Kenneth Choi is an American actor known for his versatile supporting performances in Hollywood films, crime dramas, comedies and superhero productions. He began building his screen career in the late 1990s and steadily gained recognition through appearances in films such as The Terminal, Harsh Times and Street Kings. His portrayal of Jim Morita, a member of the Howling Commandos in Captain America: The First Avenger, introduced him to a wider audience, while his role as Chester Ming in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street showcased his ability to contribute to a large ensemble cast. Choi later appeared as Principal Morita in Spider-Man: Homecoming, connecting his Marvel roles across different generations of superhero stories. He has also worked in science-fiction thrillers, independent dramas, action films and comedies, demonstrating a broad range of screen performances. This guide to Kenneth Choi movies by year follows his released feature-film career chronologically, including smaller productions and supporting appearances.
1998 — Halloweentown
Kenneth Choi appears as a Hip-Sales-Creature in Halloweentown, a Disney fantasy television film directed by Duwayne Dunham. The story follows Marnie Piper, a teenager who discovers that her family has a connection to a magical world populated by witches, monsters and other supernatural beings. Although the production was made for television rather than theatrical release, it is an early screen credit in Choi’s filmography. His appearance is a small supporting role in a family-friendly fantasy adventure.
2000 — Deep Core
In Deep Core, a science-fiction disaster film directed by Rodney McDonald, Choi plays Wayne Lung. The story centres on a scientific mission involving a dangerous threat beneath Earth’s surface, placing its characters in a race against time to prevent catastrophe. The film combines speculative science with action and disaster-movie elements. Choi’s role belongs to the early phase of his screen career, before his more prominent Hollywood supporting performances.
2001 — Beyond the Pale
Choi plays Douglas in Beyond the Pale, an independent drama directed by Victor Fan. The film explores cultural identity, relationships and the personal tensions that emerge when individuals confront different social expectations. It is a lesser-known entry in Choi’s early filmography, reflecting his work in smaller productions while he was establishing himself as a screen actor.
2002 — Woman on Fire
In Woman on Fire, Choi plays a janitor in a small supporting role. The independent production is less widely documented than his later studio films, and detailed information about its distribution and plot is limited. His appearance nevertheless forms part of his early screen credits before he began securing more recognisable roles in major Hollywood releases.
2003 — Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision
Choi portrays Professor Josh Chan in Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision, a science-fiction action film directed by Steve Boyum. Jason Scott Lee stars as a time-travelling law-enforcement officer who attempts to prevent a dangerous alteration of history. The story combines futuristic technology, temporal paradoxes and action sequences. Choi’s character contributes to the film’s scientific and time-travel narrative.
2004 — The Terminal
In Steven Spielberg’s comedy-drama The Terminal, Choi plays a customs and border protection officer. Tom Hanks stars as Viktor Navorski, a traveller who becomes stranded inside New York’s JFK Airport after a political crisis invalidates his travel documents. The film explores bureaucracy, cultural differences and human connection through Viktor’s increasingly complicated life inside the terminal. Choi’s supporting appearance places him in one of the major studio productions of his early career.
2005 — The Road to Canyon Lake
Choi plays Pong in The Road to Canyon Lake, an independent feature that forms part of his less widely circulated early filmography. The film’s credit is documented in actor filmography listings, although detailed production and plot information is limited. It predates his more substantial appearances in crime dramas and action films. Including it helps provide a fuller picture of Kenneth Choi movies by year rather than focusing exclusively on his best-known titles.
2005 — Harsh Times
Directed by David Ayer, Harsh Times is a crime drama starring Christian Bale as Jim Davis, a former soldier struggling to adjust to civilian life in Los Angeles. Choi plays Fujimoto, a supporting character in a story involving friendship, violence and the difficulties of returning from military service. Freddy Rodríguez plays Jim’s friend Mike, who becomes caught up in his increasingly reckless behaviour. The film is notable for its gritty portrayal of urban life and the psychological pressures experienced by its central character.
2006 — Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil
Choi plays South Korean Ambassador Li Sung Park in Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil, an action thriller directed by James Dodson. The film follows a group of American soldiers sent on a dangerous mission in North Korea after a political crisis threatens regional security. It is a standalone sequel to the 2001 military action film Behind Enemy Lines, with a new cast and storyline. Choi’s character is connected to the diplomatic tensions surrounding the operation.
2006 — Only the Brave
In Only the Brave, Choi plays Dave “Bullseye” Fukushima, using the screen credit Ken Choi. Directed by Lane Nishikawa, the independent war drama tells the story of Japanese-American soldiers who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during the Second World War. The film focuses on the experiences of soldiers who fought for the United States while their families faced discrimination and incarceration at home. Choi’s role contributes to a story about military service, identity and sacrifice.
2006 — Undoing
Choi plays Danny in Undoing, a psychological drama directed by Chris Chan Lee. The film centres on a Korean-American man whose seemingly stable life becomes increasingly complicated by his relationships and personal struggles. Its intimate storytelling explores identity, emotional isolation and the pressure of reconciling personal expectations with reality. The production is one of Choi’s independent-film appearances from the middle of the 2000s.
2006 — The Heart Specialist
In The Heart Specialist, Choi portrays Mitchell Kwan in a romantic comedy-drama directed by Dennis Cooper. The story follows a medical professional navigating career ambitions and complicated romantic relationships. Wood Harris and Zoe Saldana feature in the film, which blends workplace drama with relationship comedy. Choi’s role adds to an ensemble built around the personal and professional lives of medical workers.
2007 — Baby
Choi plays Mike in Baby, an independent film directed by Juwan Chung. The drama follows characters whose lives are shaped by family relationships, personal hardship and the challenges of finding stability. It is a smaller production compared with the mainstream action films that later brought Choi broader recognition. The film is part of his continued work in independent cinema during this period.
2007 — Walk the Talk
In Walk the Talk, Choi plays Dave, a supporting character in an independent drama directed by Matthew Allen. The film follows people navigating personal ambition, relationships and the difficult choices that shape their lives. Its character-focused approach differs from the action-heavy productions that would become part of Choi’s later filmography. The role demonstrates his continued presence in smaller screen projects.
2007 — War
Choi portrays Takada in War, an action crime thriller directed by Philip G. Atwell. Jet Li stars as Rogue, a mysterious assassin pursued by an FBI agent played by Jason Statham after a personal tragedy. The investigation draws the characters into a conflict involving rival criminal organisations and shifting loyalties. Choi’s role places him within the film’s underworld setting, which combines martial-arts action with an international crime plot.
2007 — Koreatown
Koreatown is an independent crime drama in which Choi plays Sil, described in film credits as a well-dressed drug dealer. The film focuses on criminal activity and intersecting lives within a Korean-American community in Los Angeles. It is a comparatively obscure title, and detailed information about its release and wider distribution is limited. Nevertheless, it is an additional feature-film credit from the period when Choi was developing his career in supporting roles.
2008 — Street Kings
Choi plays Boss Kim in Street Kings, a crime thriller directed by David Ayer. Keanu Reeves stars as Tom Ludlow, a troubled Los Angeles police detective whose investigation into the death of a fellow officer leads him towards corruption within his own department. Forest Whitaker and Hugh Laurie also feature in the ensemble. Choi’s character is connected to the criminal world surrounding the investigation, adding to the film’s tense depiction of law enforcement and organised crime.
2011 — Captain America: The First Avenger
One of Choi’s most recognisable film roles is Jim Morita in Captain America: The First Avenger, directed by Joe Johnston. Chris Evans stars as Steve Rogers, a young man who becomes a super-soldier during the Second World War and joins the fight against the Nazi-linked organisation Hydra. Choi portrays Morita, a Japanese-American soldier who serves alongside Captain America as a member of the Howling Commandos. The role became especially notable when Choi later appeared in another Marvel film as a descendant of the same character.
