WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 1089 - Randall Park

Episode Date: January 16, 2020

Randall Park’s Korean immigrant parents were skeptical about their son’s career path. But that all changed when Randall played the actual dictator of North Korea in The Interview, a movie that caused an international incident. Randall also tells Marc why he founded an Asian-American theater company in college and why he’s taking the same mentality at the core of that group to his Hollywood production company. They also talk about Fresh Off The Boat, Always Be My Maybe, his friendship with Ali Wong, and the magic of a root canal. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Death is in our air. This year's most anticipated series, FX's Shogun, only on Disney+. We live and we die. We control nothing beyond that. An epic saga based on the global bestselling novel by James Clavel. To show your true heart is to risk your life. When I die here, you'll never leave Japan alive. FX's Shogun, a new original series, streaming February 27th exclusively on Disney+. 18 plus subscription required. T's and C's apply.

Lock the gate! all right let's do this how are you what the fuckers what the fuck buddies what the fucking ears what's happening this is mark maron it's my podcast wtf welcome to it uh right up front well let me tell you first. I'm pre-recording this. It's a couple days before the day you'll hear it. I'm in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm sitting here in a hotel room, 22 floors above the ground. I shot all day today.

I was in the studio all day today doing a bit, a bit. I'm doing a scene. These scenes that we're working on, they revolve around songs for the movie Respect with Jennifer Hudson, myself, and others, Marlon Wayans. And these are long and fairly complicated scenes to shoot in that there's no stunts involved, but there's singing and there's musicians. And it's a whole day to shoot some of these musical sequences that take place in the studio. But I got to be honest with you, it's been pretty great. It's like, I don't know what it, maybe I'm just figuring out how to be on a set. Maybe I'm just accepting that this is a job I do. It's part of the things I do with my life.

I don't know what it is, but being in this character and in this situation and in the late 60s, you know, at Atlantic Records recording Aretha Franklin is kind of an exciting thing, man. And it just, I don't know. I've just sort of locked into the gig of it. And I'm not even talking a lot these few days. But I'm enjoying the work. Is that okay?

Is that okay if I enjoy the work? Thank God. Thank God. I'm enjoying my work, folks. And I also want to tell you the WTF cap mugs that were available for the holiday sold out really fast. As you know, they always do. So Brian Jones made a brand new batch. These are the handmade ceramic mugs I give to my guests.

You can get one for yourself right now. People love these things. You can go to BrianRJones.com slash shop starting at noon Eastern today. Okay, so that's happening. Those mugs are nice. I've run out of them several times. I don't stay on top of it as well as I should. And Brian's churning them out. So there's a good chance that some of you will get these over some of the guests. Some guests I have to admit leave empty handed. I feel bad about it. I don't make choices around it. I don't decide who will

get a mug and who won't, but some of them leave empty handed and I don't even choices around it. I don't decide who will get a mug and who won't. But some of them we've empty handed and I don't even tell them the mugs exist. They don't know. What do they know? I will say this. My guest today, Randall Park, you know him from Fresh Off the Boat. You know him from the movie that he did with Ali Wong. You'll Always Be My Maybe.

He's been around a long time. He's done a lot of things. But he brought a gift. He gave me a little Swiss Army pocket knife that was a crew gift for the fresh off the boat people. And it was nice. Not very many people bring gifts. And oddly,

Anderson Pack and Randall Park both brought me gifts I don't know what that's about is it the peas? the pea sound? I don't know

I'm not making connections where they aren't perhaps I am maybe it is the pea sound my dates let's do this I feel like I just talked to you and I've really been

doing nothing but shooting and trying to you know to not eat really been doing nothing but shooting and trying to uh you know to not eat on set all day that I mean that's been what's been going on and listening to Jennifer Hudson sing a lot and having some laughs with Marlon Wayans and hanging out with the crew you know doing that thing and and being in Atlanta but I was exhausted so I'm in the room I okay I'll be honest with you the reason I waited so. So I'm in the room. Okay, I'll be honest with you. The reason I waited so long, because I'm recording this late at night, is the town came on TV, the Ben Affleck movie. And I thought, I just watched a few minutes, and I watched the whole fucking thing.

So that's what's happening in my life. I missed the debates, and I watched the town. And, you know, just hoping for the best for the future with very little faith. So here are my dates. Thursday, January 30th, Cleveland, Ohio at the Agora Theater. This is for the tour I'm doing with Dean Del Rey.

We're sort of half-tied. It's the freezing leg of the Hey, There's More Tour. Friday, January 31st, I'm in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Fountain Street Church. Saturday, February 1st, I'm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Turner Hall Ballroom. Friday, February 14th, Orlando, Florida at the Hard Rock Live. Saturday, February 15th, I'm in Tampa, Florida at the Straz Center. Thursday, February 20th, Portland Main State Theater. Friday, February 21st,

Providence, Rhode Island at the Columbus Theater. Saturday, February 22nd, New Haven, Connecticut at College Street Music Hall. And Sunday, February 23rd, Huntington, New York at the Paramount.

You can go to wtfpod.com slash tour for links to all of the venues. And that's that. Tickets are selling well, and I appreciate that. Though I've got word, word came in that Grand Rapids needs a little help. Orlando, Florida needs a little help. So those are the markets that I'm having a little,

that aren't moving as quickly as they could. Michigan and Florida. Grand Rapids, Orlando. I don't know what the connection is, but that's what's going on. Oh, you guys, man. I don't know. Sometimes when I'm on the road,

I'm much more relaxed. I think I broke my back in two places. I'm still walking and obviously I'm exaggerating. But I guess I've hit that age where perhaps maybe it's not a great idea to go heavy. Do you know what I'm saying? It's like, just stay in shape. There's no reason to go heavy. I think I popped a vertebra.

I don't know what the hell I did. to go heavy. I think I popped a vertebra. I don't know what the hell I did. I guess I could ask the crew doc, the doc over at the shoot, if there's a chiropractor situation. I've never been to a chiropractor in my life. I don't really know what to do. My best thinking gets me to the regular doctor where I get x-rays like a regular person and I find out if there's anything seriously wrong. And then I figure out from the x-rays what the prognosis is probably from a back guy. And then I, I, I weigh it out. That's, that's how my brain works. Some people apparently are like, maybe you just drink some green juice, go to a chiropractor. And I don't know if that's going to hurt me more or it isn't, but nonetheless, I think I might've done it. I think I might have fucked myself for the rest of my life in the back area which happens to a lot of people over lesser

things I did it heroically at the gym I'll deal with it I got to deal with it I know why I'm not complaining I'm here making a movie but I realize my life revolves around a certain amount of food panic and then a certain amount of introspection and the way I situ realize my life revolves around a certain amount of food panic and then a certain amount of introspection and the way I situate my life on the road I I have I come back to the room I walk a half a mile to the Whole Foods and I I make myself dinner at Whole Foods and I sit there at they have a beer bar at the Whole Foods downtown here, or Midtown Atlanta. And I eat it. And I watch the TV there with no sound.

