Daniel K. Isaac is an American actor and writer. He is known for his recurring role as Ben Kim in

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

's '' Billions''. Isaac is also known for creating the hashtag #AccordingToMyMother, which he uses to share comedic conversations between him and his mother.

Early life and education

Isaac's parents are immigrants from Korea. His mother raised him in California as a single parent, and he grew up bilingual. Isaac is an only child. He received his bachelor's degree in theater from the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...

Career

In 2015, Isaac created the hashtag #AccordingToMyMother to share comedic conversations with his mother. He then started a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign to finance a short film loosely based on their relationship. Isaac produced and starred in what became a television pilot, ''According to My Mother'', with

Cathy Yan Cathy Y. Yan is a Chinese-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Her films include the comedy-drama film '' Dead Pigs'' (2018) and ''Birds of Prey'' (2020), the eighth installment of the DC Extended Universe. Early life and edu ...

and Devin Landin. It premiered at the

New York Television Festival The New York Television Festival (NYTVF) is a yearly festival dedicated to the celebration and promotion of independent small-screen productions, web series, and television. Background The festival was founded in 2005, and is held in venues acr ...

in October 2016 and won the award for Best Drama. Isaac was named Best Actor in a Drama for his performance. Isaac has appeared in the role of Ben Kim in '' Billions'' since its premiere in 2016. The role was initially written to be to a three-episode part, but the writers ended up making the character a series regular the first two seasons. Isaac also stars as a bike courier with a foot fetish in the

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

-focused web series ''Mercy Mistress'', produced by

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...

. He portrayed William Inge in an off-Broadway production of Philip Dawkins' ''The Gentleman Caller'' in May 2018. Isaac appeared in a recurring role as Jeremy Delongpre in the first season of the 2019 Comedy Central series ''

The Other Two ''The Other Two'' is an American comedy television series created by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. The story follows two floundering millennial siblings who must grapple with their 13-year-old brother's overnight fame. The series premiered ...

''. He also played the role of "Sandwich Artist" in the May 22, 2022 Episode (#251) of the HBO series ''

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' (often abridged as ''Last Week Tonight'') is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by comedian John Oliver. The half-hour-long show premiered in April 2014 on HBO. ''Last Wee ...

''. In 2022, Isaac made his play-writing debut with ''Once Upon a (Korean) Time'', which was produced by the Ma-Yi Theatre Company and performed at the historic

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

in New York City. The production was directed by Ralph Peña. Also in 2022, it was announced that Isaac would star in the comedy film Plan B, alongside ''

Jon Heder Jonathan Joseph Heder (; born October 26, 1977) is an American actor, best known for his role as the title character of the 2004 comedy film ''Napoleon Dynamite''. He has also appeared in the films '' Just Like Heaven'', ''The Benchwarmers'', ''S ...

'', ''

Tom Berenger Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing Jake ...

'', and ''

Shannon Elizabeth Shannon Elizabeth Fadal (born September 7, 1973) is an American actress, conservationist, animal activist, model and poker player. A popular sex symbol and teen idol of the 1990s and 2000s, Elizabeth is best known for her roles in the films '' A ...

''.

Personal life

Isaac is gay. He voluntarily participated in

gay conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and clin ...

from the age of 13 to 16. His mother, a devout Christian, disowned him for his sexuality when he was a freshman in college. Isaac later embraced his sexuality.

Credits

Film

Television

Theater

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Isaac, Daniel K. Living people 21st-century American male actors American stage actors American gay actors American male actors of Korean descent American male television actors American LGBT people of Asian descent University of California, San Diego alumni Male actors from California 21st-century American LGBT people 1988 births