Who Stars In The 2023 Lexus Commercial & Is That Really His Son?

As the luxury car market continues to grow, Lexus is expanding how it communicates its fleet of vehicles to potential consumers — in this instance, by featuring one of television's most popular actors in its most recent ad.

The advertisement, which you might have seen on social media or on television, starts off with a young man walking toward his orange-colored Lexus RX and unlocking it with his smartphone. Once inside the vehicle, he uses the infotainment device to navigate a route to his local gym, where he works out. After a brief stop at the office, the young man is seen picking up his father — who looks extremely familiar. The father sets foot in the car and approves his son's purchase with a friendly nod. 

Who's the actor riding shotgun in the pricey Lexus? It's Daniel Dae Kim, one of the most prolific American television actors of the last two decades. He's joined by his real-life son Zander Kim, who is driving the vehicle. 

While Zander Kim's filmography is still in its early days, his father Daniel boasts a number of iconic roles under his belt. 

Ask any cinephile or television junkie and they'll each give you a different answer as to where they know Daniel Dae Kim from. After all, the actor has made a name for himself by appearing in a diverse array of roles, proving his talent time and time again. Perhaps the most obvious answer is Kim's role as Jin-Soo Kwon on the classic ABC series "Lost." 

While speaking with "The Envelope" (via The Los Angeles Times), Kim opened up about how he was grateful to take on the role of Jin, and how he was glad that the character was allowed to grow over the show's multiple seasons, allowing Kim to help dismantle Asian-American stereotypes. "Thankfully, ["Lost"] went for six seasons, and ... I think my character went through one of the largest changes through those six seasons of any of [the characters]," he said. "I'm so grateful for that." 

But as he's known as Jin to some, Kim is Chin Ho Kelly to others. In CBS' 2010 reboot of "Hawaii Five-0," Kim played the iconic Kelly for seven years, emerging as one of the most popular actors on the police procedural. Kim's other notable television credits include recurring roles in shows like "ER" and "Angel." 

Fans might even know Kim from his silver screen efforts, with the actor appearing in projects like the maligned 2019 reboot of "Hellboy" or the "Divergent" franchise. The actor even lent his talents to Disney's acclaimed "Raya and the Last Dragon," which hit cinemas in early 2021. On the video game front, Kim has voiced the iconic Johnny Gat from the immensely popular "Saints Row" video game. Now, the actor has added working with his son in a Lexus ad to his legacy.

Daniel Dae Kim has managed to craft an impressive legacy for himself, operating as one of showbusiness' most prominent television actors. In addition to acting, Kim has also made waves as a producer, operating as one of the creative forces behind the acclaimed medical procedural "The Good Doctor." Just 55 years old, Kim continues to make daring choices with his career, and now he's finally managed to hit a key milestone — working with his son, Zander Kim. During a Lexus-sponsored interview, the "Hawaii Five-0" actor opened up about how his career has been filled with major highs, which now include sharing the screen with Zander. 

"I've had so many," Kim exclaimed when asked by his son about his career highlights. "I've gotten to be a part of great shows like 'Lost' and I've gotten to work with my son," Kim said, describing the collaboration as a "really big highlight." The actor added that he would like to continue working with his son down the road, teasing future projects. 

In the same interview, the younger Kim expressed how grateful he was to work with his dad in a creative capacity. "I think the highlight of my career, so far, is this commercial with Lexus that... I've been lucky to do with you," said Zander, revealing that the Lexus RX commercial is his first acting gig. Well, as far as debuts go, Zander has absolutely nailed it.