That was this evening. I was actually there, and I forgot to tell you about this. I was there on the night of the Golden Globes, eating a sad salad at Whole Foods. And next to me, the only other guy sitting there was a guy wearing three different types of camo, a camo hat, a different kind of camo shirt, and different camo pants. And he was wearing sunglasses,

and he was five beers in to a six-pack of cans of some Mexican beer. And I told him that I had interviewed Brad Pitt and Leo DiCaprio. He said he grew up by Brad Pitt, went to a different high school, but they had common friends, and that he would like to listen to the podcast, but he does not have a phone or a computer, of the podcast but he does not have a phone or a computer and that he's a a country uh singer songwriter but real country the conversation got weirder as the the last couple beers went down but i told him i'd uh i'd look out for his music without knowing his name and he said he'd he'd

listen to my podcast without having a phone or a computer so i think that went about as as good as it could so yeah i did just change my the title to my special it was originally going to be jeremiah ad this is the comedy special i just shot for netflix because there was complications with the name Jeremiah in that the folks at Netflix thought no one would know what the fuck that was. Probably true that they might have to look it up. But I mean, on a deeper note, it was that if they saw it, would they know it was a comedy thing? It just in the menu. I took that note. I realized they were probably right. So now the name of my special is going to be End Times Fun. Yep. I'm just telling it like it is. I'm going straight. That is what it is.

It's End Times Fun. That's what I tried to do. That is the tone of the special. Also, on the cat front, got some good news about my cat, Monkey. I'm just keeping you up to speed. Brought him in, which was an ordeal when I was just home just last week, to check his levels because he's got the hyperthyroid. I'm giving him the medicine. So his thyroid now is a little low, we got to bring the you know decrease the medicine get the thyroid level kidneys for his age just starting with a little kidney disease i think i told you that but the blood work outside of that is spectacular so i might have a little

time with the old fucker and i guess you know despite when anyone says despite the outliers despite the people that say hey man i had a i had a cat that that died at age 40 he lived 40 years i had this one cat was 57 years old when it died i had a cat we don't even know how old it was but we think it was 102 outside of those rare stories 15 and a half is old for a fucking cat i have an old ass cat and he's yeah i think he might hang in for a little while i'm hoping i need to pace these things out i don't think i could handle putting another one down inside the same year but i if you got to do it you got to do it the other cat buster he buster kitten bringing him in uh shortly to get his levels checked because he's been on the kidney food since the renal failure after he ingested what I believe to be lily pollen.

So that's it. That's what's happening. I had Randall Park over at my house before I left. And I have to say it was really great to talk to him. And I talked to, obviously, Ali Wong about him. And I talked to Nanachka Khan about him a bit. And now I'm going to talk to Randall. The final season of Fresh Off the Boat on ABC returns this Friday, January 17th.

And there's a special one-hour series finale Friday, February 21st. This is me back at the house talking to Randall Park. Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly, host of Under the Influence. Recently, we created an episode on cannabis marketing. With cannabis legalization, it's a brand new challenging marketing category. And I want to let you know we've produced a special bonus podcast episode where I talk to an actual cannabis producer. I wanted to know how a producer becomes licensed, how a cannabis company competes with big corporations, how a cannabis company markets its products in such a highly regulated category, and what the term

dignified consumption actually means. I think you'll find the answers interesting and surprising. Hear it now on Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly. This bonus episode is brought to you by the Ontario Cannabis Store and ACAS Creative. Cannabis Store, and ACAS Creative. Death is in our air. This year's most anticipated series, FX's Shogun, only on Disney+. We live and we die. We control nothing beyond that.

An epic saga based on the global best-selling novel by James Clavel. To show your true heart is to risk your life. When I die here, you'll never leave Japan alive. FX's Shogun, a new original series, streaming February 27th, exclusively on Disney+. 18 plus subscription required. T's and C's apply.

This is the right time? This is, everything's the right time right now for me. You got nothing? Well, I got a root canal yesterday. Oh, really? And it, for seven days, I was in severe pain. Really? Yeah, I had this abscess in in my tooth and I couldn't get an appointment. Right. And I managed to get in, like to squeeze in. Sometime in my dentist, he gave me

these antibiotics. They'll kick in, they'll kick in. Seven days straight, severe pain. Nothing? I mean, I'd bite down on this tooth. I'd be rolling on the ground. Oh, my God. Yeah. So you couldn't even enjoy the food? Couldn't eat. Oh, God. And then I got an emergency appointment with this endodontic specialist that my dentist said, they'll see you. They'll make time to see you. Right.

And they did some work, and I got a new lease on life. I'm like, you caught me at like one of the greatest. This is it. This is it. A high point in life right now. Yeah. I mean, I'm just like walking on the cloud right now. Oh my God. Part of it is because of all the meds I'm on right now. Oh yeah. But I feel, I'm telling you, this is- The root canal is a wild process, isn't it? I got sort of kind of obsessed with the, you know, how the hell they think of that. Yeah. To, you know, to sort of clean out these channels. To go inside of a tooth.

Right. Way up in there with these little brushes. Did they do that? Did you have the wires sticking out of your mouth? Yeah, they did all that. Cleaned out the channels? Cleaned out the channels and- Just to keep the base so they can drill the new one on there.

They just want to keep that tooth in there as opposed to extracting it. So you've got to fake a temporary... I actually don't have anything in it. I just have some temporary paste that they put on right now. I had a crown on this tooth before. They took off the crown. But they filed it all down, right? Filed it all down.

There's just a nub. Just a little nub and a hole that's filled with this. And I'm thrilled. Yeah. I love it. I love it. But now you're waiting for a real tooth, right? You're waiting for the tooth to.

I don't care. Yeah. They're going to build you one, right? Yeah. They're going to put one in there. And that's fine. I'm just fine. I'm just so.

I'm telling you, seven days of just intense pain. Torture. Some of the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Teeth are the worst. They're scary, man. I can't even go to the fucking dentist without being terrified. Oh, yeah, but you got to go. No, I go.

I go every six months to a year. Yeah. But the cleaning, just the scraping, I can't. We've been dealing with it our whole life. Yeah. But I'm just like clenched and it's just horrible because you're that one sensitive, you're just waiting for that one moment where you're like, oh, God. That was me.

Oh, man. Nothing. Yeah, that's the worst. And afterwards, after I got the root canal, I was scared, still scared to eat just because, you know, I'll bite down on it. I can't even imagine. I was eating matzo ball soup, and the matzo ball sent me to the ground. That's how long.

A matzo ball sent me to the ground. You took me out? You took me out. I was rolling on the ground. Where'd you eat matzo ball soup? From Art's Deli on Ventura, and I ordered it I ordered it because, you know, that's our deli. Is that a good deli? Yeah, yeah, it's good.

I don't know anything about it. We go there almost every week. It's been there a long time. Yeah? It's like real Jewish-style deli? I don't know what real Jewish-style is. I think so. No, I mean, I never heard of the deli.

Like, I know one deli or two delis. Like, I go to Cantor's and then there's. Oh, yeah, yeah. You know, there's Greenblatt's, which I never go to. I don't know. It's not something I do all the time. I actually grew up going to, my family, we went to Jewish delis all the time. Really?

We went to Factor's on Pico. Factor's out on Pico. That's gone. No, that's there. It's still there. That's still there, yeah. Oh, you mean by Fox? Yes, yes, yeah. Right across from, what am I thinking of? Junior's. Junior's is gone. It's gone. No, that's there. It's still there? That's still there, yeah. Oh, you mean by Fox? Yes, yes, yeah.

