Revisiting fatherland of Korea a priority
When Randall Park was a student at UCLA, he thought about pursuing a career in academia. Thanks partially to some creative writing classes, in which he wrote a part for himself in a student production, he decided to try acting instead.
After playing a governor on “Veep” and North Korean dictator Kim Jung-Un in the controversial film, “The Interview,” Park landed the role of family patriarch Louis Huang on the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat,” now in its third year.
An edited version of our conversation follows. I understand you recently went to Taipei to shoot scenes for your show. What were some of the highlights from that trip?
My top three highlights from the trip were: the people, the food and the places we got to shoot. One of those places was the Grand Hotel, which was so beautiful and full of history. What is your favorite vacation destination?
My favorite place in the world is the island of Kauai. My wife and I spent our honeymoon there, and we had an amazing time. We did a lot of hiking. We spent a lot of time traversing the trails on the North Shore, which had some of the most breathtaking views. We also hiked deep into these huge, cavernous caves that were so surreal and kind of scary. How adventurous are you when it comes to eating foreign food?
I’m always open to trying something different. I’d say the most different thing I’ve ever tried is a Filipino dish called Balut, which is basically the embryo of a bird that you eat right out of the egg shell. It was OK. I’d say I prefer my eggs scrambled or in an omelet, before the embryonic stage. What was the first trip you took as a child?
One of my earliest travel memories was taking a trip to Korea when I was around 8 or 9. This was in the early ’80s, and Korea was a very different place back then. I remember a lot of dirt roads and open fields. Having been born and raised in the United States, I remember feeling a bit of a culture shock. I couldn’t speak the language very well, and at the time I was such a picky eater. I remember not liking the food much. But now, Korean food is my absolute favorite, and I hear Seoul is amazing and one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world. I actually haven’t been back since, so I’m hoping to make a trip to the motherland soon. Where are your favorite
Qweekend getaways?
Since we live in Los Angeles, we like to head off to nearby places like the Monterey Bay or Santa Barbara or down south to San Diego. My daughter just turned 4, so she loves visiting aquariums and going to the beach, anything related to water. What are your five favorite cities?
Los Angeles, where I was born and raised. New York, because it’s New York. San Francisco, because that’s where I left my heart and also where my dad first settled when he lived in America. Atlanta, because I recently worked there and fell in love with everything about it. And Paris, for the baguettes. When you go away, what are some of your musthave items?
I must have my phone, because I can’t live without it. And with the right apps, it can be such a useful travel tool. Also, my phone charger, for obvious reasons. Also, I must have this awesome neck pillow that Ian Chen — who plays Evan on our show — got for me. For more from the reporter, visit www.jaehakim.com.