Asian faces return to prime time
U.S. network television has been criticized for years for its lack of racial diversity, especially in prime-time comedies. That perception changed last season with the introduction of Black-ish and another new show on ABC, Fresh off the Boat.
Set in the mid-’90s, the latter follows a Taiwanese family who move from Washington to Orlando, Fla., where they open a cowboy-themed restaurant. Father Louis (played by Randall Park), embraces everything to do with the American dream. Mom Jessica (Constance Wu) struggles to hold on to her Asian roots.
The series is told from the perspective of Eddie (Hudson Yang), the oldest of the family’s three children. The real Eddie Huang, a 33-year-old chef and food personality, created the series and narrates as his grown-up self.
Fresh off the Boat returns for a second season Sept. 22 on ABC. In Canada, it’s one of the most popular offerings this summer on the streaming service Shomi.
The series is the first American television sitcom starring an Asian-American family in 21 years. Comedian Margaret Cho headlined the last such sitcom, All American Girl, in 1994.
“I’m not sure why it took 21 years,” Cho says. “It just happened that way and I take a lot of personal pride in the fact that it’s on.”
Park figures there are many reasons why it took two decades for a second Asian-American series.
“There’s long been a perception that people aren’t ready for something like this,” he said last week from the set in L.A.
But he feels viewers are much more open to seeing a broader range of cultures and nationalities on TV today compared to 21 years ago — a mix more reflective of their own changing neighbourhoods.
The 41-year-old actor was born in Los Angeles, the son of Korean immigrant parents. He says there are similarities between his own father and the restaurant-owner dad he plays on the series.
“People really liked my dad,” he says, and while his parents held onto their Korean culture, “he definitely believed in the American dream.”
Besides Fresh off the Boat and a recurring role on The Mindy Project, the busy actor made an impression as Minnesota Gov. Danny Chung in Veep.
Just in 2015 alone, he’s also played a co-worker of Amy Schumer’s character in Trainwreck, Jeff in the Netflix prequel Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and sneaked into the music video for Eminem’s single Phenomenal.
Perhaps his most notorious role was North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un in The Interview.