What am I thinking of? Juniors. Juniors is gone. It's another deli now. So you grew up eating at Factors? Yeah, my family, we went like every couple weeks. We'd go to Factors

and then we'd go to Juniors. Yeah. Yeah. So you grew up in that part of town, the west side? Yeah, yeah. Your whole life? Born and raised, yeah.

But your folks are not from here? No, they immigrated from Korea in the early 70s. Was that like a time where a lot of people immigrated or they just came? You know, they came, I think, before the bigger wave. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, but that's when a lot of Koreans started coming. And how come, why do you think they settled in Los Angeles? Do you have family here? Well, my dad had a job here. So my dad was here before my mom. Oh. He had a, he, and I don't know what exactly brought him to LA.

He lived in San Francisco. Yeah. A lot of Asian immigrants, they go to San Francisco. Why is that? I don't know. It's a trick. Other people like them there, I guess. I guess, because it's where I never, I guess there's a deeper history to a lot of that stuff.

Cause like I living here, you know, apparently it's like a huge Armenian community. Yeah, that's right. And a lot of Koreans here too. Yeah. I just don't know how that starts or who makes the decision. You know what I mean? Like, is there a newsletter that goes out

that we've decided this is it? I think it's just friends. Yeah, I think it's just friends and family. And they say, hey, it's safe here. Right. There's enough of us here to find solace and protection. If one of us gets attacked, there'll be a couple of us to help out. To watch our back. Yeah.

So he started in San Francisco and came down here? Started in San Francisco, yeah. And then he was a busboy at this restaurant in Sausalito, this French restaurant. And then he ended up in Paris. Paris? Yeah, studying French. I don't know. I don't fully know.

Is this part of your dad's wife is vague? A little bit. A busboy in Sausalito and then Paris. Yeah, and then Paris. A little bit. A busboy in Sausalito and then Paris. Yeah, and then Paris. And I think the owner of the restaurant in Sausalito had something to do with him going to Paris.

Like, he really liked my dad. Right. And then he ended up in L.A., went back to Korea, met my mom, who was still in college at the time. And when she finished, she came down here with my dad. Does he know French? Yeah. He can still do it. Yeah, yeah. And what did he end up doing?

He ended up, well, for a good part of my childhood, he worked for this stuffed toys company, just like in the offices. And apparently I was named after one of his coworkers that he liked. At the stuffeded Toy Factory? Yeah, at the Stuffed Toy Factory. And then that company moved, and he didn't want to move the family out to another state. So he ended up just working a bunch of different jobs. And then eventually he ran a one-hour photo, his own one-hour photo.

He had a franchise? No, no, just one little shop. Yeah. One little shop on Main Street in Santa Monica. And then the digital age just kind of wiped that out. Yeah. He was the bitter one-hour photo guy. Yeah.

Yeah, we had our time. Yeah, it was just bad timing. Yeah. Like, it just all, you know. And then he now he works. He's actually at a souvenir shop and working with family members on Hollywood Boulevard. Oh, really? Yeah.

He can't stop working. He doesn't want it. He doesn't want it. What about your mom? He can't stop working. He doesn't want it. He doesn't want it. What about your mom? My mom, she's retired, and she ended up working at UCLA for like 30 plus years as an accountant for the student store.

So that's where the family got the health insurance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your mom had the stable. She had the stable job. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and she was there for a long time. When I was a student there, she was working there. And you got a lot of siblings?

Older brother. Yeah? Oh, that's it? What's he do? He works at an optometrist office in Los Feliz. So you're the only one that's in show business. The only one, yeah. And now, when you were, how did that,

because it seems to me that certainly people I've talked to, children of immigrants, there's a lot of pressure. I've talked to several to sort of really kind of like be the one that really becomes a success in an unquestionable way. Yes, yes. Because the parents, you know, sacrificed their lives. You didn't get that pressure? I did.

You did? Of course I did. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I got a lot of that pressure growing up. Yeah, what did they want you to do? Come on, Mark. Doctor, you know this. I do.

Doctor, lawyer. That was it? That was it. Because I don't know, are those still good jobs? Are they still considered good jobs? I mean, I know they're respectable, the doctors are at least, but I don't know, is lawyer really something parents want their kids to do still? They make money. Yeah, I guess so, yeah. I mean, they're

safer bets in terms of, yeah, if you follow this path, if you take these classes. Security. They want to know. Yeah, yeah. They don't want it to be questionable. They know that if you take these steps, you will get to this place. Yes, yes.

Whereas if you start out being an actor or a comedian, it's like there's no path. Yeah, and I'd like to think that the most of the judgment that parents have about that stuff is concern yeah yeah like more than anything else you know it took me a long time to kind of realize that you know i think early on it was a lot of uh judgment you thought it was just judgment yeah just you don't believe in me you don't think i'm talented you know which they didn't but but but ultimately maybe it comes from a good place it totally they yeah they love us so they don't want us to to you know be broke and a burden on them yeah and a burden on them all of those things i was for a

good part of my adult life you know so when do you like you, did you make any movement towards being a doctor or a lawyer? Well, when I was in college at UCLA, I was not going to be a doctor or a lawyer, but I thought maybe I'd be a professor. Oh, yeah. Yeah, and I thought maybe. Of what? I was thinking of, like, Asian American studies, history, things that I was interested in at UCLA. And I thought that would, you know, I would as a professor publish books and write, you know, and that sounded pretty good to my parents. You sold them?

Yeah, I sold them. So I kind of started gearing myself towards that route, even though at the time I had uh uh co-founded this theater company on on on the college campus and uh I was spending most of my time doing that stuff oh really yeah so so you you studied um you did you did study like uh what was I majored in in English in like creative writing yeah and then I uh I minored in Asian American studies. I ended up doing a two years master's program in Asian American studies. Oh really?

And thinking I was gonna become this professor. Of Asian American studies. Yeah. What is the reach of that? When it seems like it's pretty broad. Yeah, yeah. So what do you study exactly? Well, I mean my like primary interest was actually in like media you know like an asian

american kind of representation and uh and the depictions of asian americans in media so it was always like geared towards this this interest that i had in my heart you know yeah you're putting the the philosophical foundations of your acting career. Yeah, yeah. And then meanwhile, I was doing this theater company. Well, what was the theater company? It was this Asian American theater company that I was involved with and I had co-founded on campus.

So what was that called? It was called LCC, or it was called Lapu the Coyote That Cares Theater Company. And it's still going on to this day. Really? Yeah, yeah. Was it? Ali Wong was a member of that company.

That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so what's the, are you older? Older, yeah. Than Ali? She joined after I graduated. So, because you guys did that great movie together, and she's written for Fresh Off the Book.

Yeah. Like you guys have a long, but you and she's written for Fresh Off the Book. You guys have a long... But you didn't know each other in college? We did know each other. When she was in college, yeah. And I was just out of grad school and still kind of hanging around that theater company because I didn't know what I... You started it.

Yeah. Was it a comedy-driven thing? You know, it was. It was, for sure. But it wasn't kind of conscious, like, we're going to do comedy. It was just kind of, I think that was just kind of our natural, that's what we like to do. And sort of the intent of it was to sort of bring Asian Americans together to...

