrant family that uproots to a farm in rural Arkansas at the behest of the patriarch Jacob (Steven Yeun) in pursuit of the American Dream. (For the uninitiated, minari is an edible Korean plant.)

Recently, A24, the popular indie studio that distributed Minari, announced that Kim is set to appear alongside Elsie Fisher in the upcoming dark comedy Latchkey Kids. Or perhaps you've seen him model in Pottery Barn Kids ads. Born in Chicago and raised in Irvine, CA, by Korean parents, Kim is poised to become the next great child star in an industry that could seriously use more Asian-American representation. Ahead of Minari's theatrical release this weekend, we caught up with Kim via Zoom to discuss the film, Instagram, and his adorable western-inspired outfits.

POPSUGAR: Hi Alan! How old are you now?

Alan Kim: Hi! I'm 8 years old and in the third grade. At Sundance, I was 7 years old, like in the movie.

PS: What are your favorite subjects in school?

AK: Probably math or technology.

PS: What do you like to do for fun when you're not in class or acting?

AK: I usually build with my Legos or read a book. I like Harry Potter and The Creeper Diaries.

PS: Tell us about your cowboy outfit from Sundance. Are you a big western fan?

AK: I didn't really choose it — my mom did — but that cowboy outfit was really good; the boots were a bit uncomfortable, but it was fine. My mom was just like, "This outfit seems pretty cute, c'mon, you're gonna wear this." And I was like, "OK."

PS: Well, she was right — it's very cute! You really leaned into the poses, too.

AK: The hat tip is probably my favorite pose. I didn't know what pose to bring, so I just used random poses [laughs]. I guess I kinda came up with it!

PS: Do you dress yourself, or does your mom usually dress you?

AK: If I don't do interviews, I wear what I want to wear — probably a T-shirt and some shorts, or a T-shirt and some jeans. But if I do an interview, then my mom chooses what I wear. My hair is like this [right now] because my mom did it. I usually have a bowl cut.

PS: That's a great Comme des Garçons shirt. Is it new?

AK: Thank you! I was [posing for] a photograph, and the photograph man said I could keep this shirt. I have another shirt that has a heart [on it], too.

PS: Is it true that your parents run your Instagram account?

AK: Yeah. My mom follows who I want to follow, mostly. She asks me if I want to follow [someone] and I either say "yes" or "no."

PS: How was working with Steven Yeun?

AK: He was really nice. He gave me a book, The Neverending Story. He also told me jokes and made me laugh. In the cafeteria, I was such a slow eater that Steven would say, "Let's race!" We'd have eating contests to see who was the fastest eater, and I'd always lose.

PS: What are some of your favorite snacks?

AK: I like Goldfish and something called PopCorners. It's like popcorn that's turned into a chip.

PS: Is your grandma similar to David's grandma, Soonja, in the film?

AK: It's not the same relationship as my grandma and me, but David's grandma is kind of similar to my grandma. [My grandma] uses curses, but not bad ones.

Read through to see some of our favorite stills from Minari, in theaters now and on demand beginning Feb. 26.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.