Fresh season, please: Actor Randall Park

Death threats and strong criticisms have killed the careers of many.

But not Korean-American actor Randall Park's, who was at the receiving end after he satirised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in last year's controversial film, The Interview.

In fact, the hoopla became a silver lining for Park, who was cast to headline hit US sitcom Fresh Off The Boat.

Speaking to The New Paper on the phone from Los Angeles, Park said that he has no regrets despite the flak surrounding the earlier movie.

He said: "I have no regrets being in The Interview, as it was my first time starring as a main character in a big studio film."

The LA native previously had small parts in movies like Neighbours and Sex Tape, as well as in TV series like Veep and Community.

He added: "All those crazy threats were completely unexpected and unfortunate... We just wanted to make a good, fun movie. I loved it."

The Interview, which also starred James Franco and Seth Rogen as journalists plotting to assassinate Mr Kim, was branded as "an act of war" by a North Korean official.

It also sparked a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures - which released the movie - and resulted in the leak of many embarrassing, headline-making e-mails between its executives.

The Interview eventually saw a limited release in the US last December. It was never released in Asia.

Park, 41, brushed off the death threats hurled at the movie's cast, calling them "insane" and said he never felt threatened or feared for his life.

Fresh Off The Boat, however, was much better received.

It is based on the memoirs of Taiwanese-American celebrity restaurateur Eddie Huang, and Park plays Huang's father Louis, a Taiwanese immigrant whose family struggles to adjust after moving from Washington DC to Florida.

Constance Wu plays tiger mum Jessica, with Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler and Ian Chen cast as their sons Eddie, Emery and Evan respectively.

The show received rave reviews when it premiered in the US in February and it quickly became a hit among US audiences - something that never ceases to amaze Park.

"It's still so surreal that our show is popular," he said, adding that there hasn't been a sitcom about an Asian-American family since Margaret Cho's All-American Girl 20 years ago.

"We finished shooting the entire season way before the first episode came out. I wasn't sure how it'd be received because it's very different from what American viewers are used to."

However, Park said he felt Fresh Off The Boat was "unique".

"So when the critical acclaim came and we received so much love...it was really a surreal feeling."

While Park, who also hails from an immigrant family, can personally relate to the story, the father-of-one feels the sitcom resonates with the masses because the characters are "believable".

"Asian-Americans, Asians, other races... the theme of family is universal to all communities," said Park.

"(Fresh) is about parents and their kids, with one kid trying to find his identity and where he sits in the world."

Park hopes that with its success, there will be less discrimination in Hollywood.

"The industry is changing, but discrimination is still there as it's so deeply embedded in the culture," said Park, who has been working as an actor and writer since 2003.

"It's still hard to get work as an (Asian-American) actor, and we are still not represented well."

NEW ROLE

Park has a role in the upcoming Judd Apatow comedy Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader (opening here on Aug 20).

He is also part of the upcoming Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp alongside Kristen Wiig, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks and Bradley Cooper.

Despite his thriving film career, all Park wants is for Fresh Off The Boat to be picked up for another season.

"Although I'd like to do more movies, my hope is that, first and foremost, we will have Season 2.

"I really love working on the show."

The sitcom is now showing on Sundays at 9.50pm on FOX (Singtel TV Ch 330 and StarHub TV Ch 505).

joannes@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on May 07, 2015.
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