Well, you know, at the time it was primarily these, what we called South Campus majors, which was like Asian American kids who were majoring in like math and sciences and becoming doctors, you know, and who kind of wanted to do this kind of thing, just kind of as a hobby, you know. So we had a lot of these kids who were-

Brainy kids. Oh yeah, or at least like artists who were trying to please their parents. And we provided them this kind of outlet to kind of like I was at the time. And yeah, we just put on, we wrote all our own original plays and material. And you would perform it at the school?

Perform it at the school. We did a show every quarter. And it was, I mean, that was pivotal for me that was when i was like okay i know i want to do this i know like i'm supposed to become a professor now but this is what i really want to do and uh we'll see what you know did you ever do did you maintain did you keep that sort of the spirit of like um your knowledge of a lack of representation being one of the driving forces? Yeah, yeah. I think at that time it was definitely, you know, I was in college.

I was, for the first time in my life, surrounded by Asian Americans and very kind of suddenly conscious to these things, whereas growing up I didn't think about it. You weren't surrounded by Asian Americans growing up no no I mean I had a couple Asian friends that I grew up with but it was predominantly everyone else right a part of LA uh that was very mixed but there weren't a ton of other Asians yeah so so you know we grew up knowing about race stuff because we were all so, you know, different of different backgrounds. Yeah. But it wasn't like this kind of conscious Asian-American identity. Right. And so did you find that at the time when you were in college that that was sort of the first wave of that awareness culturally? For me? Yeah. Yeah.

culturally for me yeah yeah in general I you know because like I what do I don't know much of anything that you know but you start to realize as you know as a white person and and one that you know now you has to admit a certain amount of privilege because it's true but you don't think in those terms right yeah you're ignorant yeah you know and I don't think it's racist but you're just sort of like you take everything for granted. You're just going through life. Yeah. Yeah. As a white person. Everything's working out. Well, that was me growing up too, though. Right.

You know, I was just, this is great. Yeah. I'd watch Indiana Jones and I'd put myself in the boots of Indiana Jones. Sure. Not short round. You know what I mean? And I thought, hey, short round's funny. Right. But that's not me.

I'm Indiana Jones. And then you grow up a little bit, step out in the world, and everyone's like, you're short round. I'm like, no, I'm Indiana Jones. You don't get it. I got the hat and everything. Yeah, I got the hat and the whip. But you did feel kind you come up

against that you felt that in in college yeah yeah in college and i think that's what uh led to the formation of that theater well in college in in in which sense in the sense that um because you just being in the population of college or and actually in? I mean, like, did you... Because I don't know when bullying happens and I don't know when that sort of separation happens. I mean, when we're younger, everybody sort of integrates. Yeah.

But when you do get to college, it's odd because you start to... Groups aggregate. Yes, yeah. For whatever reason. Yeah, yeah. And you felt that there first? Yeah, no, I mean, growing up,

I got bullied, you know? I got bullied. I got bullied. It wasn't always, at least in my mind, because I was Asian. But in retrospect, that might have played a part of it. I don't know. But yeah, I think just being around a community that was thinking of these things, that was thinking of issues of representation. of these things, you know, that was thinking of issues of representation. Yeah, because, like, it seems that everybody gets characterized a certain way and lumped together. Yeah.

You know, even, but it's weird because even you saying, like, you know, like all these kind of, like, these kids that were trying to please their parents by doing math majors and biology majors had an outlet to at least pursue something. Yeah. math majors and biology majors had an outlet to at least pursue something that there was something. So the whole sort of like, I think that that expectation of immigrant parents kind of helps set sort of the context of how Asian Americans are judged in a way. Yeah, for sure. In terms of their ambitions and what they're supposed to do. For sure. But the parents aren't thinking of that, of the stereotypes.

No, of course not. My parents, they don't, to this day, they don't care about the issues that I think a lot of us Asian Americans, kind of who were born here, or at least who spent a good part of our childhood here, they're just trying to provide. Right. Yeah. Yeah, and so when so were you guys writing to this?

Were you creating pieces around this stuff? Yeah, we were. We were. I mean, pretty bad stuff. But yeah, we were writing about kind of everything. We didn't know what the hell we were doing. Right, sure. Because we just didn't have a lot of of us it was it was new for all of us we didn't go to plays growing up you

know we didn't uh we didn't you know know what it meant to write a play but you watched sketch shows we watched sketch shows we watched yeah we watched movies we watched tv and we were we were we were just kind of figuring it out and it was it was so fun because of that we didn't know what the hell we were doing we had no no no rules did anybody step in was there anybody among you that knew how to direct or or anything how many people were in the core group uh i think i think there were there must have been like 12 13 uh in that core group and And did you register it as a club on campus? Yeah, we did. So you had your own room and you had a space.

We had space to rehearse. We had a theater on campus, the Northwest Campus Auditorium, which was kind of tucked in by the dorm. And you set all this in motion? Me and two others. Yeah. The three of us. Yeah.

Yeah. We put it together. And I can't believe it's still going on it's crazy have you checked back in with it uh you know over the shows no no over the years though i mean here and there i would come back and talk to the kids and uh and uh i think i'm due to come back and oh yeah yeah so they know that you're the guy that started it i think so yeah you're like the historical figure this small picture of you somewhere hanging? Maybe, I don't know.

Yeah, yeah. Out of that original crew, how many people sort of went into show business? A bunch. Really? We made a lot of parents mad. You succeeded in your revolution. Yeah, a bunch of us, especially from that early group, you know, like, I don't know,

I'd say a third of that early group ended up going into it. Are they still in it? Yeah, yeah, thriving, a lot of them, you know, in different capacities, you know, writers, executives. Yeah, are you guys still in touch? Yeah, writers, executives, you know. Yeah, are you guys still in touch? Yeah, yeah, we all keep in touch. That's wild.

Yeah, when we had our Always Be My Maybe premiere, you know, Ali was in the company. And we had a bunch of, and it was, our premiere was at, in Westwood, right by UCLA. Right. So a bunch of us from the old, back in the day, came to the premiere and it was real cool. That's great.

Yeah, it was really cool. Now, do you feel that there, well, obviously there's been progress. Do you feel, in terms of representation, and in terms of, because it seemed like, it's a really odd thing, the struggle for African Americans against this depiction of them in general in film and television was always part of the cultural awareness.

But I don't think that I really took into mind the struggle of Asian Americans to sort of find that place. I knew there were movies, but it was always really a big deal when a movie was made about a multi-generational asian family yeah like look at the food it always there's always a lot of food involved oh yeah there's always food involved but do you do you feel that now that there is a broader acceptance uh yeah yeah yeah i think i think i think fresh off the boat's a good example ali wong success is a great example i think think so. I think so. And, you know, just kind of the fact that these projects and these people are out there in the mainstream, not just performing for other Asian Americans or Asian people. That's usually what happens, too.

Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah. I mean, it's a broad. I mean, Ali's success is like, it's insane. It's amazing. It's amazing. I mean, it's not surprising to me.'s insane. It's amazing. It's amazing. I mean, it's not surprising to me.

No, of course not. Yeah, but it is amazing. And I have to assume that those audiences aren't all Asian American. Yeah, no. 90 shows that she's doing in San Francisco. I know. She's doing 90 shows. It's crazy.