2012 — Dr0ne
Choi appears in Dr0ne, a science-fiction thriller associated with the emerging use of unmanned technology in modern warfare. The film explores the relationship between surveillance, military operations and the human consequences of technological advances. Available public filmography records list the title among Choi’s screen credits, but detailed information about his specific character and the film’s distribution is limited. It is best treated as a lesser-known entry rather than a major studio release.
2012 — Red Dawn
In Red Dawn, Choi plays Corporal Smith in a modern remake of the 1984 action film. Directed by Dan Bradley, the story follows a group of young Americans who organise resistance after a foreign military invasion of their hometown. Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck and Josh Hutcherson star in the action drama, which centres on survival, guerrilla tactics and patriotism. Choi’s military role contributes to the film’s portrayal of the conflict between invading forces and local resistance.
2012 — The Real St. Nick
Choi plays Jack in The Real St. Nick, a Christmas-themed television movie directed by Penelope Spheeris. The story follows a man whose unexpected arrival and behaviour lead people around him to question whether he may be connected to the spirit of Christmas. The production blends seasonal comedy and drama, with a focus on generosity, personal change and the meaning of the holiday. Although it is a television movie rather than a theatrical feature, it is included in his broader screen filmography.
2013 — Five Thirteen
In Five Thirteen, Choi is credited as C.I.A. in a crime drama directed by Kader Ayd. The film follows two brothers whose lives become entangled with crime, dangerous decisions and the possibility of escaping their circumstances. The story uses intersecting criminal relationships to examine family loyalty and the consequences of past mistakes. Choi’s supporting appearance is one of his less widely known film credits.
2013 — The Wolf of Wall Street
Choi plays Chester Ming in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, a biographical black comedy based on the memoir of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Belfort, whose brokerage firm rises through aggressive sales tactics, financial misconduct and extravagant excess before attracting federal scrutiny. Choi’s character is one of the employees within Belfort’s operation and appears in several of the film’s high-energy ensemble scenes. The film received multiple Academy Award nominations and remains one of Choi’s most prominent feature-film appearances.
2016 — Suicide Squad
Choi appears as the Yakuza Boss in Suicide Squad, a DC Comics superhero film directed by David Ayer. The story follows a government programme that assembles incarcerated supervillains for dangerous missions in exchange for reduced sentences. Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Viola Davis and Jared Leto feature in the ensemble. Choi’s role is brief but memorable within the film’s criminal underworld, adding another major comic-book production to his filmography.
2017 — Stephanie
In Stephanie, Choi appears in a supporting role in a supernatural horror film directed by Akiva Goldsman. The story centres on a young girl living alone in a house after a mysterious catastrophe, with the reasons for her isolation gradually revealed. Frank Grillo and Anna Torv also star in the film, which combines family drama with supernatural suspense. The production represents a departure from Choi’s crime and superhero appearances into a more unsettling genre.
2017 — Spider-Man: Homecoming
Choi plays Principal Morita in Spider-Man: Homecoming, directed by Jon Watts. Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker, a high-school student balancing everyday teenage life with his responsibilities as Spider-Man. Principal Morita is the school administrator overseeing Peter and his classmates, and the character is revealed to be a descendant of Jim Morita, Choi’s character from Captain America: The First Avenger. This connection created a subtle link between two generations of Marvel stories.
2017 — Bright
In David Ayer’s Bright, Choi plays Yamahara, a member of a dangerous criminal group in an alternate version of modern Los Angeles. Will Smith stars as a human police officer partnered with an orc officer, played by Joel Edgerton, in a world where humans and mythical beings live together. The plot combines police action with fantasy elements, including magical objects and supernatural conflicts. Choi’s supporting role contributes to the film’s criminal storyline.
