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What's happening? I'm Mark Marin. This is my podcast. How's everybody holding up out there?
What is going on? Nothing good, but you know, I'm here. That's okay, right? I'm okay.
I'm good I guess right now. I'm having a good few minutes as we enter this episode of this show I hope you're holding up. I guess you know, I've got a couple emails couple DMs from people in Canada and I I don't I'm sorry I don't know what to tell you other than look we're we're very unhappy as well and I don't know what it's gonna take for the whatever's left of Legacy media to start reporting on this for what it is I guess well hang on to assessing this here as a just an odd presidency as opposed to what it really is until what it really is becomes undeniable and again I acknowledge my friends in Canada for what The monster here is doing but we're all living in it and it's not gonna get good or better Maybe ever but hey, what do you have for breakfast? Huh?
What'd you have for breakfast? today I talked to a Tiki Huikuan and it was kind of a great conversation It's a it's a beautiful human story really he won the Oscar for best supporting actor two years ago for his role in everything everywhere All at once he's now the lead of the action comedy love hurts which opens this week Which I saw so out of a martial arts action He definitely wanted to make a an entertaining satisfying violent comedy But we talked about his whole life and it's a it's quite a human tale. So that's happening that is happening shortly It'll happen right here. You know I went out and I'm doing the comedy and it was an interesting weekend actually me and Blair Socky drove up to we started in Where was that first show?
Santa Barbara we were in Santa Barbara then San Luis Obispo and then Monterey beautiful drive beautiful You know nice towns grown up audiences my audiences, you know kind of an eclectic but specific bunch but a lot of them and If you know me from listening to this show You know that I put an inordinate amount of pressure on myself to speak to the current moment at least in my stand-up shows You know I hold back a little bit on the show because I don't want that to become a through line of the show to where I have to You'll manage you know talking points and reactions I'd rather just speak from the heart if I can but I go up to do these shows and you know my audience is like-minded people and They're they're nervous. They're scared. They're depressed. They're they're in despair And this is at the the joy of the governing class right now But I have to get up there and talk to them and there's part of me that thinks like I should have some sort of solutions or I should kind of like you know Serve their anger and I find that I could probably Sir like cuz the anger is not as tangible yet I think I think a lot of people are still traumatized and terrified and in a certain amount of shock and unable to really figure out you know how to navigate in the brains that they had before this presidency in terms of what they believed in and You got to hold on to what you believe in and apply it wherever you can but nonetheless Performing for them like I just had to tell them I said look, you know, this is how I feel This is what I believe is going on.
It's not good. I'm on your team But let me try to entertain you in the way that I can and this is sort of a first for me the idea that Acknowledging the state of things and then kind of just trying to entertain like I always want to talk But I generally feel like I have a point and I generally feel like a lot of my material is pointed But I'm doing some bits that I think are you know, story driven and personal but but entertaining and I was very conscious of the idea of Let's acknowledge what's happening. Let's agree on what that we can do what we can and then like, you know If you're here to see me and you like me, I can be entertaining I'll do some entertaining and I don't think I've taken the stage with the idea of being an entertainer ever I mean I somehow sometimes differentiate between being a stand-up comic and being an entertainer But once I was on the same page and you know I kind of we eased into it We knew what we were up against and you know, it's let's just be entertaining. Can we do it?
And it was kind of rewarding. I don't really know what's going on, but there's something now that I'm doing the hours again I'm generally doing about an hour and a half I don't know I've hit his own with it. It's kind of new, but it's good and you know, thank God even at this age I'm seeing some change not much not really any regression But some change in my approach and I got tour dates coming up. I even added some shows There's now a second show in Toronto at the Winter Garden on Saturday, May 3rd Burlington, Vermont I'll be at the Vermont Comedy Club for three shows two shows on May 5th and one show on Tuesday the 6th We added that one on Monday and I'll be in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the music hall on Wednesday May 7th tickets for all those shows are on sale now You can go to wtappob.com slash tour I'm in Iowa City at the Ingort Theatre on Thursday February 13th Des Moines, Iowa at the Hoyt Sherman Place on Friday February 14th Kansas City, Missouri at the Midland Theatre on Saturday February 15th Asheville, North Carolina at the Orange Peel on Thursday February 20th Nashville, Tennessee at the James K Polk Theatre on Friday February 21st Louisville, Kentucky at the Bombard Theatre.
I hope I don't bomb hard. I can't not do that at the Bombard Theatre on Saturday February 21st in Lexington, Kentucky at the Lexington Opera House on Sunday February 22nd. I'm coming to Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, Illinois Michigan on into New York City in May to record my HBO special. You can go again to wtappob.com slash tour for all my dates and links to tickets And yeah, there also is a couple things here that because of we I don't always know what I'm gonna talk about here make a big plan But I think I should mention the passing of David Lynch for a couple reasons Kit loves him and to the point where she used to walk by his house fairly frequently It was near her place and she was you know exercising But but she you know has sort of made me reassess some of the movies that I might not have gotten before but I always was impressed With David Lynch and we lost a truly visionary guy and that guy and I'm sort of an outlier.