It's crazy. We're adding it. She did like 40 here in LA at the uh at the one on wilshire and uh yeah we're at the uh wiltern oh at the wiltern yeah yeah she did a ton yeah it is crazy but it's great it is great yeah and i think it's empowering for not just women but i obviously for asian americans too right i mean totally totally it's just it's so i you might i. I don't know why. Sometimes I find I don't talk to a lot of Asian Americans and now you're the representative.

But it's so amazing how much white people take for granted. Because we've all been eating Chinese food or Thai food or Korean food. Whatever we eat, it's usually where it starts. We go to that restaurant. It's just sort of a lack of empathy to connect lives and struggle to the people whose food you're eating.

Yeah, for sure. But it's all there. Yeah, yeah. I think that's why you see it so much in our projects. Because it is like, it is such a huge part of who we are. So you did a master's program, you did a master's in what?

In Asian American Studies. So you really kind of hung in there with that. Yeah, I was, yeah, for sure, for sure. It was something I was very interested in. And that was two years? That was two years, yeah. And then when did you just decide I'm gonna act? How did that happen, how did you go about it?

Well, I think it was many, many years after that. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. I mean, I think the expectations of my parents were, it was like they were just fighting up against what I really wanted to do. And I kind of, after grad school, I just kind of worked these regular jobs. I was a graphic designer, just trying to figure it out. Were you fighting with your folks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A little bit. And then, you know, and slow, slowly I'd kind of hint to them. Yeah. I think I want to do this. And they'd be like, no, no, you're not going to do well in that. It's so hard. So the character in the movie is sort of like something you could relate to. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Like that could have been your destiny. It could have, yeah it was. I mean I was in my 30s living at home. Yeah because I was, well at that point I was like actually pursuing acting but I wasn't really telling my parents because every time I tell them

they would stress how much of a failure I would be. Really? Yeah. I mean, because look, my mom worked at UCLA and she worked with a lot of students or former students who had just graduated UCLA and were now pursuing acting, but needed a job on the side. So they'd work in this accounting department with my mom and she'd like see their like reels, you know? And I remember she showed me one of her coworkers like reels and was like,

this guy's incredible, but this guy's working with me. That's how hard it is, you know? And I remember looking at this guy's reel. I was like, this guy is incredible. So it scared me, you know? She's trying to scare you straight. Yeah, but I mean, again, it was because she loved me and she didn't want me to, you know, to have a tough time. So you were at home in your 30s.

Yeah, yeah, and I had a tough time, man. And you were a graphic designer? Yeah, because when I was at that theater company in college, we'd have to make flyers for our shows, and we had to put them all around campus, so I picked up some skills. That's where you got your chops? Pretty basic graphic design skills

that carried me into these jobs post-college. But didn't your parents know that you were kind of unhappy and floundering in that? What were they expecting to happen with the graphic design? I think they were hoping that I would kind of be like, okay, I'm done with this. I'm going to go to law school. I think that's what they thought. It's only a matter of time. Any day now. Yeah. So meanwhile, I was going to to law school. Right. I think that's what you go. It's only a matter of time. Any day now.

Yeah, so meanwhile I was going to these auditions, I was doing improv, I was doing standup for a little while. You did? I did. At a certain point, Ally had moved up to San Francisco. Sure, I remember. I'd go up to San Francisco and she'd show me all around the rooms.

I'd perform with her at all these different rooms in San Francisco. Sure, I remember. I'd go up to San Francisco and she'd show me all around the rooms. I'd perform with her at all these different rooms in San Francisco. I met a bunch of, you know, your friends up in San Francisco at the time.

So you did, okay, so you're kind of, you're sneaking around doing this stuff. Yeah, as a 30-year-old. Because you're living at home

and you're doing graphic design and then you'd go and so when you went up to San Francisco, how many times did you do standup or did you? I mean, a bunch of times. Oh really? Yeah, yeah, a bunch of times. How was it for you?

It was great. Yeah? It was so fun. Yeah, yeah, I loved it. Especially going up there and I was, and I wish that I had lived up there sometimes because just it was a real community, you know, of comedians. Oh yeah, it's a comedy city, yeah, yeah.

It is here, too, but it's different here. It's different here. I mean, if you were where I was at at the time, you couldn't book five minutes in it. No, I guess it was really before all the bringer shows and everything else. Yeah, yeah, but I was doing those bringer shows, and I was performing.

Allie Middle formed me up there. She featured for me once when I was at the Punchline. I Middleton for me up there she featured for me once when I was at the Punchline I remember oh yeah yeah yeah yeah so crazy

it's crazy so how how much time did you were you in college together we weren't well I had graduated

so you were in a master's program yeah yeah it was right when I had graduated that program is when she joined the company

and you guys stayed friends yeah we stayed friends. I like these stories. Yeah, yeah. Because like, I've known comics

for 30 or 40 years, but like when you, you both kind of do different things and still stay friends. Beforehand, yeah, yeah,

it's pretty, it's pretty cool. Was she, did she feel bad for you? Was she, were you like, when you were, back then?

Yeah, like sort of like, oh no, he needs, he's, well, I don't think so. I mean, she lived in San Francisco at the time because she had moved back up and I was- Her folks were there?

Her family was there, yeah. And I was just doing, you know, I was just trying to make it down here. I don't think she, you know, she kind of saw too much of my struggle. Well, when did you sort of get like any sort of thing going? Like what happened? You know, it was just a slow slow build, you know

It's just like I would book a commercial You know and I'd be like, oh wow. I you know, I felt like I made it I booked booked my first commercial Yeah, it's like it was on the Asian channels all in Mandarin. I didn't even know what the hell I was selling But I was like, oh I think man I made it and then and't even know what the hell I was selling. But I was like, oh, man, I made it. And then a year would pass. I'd book another commercial, and I'd be like, oh, this one's in English. And then another one, oh, it's a national one. It's just kind of, and then a co-star on a show.

Oh, yeah. So all this auditioning, it didn't beat you up? It had beat me up. It did beat you up. I think permanent damage. Every time you come home and see your mom. Yeah, yeah. You couldn't even tell her, could you?

No, I couldn't tell her when I booked something. Because, you know, it would be like, okay, how much did you get paid? What does that lead to? Well, I think it just kind of airs and disappears. It's a commercial. You can all watch it together. You didn't have any lines in that. I know, but I was featured prominently.

So it was just that for many years. Yeah, for many years. So what was the co-starring role you got? My first one was a show called Fast Lane. It was on Fox. Right. So after the, what was the co-starring role you got? My first one was a show called Fast Lane. Yeah. It was on Fox. Right. So you had representation at some point. I had representation and I had a commercial agent at least

and just kind of kept at it. And I kept doing these live shows, these sketch shows. Where were they? They were all around town, you know. So you're part of that, the UCB trip or? I wasn't, I wasn't. What were the sketch shows? Were they Asian sketch shows?

Some of them were and some of them were just kind of with friends from these comedy schools that I was in at the time. You went to comedy schools? Well, I mean like, you know, like improv kind of, there was this place called Acme. Oh yeah, Acme, yeah. Yeah, it was kind of like, you know, the ground kind of, there was this place called Acme. Oh yeah, Acme, yeah. Yeah, it was kind of like, you know, the ground.

It was like on the Bray or something? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was, you know, taking classes there. Acme Comedy Theater. Yeah, yeah, and they had their own kind of improv school. What happened in that place? I don't know.