2018 — Gringo
Choi plays Marty in Gringo, a dark comedy directed by Nash Edgerton. David Oyelowo stars as Harold Soyinka, a businessman who becomes caught in a dangerous situation after travelling to Mexico for a pharmaceutical company. Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton and Amanda Seyfried also appear in the film, which mixes corporate greed, kidnapping and criminal schemes. Choi’s supporting role forms part of the complicated network of people surrounding Harold’s predicament.
2018 — Hotel Artemis
In Hotel Artemis, Choi portrays Buke, a member of the criminal underworld who becomes involved with the film’s unusual hotel. Directed by Drew Pearce, the science-fiction crime thriller stars Jodie Foster as a nurse who operates a secret hospital for criminals in a dystopian Los Angeles. Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, Jeff Goldblum and Dave Bautista feature in the ensemble. The film uses its confined setting to explore criminal loyalties, violence and the consequences of a city in turmoil.
2018 — Office Uprising
Choi plays Freddy Wong in Office Uprising, a horror comedy directed by Lin Oeding. The story follows employees at an arms manufacturer who discover that a new energy drink has turned their co-workers into violent aggressors. Brenton Thwaites and Jane Levy lead the cast as employees attempting to survive the outbreak inside their workplace. Choi’s role adds to the film’s mix of office satire, outrageous comedy and zombie-like chaos.
2022 — 88
In 88, Choi appears in a supporting role credited as Sponsor. The film is a crime thriller that follows characters whose lives become entangled in a web of criminal activity and personal consequences. Its ensemble-driven approach places emphasis on intersecting stories rather than a single central hero. The title is a lesser-known part of Choi’s later filmography, distinct from his more prominent superhero and studio productions.
2024 — Joe Baby
Choi plays Rick White in Joe Baby, a crime thriller directed by Steven Brand. The film follows a man navigating dangerous criminal circumstances and the consequences of decisions made within a world shaped by money, power and loyalty. Its cast includes Ron Perlman, Harvey Keitel and Dichen Lachman. Choi’s appearance continues his long-running association with crime stories and character-driven supporting roles.
2024 — All That We Love
In All That We Love, Choi plays Andy in a comedy-drama directed by Yen Tan. The film follows Emma, a woman whose life changes after the loss of her beloved dog, prompting her to confront an empty nest and unresolved feelings about her estranged former husband. Margaret Cho and Jesse Tyler Ferguson also star in this intimate story about grief, family and the possibility of new beginnings. The film provides Choi with a role in a more personal, relationship-focused production.
2026 — Mercy
Choi plays Ray Vale in Mercy, a science-fiction thriller directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Set in a future where advanced technology plays a central role in the justice system, the film follows a detective who must confront a high-stakes legal process in which the technology he once trusted becomes central to his fate. Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson star in the film, which explores artificial intelligence, surveillance and the risks of automated decision-making. It adds a futuristic thriller to Choi’s recent feature-film work.
2026 — Coyote vs. Acme
Choi voices Oscar Jeon in Coyote vs. Acme, a live-action and animation hybrid comedy based on the Looney Tunes characters. The film centres on Wile E. Coyote’s legal battle against the fictional Acme Corporation, whose products repeatedly fail him in his pursuit of the Road Runner. The story combines courtroom comedy with animated slapstick and live-action performances. Choi’s voice role extends his filmography into a production built around classic cartoon characters.
Conclusion
Kenneth Choi’s film career spans fantasy, crime dramas, action thrillers, independent films, comedies and superhero adventures. From early appearances in Halloweentown and Deep Core to memorable roles in Captain America: The First Avenger, The Wolf of Wall Street and Spider-Man: Homecoming, he has developed a varied body of screen work. His performances often bring personality to supporting characters who help shape a film’s central story. Looking at Kenneth Choi movies by year highlights his steady progression from smaller productions to major Hollywood releases, alongside his continued work in independent cinema and animation.
