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Kaiwi Lyman

Kaiwi Lyman

Actor · Born May 13, 1983 (43) · Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Kaiwi Lyman-Mersereau was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played water polo, surfed, paddled outrigger canoes, practiced Brazilian jiu jitsu, and sailed but nothing excited him more than being on stage. Kaiwi has experience as a close up magician and has won and placed in several magic competitions. He was fortunate to have four years of intense theater arts training in high school at the Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts. After high school Kaiwi moved to California in 2002 to pursue his passion in the entertainment business. He attended Santa Monica College and, to fulfill an assignment, in the first few weeks of class, he delivered a monologue from The Crucible. The teacher realized his experience was beyond an Acting 101 class and had him then deliver the monologue to the drama department head. She immediately recognized his talent and suggested he audition for Julliard School. Kaiwi was determined, however, to get a screen role and it wasn't long before he got his first break when, in 2003, Kaiwi played the lead role of Colin in the horror film, Trespassers. Since then he has taken on a variety of different projects. His work displays his range of roles, from comedic to dramatic, in numerous films, TV shows, webisodes and commercials.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 13, 1983 (43)
From
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 52 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 34% in 30 days

What are Kaiwi Lyman's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 7th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 17th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
44%
Morality
28%
Bonds
9%
Self
9%
Power
7%
Ideas
2%
Society
1%
Survival13 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 7 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 9 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 6

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 10 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 10
Shadow
3 of 10
Hero
2 of 10
Threshold guardian
1 of 10
Mentor
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
23
Dread
12
Thrilling
10
Melancholic
5
Absurd
4
Other
5

How their films linger

Unsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Bittersweet14
  • Ambiguous9

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kaiwi Lyman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 35 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (24).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kaiwi Lyman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

52 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page.

  • A Matter of Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Michael

  • Clutch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Co-Executive Producer · as Xavier

  • Trigger Warning(2024)

    as Ghost

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Cardboard Window (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · as Father

  • Sympathy for the Devil(2023)

    as Colleague

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • End Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Hayden

  • End Times(2023)

    as Hayden

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Copshop(2021)

    as Officer Barnes

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Gripped: Climbing the Killer Pillar(2020)

    as Brett

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Don't Look Deeper(2020)

    Show 14 episodes · as Noah

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • Deputy(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Deputy Tabnick

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Acceleration(2019)

    as Jimmy

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Outsider(2019)

    as James Walker

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Mongolian Connection(2019)

    as Wade Dalton

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Final Wish(2018)

    as Derek

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Dick Dickster(2018)

    as Brad Priest

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Blackmark(2018)

    as Timothy Daniels

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Minutes to Midnight(2018)

    as Charlie Crenna

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Den of Thieves(2018)

    as 'Tony Z' Zapata

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Deadtime Tales 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Cory - 'Asylum of the Damned' (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Hickok(2017)

    as John Wesley Hardin

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • American Violence(2017)

    as Jackson Shea

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Westworld(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Branding Soldier

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Ice Sharks(2016)

    as Michael

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Traded(2016)

    as Jed

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Zoombies(2016)

    as Daxton

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Amityville Terror(2016)

    as Todd

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Flaked(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Scott

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Lost in the Pacific(2016)

    as Vincent

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Circle(2015)

    as Bearded Man

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Grace and Frankie(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Skipper

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Fresh Off the Boat(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as White Guy 1

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Jane the Virgin(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Zed

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Ninja Apocalypse(2014)

    as Trillion

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Android Cop(2014)

    as Wescott

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Gone Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Mike

  • Dragon Day(2013)

    as Tibbit

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Assassins Tale(2013)

    as Woody

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Reel Evil(2012)

    as Cory

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • 40 Days and Nights(2012)

    as Baggins

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 4 episodes · as Gutterball

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Kickin' It(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Snake

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Mega Python vs. Gatoroid(2011)

    as Tommy

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus(2010)

    as USS Argonaut Officer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Without Borders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as 1st Avenger

  • Orgy of the Damned (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Man Who Shakes

  • Hawaii Five-0(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Kevin Creed

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Trespassers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Colin

  • Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Surfer #2

  • Hawaii (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Skinny Guy

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Crypt King

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Empire City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 51 titles, 50 of them dated from 2002 to 2025; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Den of Thieves (2018)

$81M worldwide

Highest rated

Den of Thieves (2018)

Midcredits 79th

Film career

20022025

Peak 2017 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting51 of 51: 49 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score23rdDirecting1 of 51: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 51: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

2000s4 · acting2010s36 · acting2020s10 · 10 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 9% of 23 roles
1015

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Kaiwi Lyman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 14th percentile, the median of all 29; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 9th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

9thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Approval · how many liked their films

12thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th21

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 40 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned2
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed20

Most divisive · actor

Dick Dickster (2018)

97th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

American Horror Story (2011)

Midcredits 87th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 42/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 26. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kaiwi Lyman's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles71–83 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles15–64 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles63–87 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 65 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Kaiwi Lyman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kaiwi Lyman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Timothy Woodward Jr. shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers