It might seem glamorous, alienating, and unattainable.
Private jets, five-star hotels, walking around being chased by paparazzi and fans.
This isnotthe life thatRandall Parklives, and thank God for that.
Photography by Hamish Robertson for Collider
On a sunny afternoon in February, Park is the picture of “dadcore” more than anything else.
Theres no arrogance or aloofness, just an easy smile and a down-to-earth attitude.
Theyre simple gestures, but ones you rarely expect from an interview subject.
Photography by Hamish Robertson for Collider
Instantly, the tone of our conversation is set and feels cozy.
Caught between chasing his dreams and settling into a “real job,” Park ultimately chose the former.
It was just always a part of me," he says.
Photography by Hamish Robertson for Collider
But the road, once traveled, was not exactly a smooth one.
This involved numerous walk-on roles, smaller parts, and a slow but determined dedication to his craft.
Well, as Julie Andrews might say, you start at the very beginning.
Growing up in a small suburb of Los Angeles, Park was raised by two Korean immigrant parents.
He grew up absorbing American sitcoms, loving hip-hop, andshaving Nike swooshes into his hair.
We just decided to write our own stories and perform them."
Photography by Hamish Robertson for Collider
But, despite the success of the LCC Theater Company, Park was living somewhat of a double life.
Randall Parks Secret to Success?
I was just such a TV kid, and I really loved sitcoms."
Courtesy of Marvel Studios and Disney+
FromFamily TiestoThe Cosby ShowtoSilver Spoons, he watched them all.
But the one show that changed how he watched TV was theIt’s Garry Shandling’s Show.
“To this day, I still think about that show.”
Courtesy of ABC
“The spirit of it definitely has influenced the way I look at anything creative.
There’s something very rebellious about it that I just love,” he explains.
“Rebellious, but on the surface, it’s a sitcom.
Photography by Hamish Robertson for Collider
“I wasn’tthatworried,” he says about any form of retaliation from North Korea.
But what was alarming for Park was the amount of press surrounding the film.
“It was all over the news every day.
It was the top story.
When people are like, ‘Are you okay?
Do you need anything?
Do you better hide out in our place?’
which I got a lot of ‘Do you and your family need to hide out?’
There was a show at the Improv called, like, ‘Chopschtick’ or something.”
After four or five callbacks, the role went toJohn Cho, for whom it was originally written.
“That was one that I, at the time, really wanted,” Park says.
Morita was undoubtedly a trailblazer and “just such a rebel spirit,” per Park.
I mean, even today, I don’t even think they have an Asian cast member.
I don’t know if they’ve had one in a while.
He describes being cast inFresh Off the Boatas a full-circle moment.
For me, I just wanted to constantly act in any opportunity to perform.”
To me, it’s just an opportunity to perform and to have fun.
I’m here to do a job and to serve this story.
I’ll come in and do my best and then go home.
It’s this mentality that led him to appear in a plethora of TV shows.
I’ll come in and do my best and then go home."
As a result of that fortuitous connection, Park was the first person cast forFresh Off the Boat.
“There’s no way it’s going to be picked up,” he remembers thinking.
“I just knew the landscape.
It was going to be impossible for this show to get picked up.”
But it did get a full season and then ended up running for six seasons.
Therewasa lot of weight on the moment, but I think that it stressed me out a lot."
I wanted to really earn that honor, especially with the finale," Park says.
I always felt like I was the mark of a journeyman kind of actor.
That’s who I am, you know?
“I didn’t realize how good of a leader I could be.
I always felt like I was the mark of a journeyman kind of actor.
That’s who I am, you know?”
Park says, referring to his extensive acting career.
Here, I was there every day.
The experience, though difficult, proved to be both rewarding and immensely fulfilling.
Empowering department heads and leading the crew turned out to be a success for Park.
In 2023 alone, Park juggled 10 projects, spanning animated series likeSolar Oppositesto blockbusters likeAquamanand the Lost Kingdom.
But that was before I read the script.
Park has nothing but praise for the group of actors.
For a man who has done so much work, it can be hard to keep track of everything.
There were no shortcuts or fast passes for him.
We should be thanking God that he never ended up as a professor.
The Residencepremieres on Netflix on March 20, 2025.