It kind of went away? Yeah, I think they just, it's a rental space now, I think. I don't really know what's going on there. Didn't take. No. So you're just learning those kind of went away? Yeah, I think they just, it's a rental space now, I think. I don't really know what's going on. Didn't take. So you're just learning those kind of skills, doing group improv? Yeah, really just to keep doing stuff. Cause that was my thing was like,

I'm not like booking jobs. I just wanna keep doing everything. So you didn't lose your mind in sadness. Yeah, so I felt like I was actually like acting and doing comedy and so I just kept doing it or else I would have definitely like quit and tried to become a lawyer. Yeah.

Yeah. So when did, what was the first tangible? First big. What was the first one you could really be proud of and show your parents? You know what I. You still haven't told them yet? I still haven't showed them anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Soon, soon. Well, you know, I think, gosh, I think the interview was, ironically, of all projects, the kind of one that really, like, my parents were like, oh, he's like. He's working he's working and he's uh uh he's he's taking care of himself oh right right because well they've seen they saw you in other movies yeah yeah but you know in small parts small parts and and little

didn't add up to a life didn't add up to a life right yeah yeah yeah and uh but i that but i think you know at a certain point they would just see me on tv all the time and they were i think they really kind of put it together like oh he's he's working which is amazing and working towards something like you did you did soap operas and everything i did anything man i would do anything i needed i needed literally needed the money you know yeah uh because at a certain point well at certain points i moved out of the house got my own place had to move back and then move moved out again you know oh really because i kept getting becoming broke you know oh my god so like so you had these parents and you'd have to well yeah kind of go back yeah but that's the thing and and i only realized this with perspective now is that they were supporting my dream all along.

You know, they were like literally housing me and feeding me during this time. You know, they could have. I guess they could have held a harder line. Yeah. Yeah. And said, you know, you can't come back. Yeah. Yeah.

They didn't. They didn't. They would never do that. I mean, to this day, they take me in. You know, they're great parents, you know. But yeah, yeah, I think when the interview came out, or kind of came out, because it didn't really come out, but... But at least you had some notoriety. I was in the Korean newspaper, put it that way. They were getting calls from Korea?

Yeah, from their family. I mean, so I think at that point they were like, wow, he's playing a big part in a big movie. And I think they kind of turned around there. Well, I mean, that part was a very specific part. Yeah, yeah. If to play Kim Jong-un. Yeah. I mean, were they nervous?

No. Okay. No,, were they nervous? No. Okay. No, but the entire rest of the world was, you know? Your parents were just happy you were working. Yeah, yeah. I actually, like, you know, I talked with them before I even took the part. Like, do you think this is, like, going to be a problem? Or, you know, and they were like, no.

What, do you mean to play the dictator? Yeah, yeah. I talked to a bunch of people because I didn't, you know, I really wanted to do it. I love the script. I felt like it was. What were your concerns? Well, I mean, I didn't know enough about everything.

Oh, the dynamics of North and South Korea or who that guy was. I mean, I knew a little bit growing up, but I didn't know enough and I learned a lot during that time. What'd you learn that kind of gave you enough confidence to do it? Well, I learned that it wasn't, at least in my head or at least from what I would I people would tell me it wasn't as as

scary a threat as like everyone to think to Korea to South Korea right and and and that as far as they've been living with it for years. Yes, exactly. And that, I don't know, everything that eventually happened was a big surprise, put it that way, like as far as just the- In terms of the whole world freaking out? Yeah, yeah. That he was that sensitive and we were all, thought we were on the precipice of nuclear war because of you? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And yeah, and my parents were just like thrilled they were people know who

you are now yeah kind of right yeah yeah uh and uh yeah so so so when that came out it was it was it was insane and then it just kind of one day all just stopped it was you know the next news item came on and and that thing just got pushed aside. Did you have to move back into the house? No. No? No. After that, you were out on your own?

Well, at that point, I was married. Oh. Yeah. So you were working and everything was good. Yeah, we had a kid and... How many kids you got? Just one. One.

But you were doing like, it seems like you were doing a lot of like tv bits and some funny shit i was i was doing i was you know at a certain point it just kind of the work just became kind of steady and i kept working and now at that time though were you feeling you know given the you know your past um studies and and and also some of the intentions around creating the theater company, did you feel that you were being treated as something other than an Asian prop for the most part? I think, well, early on, I definitely felt that a lot. Yeah.

But I needed money. No, no, I'm not judging it. I'm just saying, given what you're coming from intellectually. Yeah, I mean, an Asian prop in the sense that I was there to kind of add color to a scene. Right. I was there to create the world around these main characters. Did you ever have those moments? Because I notice it all the time where you see this kind of multicultural group of friends

and you realize, like, that would never happen. You know, yes, but also that was my childhood. It does happen. Yeah, it does happen. It's not all contrived. I mean, my childhood was, it was a Benetton ad. You know, it was just completely diverse. Well, that's what America is really, I think,

for the most part. Yeah, yeah. Maybe I'm wrong. But when I do see that, yeah. I mean, especially being an actor and playing that, you do realize that it's really, you are kind of a prop. You are there to show the world that this main character isn't racist. He has friends of color. It's so hard for me to judge what is real, what isn't,

because I've lived the life of a comic for so long. I don't go to a workplace. I don't have regular friends that just have regular jobs. I have no idea how anybody fucking lives. Maybe it's all a lot more integrated than I know. I don't know about that, but certainly my life has been that, especially my childhood. I saw somewhere at some point you wrote and acted in some movie, a feature.

Yeah, yeah, well aside from Always Be My Maybe, there was one way back in the day with a friend and I just wrote and just made it independently and it was real scrappy and made it. Were you still in college? No, no, I was out of college at that point. I was definitely- What was that about?

Gosh, it was called American Fusion and it was, I don't even remember, man. I don't remember, but it was uh uh for me uh kind of my first taste of actually like seeing something i i wrote on in feature form and yeah that was really like thrilling and uh and uh definitely kind of planted the seed where i i got to do that again you know and i didn't do it again so it's always be be my maybe. Oh, really? You didn't do shorts? I mean, oh, yeah, I did a ton of shorts. I mean, after that, I started making stuff. Yeah. And I was making shorts and web series. And there was this there is this group called Channel 101. And yeah, and just this web series kind of

showcase slash competition. I was involved with those those people and and kept making web series and shorts and uh just you know exercising that muscle so it was all rooted in that college sure theater company where you just wrote stuff and and performed it and got to see and it also gives you a more control yeah yeah for sure and it keeps you sane yeah now oh yeah i can't i like i don't hold on one sec I told these guys to come this is like the bane of my existence like either I'm gonna have to start are they in your yard yeah of course they are oh but like you know I I I called the guy yesterday and I said can you come make sure they come between 11 and one yeah no dice oh it's okay people have learned how to deal with it i'm okay with it yeah yeah it

doesn't it doesn't read as much as it bothers me apparently but the uh the idea of um because i just being an actor like i've noticed this because i've been doing acting lately and it came to it very later in life you're amazing oh that's very nice yeah yeah is that you know like to actually have that be your life and to be beholden to other people and just waiting for material and then just showing up to do it, as satisfying as it might be incrementally, it's really a compromised position in a weird way, especially if you're not in the power, you don't have power over, you know, or enough traction to really decide what you want to do.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'd imagine you as a stand-up for all these years, you are telling your story. Yeah, right. And then when you're acting in someone else's thing, you're telling a story. Right.

