The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau indicates that over seventeen million people identify as Asian or Asian-American, a statistic scarcely represented in Hollywood. In 2014, studies show that only 5.3% of roles in films were Asian. Randall Park terminates all the odds stacked against him as a triple threat within the industry, serving as a Korean-American actor, comedian, and writer. A man capable of playing Kim Jong-un is a man worthy of an exclusive blog post. Alongside his reputable role as the North Korean politician in The Interview, Randall Park is well-known for playing Marcus Kim in the Netflix film Always Be My Maybe. Randall Park first launched his career in 2012 as Steve in The Office. He is also a prominent figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of his roles in Ant-Man and the Wasp and the upcoming television series WandaVision. Additionally, he is a part of the DC Extended Universe for his role as Dr. Steven Shin in Aquaman. Randall Park was born to Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, California. His pride within his heritage is heavily established by his schooling. As a student attending UCLA in 1995, he co-founded “Lapu, the Coyote that Cares,” the largest and longest-running on-campus Asian American theater company, now known as the LCC Theatre Company. He attributes his experiences with LCC for his desire to professionally become an actor. Randall Park graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in English, with a concentration in creative writing, and a minor in Asian American studies. He also completed his master’s degree in Asian American studies at UCLA in 1999. The diversity in the shows Randall Park has been a part of is as comprehensive as the diversity he has brought to film. He has made guest appearances in Community, Curb Your Enthusiasm, New Girl, The Office, ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Four Kings, Las Vegas, House, Cold Case, The Mindy Project, and my personal favorite, iCarly. The culmination of his career was his role as American restaurateur Louis Huang in Fresh Off the Boat, for which he was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016. In an interview with the Daily Trojan, Randall Park accentuates how impressive it is that the show ran for six seasons: “To have an Asian family on TV on a show that lasts that long … it shows the industry that there’s good business in telling these stories." Randall Park’s journey as an actor is yet another success story for people of color in comedy. He serves as a revolutionary and an inspiration for people of color looking to trace his path to Hollywood. Randall Park said it best within his interview: “The success of our show proves to the industry, and not just our show — and a lot of shows with people of color as leads — shows the industry that these shows can be watched by everybody and celebrated by everybody.”
1 Comment
Lauryn Holt
12/9/2020 12:19:18 am
I love how in-depth this post was! It's clear that you chose a topic that you feel you have a connection to, and it shines through in how you write. I really like how you only focused in on one author rather than multiple; not only did it keep things super organized, but it also really highlighted just how much Randall Park has accomplished.
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