But it's not your story necessarily. Yeah, and I didn't think of it. And you're just sort of like a guy working there. Yeah, yeah. Which I'm fine to do. do yeah just from all those years of just like oh i just need to work you know like i'm happy to do that but there is a it is a very special feeling to to create your own stuff so what was the process you know because i've talked i talked to ali i think like wow i mean i don't i talked to Ninochka about the movie,

but I didn't talk to Allie specifically about the movie because I think when I talked to her, she was just starting to break as a comic. Yeah. So I don't know that when you started working on it, but I talked to Allie and she breastfed in front of me. Yeah, I remember that episode. I think I handled it pretty well.

But that was really in promotion for Baby Cobra, so were you guys already working on it then or when? No, no, we weren't. It was after Baby Cobra. She, well after Baby Cobra, the New Yorker did a profile on her. That's how big

she was. The New Yorker did a profile on her. But at the time, though, she was writing for Fresh Off the Boat, right? I think she was. Or just stopping? I think she was off Fresh Off the Boat at that time. But you've been at Fresh Off the Boat since the beginning. Six seasons, yeah.

Yeah, we just got canceled. You did? Yeah, yeah. But isn't a new season starting? This is our sixth. Oh. Sixth and final. When did you hear that it was done?

A month back. Oh, Sixth and final. When did you hear that it was done? A month back. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. So we just finished our last episode a couple weeks ago. And you did, what were the cycles?

They were 13 a season or 23 a season? First season was 13. After that, it was mostly 20s all the way through. And this last season was 15.

So there's enough to syndicate. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we hit 100.icate oh yeah yeah we hit 100 yeah yeah we hit 100 and uh it's been uh it's been so well yeah well okay i guess before we get to this so how did you get cast on that uh is it during the movies or after the movies or you know i was doing it i was doing a jake casden oh. Jake Kasdan was directing this movie and he's a producer on. Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice guy.

Yeah, great guy. And I was doing a bit part, another bit part in a movie that he was directing. We're shooting in Boston and his. Which movie? It was called Sex Tape. Yeah. Oh, yeah oh yeah yeah yeah and his uh uh his produce uh produced co-producer melvin marr was there and uh who also produces fresh off the boat and he knocked on my trailer door and and i was just doing a couple days on that movie but he handed me this book called fresh off the boat and was like hey read this book we want to turn it in TV show. And we were thinking about you for the dad.

Yeah. And I was like, yeah, good luck with that. Because there were no Asians on TV like that at the time. Right. I mean, the last one before that was Margaret. Margaret. Right.

And that was like 20 something years before that. Is that true? An Asian family on network TV. I guess that's TV. Yeah. And so I was like, that's a great thought. Yeah. It probably won't happen.

Yeah. But I will read the book and I read the book because this book's amazing. Yeah. And still not gonna happen. Right. You know, and then one day I get a call.

We're gonna make a pilot. We want you to play the dad. And I was like, I can't believe that. Well, let's shoot a pilot. Yeah. Because that's all there's going to be is a pilot. So let's have fun on this pilot, you know. You really had the good attitude going there.

Well, I mean, you think about that, you know. Sure, yeah. What are the possibilities? Well, yeah, what's the possibility of any pilot going to series, right? Let alone an Asian American. An Asian family with me as the lead. I'm doing a day on sex tape and I'm gonna be the lead of a show.

You know, like, not gonna happen. Boy, the notion of failure really got pounded into you. Pounded into me. And completely okay with it. That's how pounded it was. I'm so used to failing. And then we made the pilot, Lynn Shelton. The great Lynn Shelton directed it.

It was great. It was so fun. I was like, there's no way. There's no chance. We're going to get picked up the series. And we got picked up the series. I was like, let's enjoy this one season. I guess there's something good about looking at things like that.

Yeah. Yeah. In a way that you keeps your expectations in check. Totally. Yeah. And it's not even in a dark way, in a great way. Sure. Like in a real, like, let's really just enjoy this.

Yeah. And you did. I did. I did. I did. And then after that season, hey, they want to do another season. No. Really? Well, this is definitely it.

This is definitely it. And then we kept going for six seasons. That's so nice. And then did your parents come to the set and stuff? No. Did they watch it on television? No. Oh, yeah, yeah.

No, no. They did. They actually watched every episode. Uh-huh. They didn't tell me that until, like, recently. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh, my God.

They watched every episode. They're very proud. Yeah, yeah. And they're able to show that? Yeah. Oh, that's nice. I mean, I think they're happy because I'm taking care of myself. Right, of course.

And the family. And there's no hint of them saying, like, if it still doesn't work out, you don't feel that? No, not at this point. Not at this point. Because, like, you know, when you think about Dr. Ken, he had to deal with that shit. Like, he actually did what was expected of him. Yeah. And now it took,

it took him years to even stop renewing his license to practice medicine. And then he pivoted. And I mean, he kind of, that's kind of the ultimate what he did, you know? Right, right.

He shut his parents up. And then he, he can, because he can always say like, I can always go back to being a doctor. Yes. He still had his license. And,

uh, he, he amazes me, that guy. I can't believe he pulled that off. But yeah. I remember the first time I talked to him, I had to fight the urge to, you know, I had some, I thought I had some health issues. Like they came very close to me asking for medical advice. I think I might've called him once to get some medical advice. I think I might have called him once to get some medical advice. That's funny.

I don't blame you. I don't blame you. This past week, I was on the verge of calling Ken. I'm in pain, man. Are you guys friends? Yeah. So, six seasons,

and this is it. This is it. So now, how did that, in terms of writing You'll Always Be My Maybe, how did that movie do ultimately? It did great. Yeah?

Yeah, it did great. I mean, I think it was in the first four weeks, the 32 million households. Oh, that's nice. Which is real nice. I mean, I don't know what any of that really means. But supposedly it was something to be proud of. I thought you were great in it.

I thought that character was sort of a heartbreaking, and I think it's across the board relatable. Yeah, yeah. You know, when she goes back. The band or whatever. The band, yeah. It's so harsh, man. But that was sort of the equivalent

of you living at your parents' house. Totally the equivalent, yeah. Like you knew that guy. That was me, yeah. And what was the writing process? How'd you guys do it? It was fun. Who had the idea of the story?

I think we just kind of came up with it together. We just met regularly, talked it through, and started working on an outline and put as much of our lives in it that made sense, you know, and made up a bunch of other stuff. And it just felt super organic, and I think it helped that we were old friends. And we ended up bringing in another friend who was a writer who had been doing real well in the industry as a writer who also came from that theater company in college. Oh, really? And the three of us ended up crafting the script and you had a day there was a deal with netflix or who were we once we once we finished the a draft of the script we sent it to netflix it's like do you want to do this and nanachka was always on board not at that point oh really

she was attached to another movie oh okay she was supposed to direct another movie as her like director debut, and then that one kind of fell through, and then we were like, we've got to get her. And she was cool. She was open to it. Yeah, because we were working with her fresh off the boat for so long. We love her and worship her in many ways. And she was down, and we felt so lucky. What happens now? What have you been doing?

I'm unemployed, but I'm feeling, again, I'm feeling incredible. Because of the tooth. Because of the root canal. The root canal worked out. I don't care.

I don't know. Today, you don't give a shit. Tomorrow, I'll be miserable. But like in, in terms of, I'm going to wait till they get off the porch.

I can feel them vibrating. I've lost my shit about this before. Oh, really? And it's like completely within my control. But I thought I took care of it yesterday. I texted the gardener and I said, could you tell them to come between 11 and 1? Because I got to interview Lily Tomlin in a couple hours. Oh, wow. You know, and I didn't want to,

I just didn't want it to. Well, better them doing this on me. Than on Lily? You know, I like that. I like that stuff when I listen to podcasts and I hear like police sirens in the back. The noise? Sure.

I love it. Yeah, no, I think it really adds texture to the thing. Yeah, it's real. But like I get, there's some days with this thing when you live in L.A. where you realize there isn't really an hour or two where it's not happening somewhere close by. Right, right, for sure. Like I notice that now.

And it's just like if I lock into it, it drives me nuts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because if it's not my yard, it's across the street or next door. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's just ongoing leaf blower noise. But you have no control over that, you know? It's like just- Well, how are you at letting go of things?

You don't get obsessed with shit? I just got a root canal, Mark. I'm cool with anything. I don't care. What drugs do you want? What did they give you before you left the dentist? But there was no pain with the root canal, right? Not, no.

No, it was just the seven days before, intense pain. You left the dentist. But there was no pain with the root canal, right? Not, no. Yeah. It was just the seven days before intense pain. I just can't believe. I got so upset. I was sort of like, who the hell figured that out? It's almost like making jewelry. It is with a little like. Yeah, and they're scraping out these nerve canals.

Yeah, yeah. It's unbelievable it's amazing only to fill them up to make a post for a fake tooth as opposed to bolt one into your head it's amazing it really is yeah but uh all right so all right so you're done but like yeah done done but you get but now like is it in syndication i mean i don't i don't really i don't i don't know what that means nowadays i don't either yeah I don't know what that means nowadays. I don't either. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, technically, yes. Yeah. Yeah. Technically, yes. And so that's nice because you've done enough episodes to where like, even if you don't work for a year, you're probably making enough residual money to keep your health insurance. Are you saying I'm

not going to work for the next year? I'm just, no, no. I'm saying that, sorry, you've influenced me. I'm just saying you won't have to go back home at this point. Yeah, no, you're right. You're right. It's incredible. Yeah. It's incredible. You're vested in the union.

I usually, as I get older, it's what I think about is health insurance. I don't care if you work for a year, but as long as you can keep the insurance. That's it. That's it. I mean, uh, during, uh, so during the seven days of extreme pain, uh, uh, at one of the days I was in so much pain, my, my, uh, wife was like, why don't you just go to urgent care? You know, go to go and right. right but i because of all those years of being broke and not having health insurance and i i had just had it stuck in my head that i will never go to a doctor i don't care what's happening right i will not go to a doctor because i can't be saddled with those bills right now and it's just that kind of stayed with me i didn't even think of it as an option it's you know it's it's sort of terrifying and and it's a weird scramble.

But you realize that like so many people don't do that. That's why so many people get sick. Yeah. Because they're afraid to go to the doctor. Yeah. Because it'll bankrupt them. It'll bankrupt them. What a dumb country we live in.

But what are you thinking about doing? Are you thinking about writing more? Do you want to branch out? Do you want to direct things? Yes, for sure. I actually directed the series finale of our show. Oh, you did? Yeah, I did. And that was really fun. Were you in it though too? I was in it too. It's kind of tricky, right? It was a little tricky. It was a little tricky, but I'd been on the show for six years at that point. And I had a lot of help. I had a lot of help had a lot of help yeah it's a nice way to enter the guild yeah yeah oh the best way and to sort of get the one under the belt for

sure but like you don't really feel like you're really directed no because yeah it's a show you're jumping out in front of the camera every five minutes and yeah and also looking at playback it's a show that has been around for a while and has its own style, has its own, you know. And everybody on the set at that point knows what to do. You didn't need to be an auteur. You weren't breaking any rules or pushing the envelope. No, I was not doing any single shot sequences. But now you get to pay money to be in the guild.

You're in. Yeah, yeah. You're ready to go. For sure. That's something I'd love to do. Are you writing now? Writing now. You started uh started this production company we got a deal over at the 20th oh really yeah so uh with two friends from my from the college yeah that's crazy it's crazy and they're writers or one of them's a writer one of them had become an executive

and a producer and uh so he's working with you at the production company. The three of us, yeah. That's your production company. Yeah. We're like, we want to tell Asian American stories. Yeah. Who wants to give us a deal. Right.

And we got a lot of offers. And I was like, I can't believe this, that we're getting offers to tell these stories that we did in college. You know. It's amazing. It's a great time. You're doing exactly what you set out to do. Yeah. know. It's amazing. It's a great time. You're doing exactly what you set out to do. Yeah, yeah, it is amazing.

And it honors your intellectual sort of ambition. Yeah. Now you are sort of a professor. And I'm working with friends. Oh, that's interesting, yeah. Well, that, you know, like what you're able to teach in light of what you wanted to teach, you probably have a much broader

and bigger audience to do it now. Yeah, yeah, and I'm having more fun. Yeah, yeah. And doing it with friends, which was always the goal. Well, what are some of the first projects? Have you got anything on the docket? No. Nothing?

It just started? It just started, yeah. That's exciting. So are you taking submissions and that kind of shit? We're doing all that because I write, and we have another writer in our little group that we're kind of creating stuff in-house. You got offices on the lot? Yeah, yeah.

Wow. It's super cool. That's pretty big time. So you're down by where you grew up. Yeah, right where I grew up. You can go right to Factors a couple times a week. It's right down the block. Yeah, yeah. And I do that. I do that. I'll cruise over to Factors a couple times a week. It's right down the block. Yeah. Yeah.

And I do that. I do that. I'll cruise over to Factors. Do your folks still live in the area? Yeah. They're right there. Same house. No.

I grew up in. Yeah. And your office is down the street? Right down the street. I played Little League across the street. From Fox. Yeah. That's hilarious.

Yeah. Yeah. It's all very surreal. Have lunch with your mom? Yeah. All that. Oh. Yeah. It's really nice. Well, congratulations. Thanks, Mark. yeah yeah it's all very surreal so now you can like have lunch with your mom yeah all that yeah it's really nice well congratulations

thanks Mark it's great talking to you man great talking to you too glad I got you on the nice on the upswing with the tooth oh man best day ever

thank you what a pleasant conversation that was that guy's great he's funny. He's sharp. I really enjoy talking to him. The final season of Fresh Off the Boat on ABC.

It starts Friday, January 17th. And there's a special one-hour series finale on Friday, February 21st. You can go to WTFpod.com slash tour for links to the tickets for the winter tour dates with me and Delray, Orlando, and Grand Rapids. Step up. Step up. No music today. I'm in a hotel room in Georgia. Boomer lives! It's hockey season, and you can get anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. We'll be right back. But chicken tenders, yes, because those are groceries, and we deliver those too, along with your favorite restaurant food, alcohol, and other everyday essentials.

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