I think in that I feel honestly that that his two best movies are the straight story and Elle of the man and I and like it kid will not abide by that I've always I've watched all his movies and I've watched some of them a couple of times And I certainly appreciate his commitment to his vision and he was a very unique guy and and rest in peace David Lynch And also Mary Ann faithful Mary Ann faithful. I mean come on man I mean Mary Ann faithful was one of the great the great interpreters of song I mean if you ever heard her version of working class hero I mean she you know the arc of who she is and what she became I guess it was back in the 60s She got involved with the stones and I think that might be her up a little bit Broken English is a life-changing record for me and she's just in that period was very menacing and very kind of intense and Almost haunting but she made like a record a year for decades I mean there's a lot of records here on small labels But but I did want to acknowledge her passing because she's somebody I thought about a lot even without a full acquaintance with All of her music but the weird thing about Mary Ann faithful for me was that after I left LA And got clean the first time back in the late 80s and moved back to Boston I was working at the coffee connection this woman used to come in like almost every morning and just sit by herself and have a French press of coffee and she looked just ravaged and I was kind of fascinated with her and after a month or two of that or maybe it was a lesser time Somebody at the place told me it was Mary Ann faithful and I didn't really know you know much about her at that time But that's when I started to get hip to her and apparently I think she was over at McQueen's psychiatric hospital trying to get clean or doing whatever but I just remember just every time she walked in there was a depth to the darkness in Her being that I had never seen before and and I was kind of fascinated with and that sort of continued and does continue every time I listen to her her music so I do want to say you know rest in peace to Mary Ann faithful as well very interesting in San Luis Obispo at the the the Fremont Theater Which is kind of a little movie theater It's kind of a rock club vibe now But nonetheless during the show you know right up front I was talking about politics a bit or about my reaction to what's happening and some guy out front mouled up about you know How he felt it was you know the right thing and I could not understand what he was doing at my show It was just a fairly standard kind of probably a guy in his mid to late 30s Just a broken boy and some sort of alpha husk that you know He was kind of maneuvering through life and you know I kind of went at him a bit But I you know I tried to keep it on the level I didn't want to sink the show just because you know one guy who decided to vocalize his support for some policy decisions currently You know specifically getting all the immigrants out of our country and I just you know gently asked him well not gently It may be aggressively but with some curiosity whether he had any empathy for those people at all or even saw them as people And he aggressively said he did and then I kind of listed the other things that you know He had signed on for in terms of you know It's kind of hard to be a single issue voter you know for a fascist regime because you kind of are you know You sign on for one you sign on for all of it and that's what you are that's who you are That's what you were part of you can't sort of separate it after a certain point because you know It's on you But I couldn't understand what he was doing there and it turns out his girlfriend was a fan and she brought him and I couldn't understand Why she did that necessarily they were sitting right up front and after I kind of went at it with the guy He looked at it me with kind of like amazed but yet Slightly angry eyes that I was you know saying what I was saying to him and then he pouted for the entirety of the show I wouldn't call it now would call it pouting you know He just did everything he could to you know visibly look like he wasn't paying attention to me Going to his phone a bit and I did not give him any more juice But I did I told him I appreciated his complete detachment from the situation And I don't know if she was it took him there to make a point whether it was early on their relationship Or I'm not sure what happened after the show, but that's not my story to tell But I just kind of handled it the way you know like a person and I think that's probably a better way to do it And you know move on for the people that are there to be entertained by my new commitment to being an entertainer at this particular juncture in history This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp We always hear about watching out for red flags like when you're starting a relationship everyone knows that there are certain red flags You should avoid but what about green flags? 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That's better help h e l p calm so I'll say this about my monoray Stop, I did go to the aquarium and holy shit, man. I love looking at fish I don't know what it is about me. I've always liked looking at fish I did learn one thing I went on a Saturday to the Monterey Aquarium Which is one of the best aquariums in the world apparently but it was Saturday and one thing I realized fairly quickly is that The life of sea creatures and sea animals is beautiful and amazing but human beings not so much not so much just looking at these graceful stunning fish and then just seeing hundreds of Humans with their human children just wandering around spreading germs and you know I don't know I was glad I could lock into the jellyfish and also it was the first time I'd been doing aquarium Since I've been a vegan so it was kind of it was kind of I felt kind of proud to be there as an ally and I say that In a humorous way, please don't get worked up But yeah, I am and I am a I am a Ally to the animals because I do not eat them anymore not the reason I got into it but it does change your perception of of animal life, so that was a nice day trip, so When I got the opportunity to speak to a key huikwah You know I kind of jumped out of because I'd heard some of the story And I it is a tremendous arc to be a refugee to end up in one of the biggest movies ever and then to sort of Disappear into the wilderness for as many years as he did and then come back, you know 30 40 years later and when in Oscar It's an amazing Hollywood ending or middle or we'll see how it goes But but but I knew it was an amazing story and he's a sweet guy and he seemed like a sweet guy And I was kind of kind of thrilled to talk to him his new movie love hurts opens in theaters this Friday But this conversation with him was was kind of a kind of beautiful. So this is me talking to a key huikwah What if you could have the best of all worlds the freedom to explore without hesitation the all new Cooper Teramar our next generation plug-in hybrid SUV Well designed to stop others and their tracks engineered with precision to take you further and within all electric range of up to 100 19 kilometers you can experience adventure without compromise discover more at Cooper official da yee or search Cooper Teramar electric range based on WLTP data real world driving conditions in effect range So yeah, no, how about you with the fires?
I we got a bit of a scared with the can of fire Yeah, I was hills I mean my wife and I were blue to the television Yeah, and all of a sudden my phone was buzzing and it was a warning then that warning and then I went out All my neighbors were out in the streets and we look and literally like two three miles away We see the smoke bill in the sky Yeah, and I go shit. Yeah, and we frantically ran inside. Yeah and pack yeah And it's insane because in that frantic moment. Yeah, you know what to pack.
It's like how's this full of stuff is like What do you want to make sure that it survives? Yeah, and that you know that confusion I just got clothes and my wallet and that's it and her certificate. No, no, I couldn't even find it I know but then what's interesting is I walked out my wife had a suitcase full of picture frames I was nothing but picture frames what pictures in it. Yeah, you know those pictures That's been sitting sure in the living room, right?
And I told her and I say some of them are digital we can we print down? Yeah, but she didn't want it. Yeah, she wanted that physical one that's been in the house, you know For the last 20 years and we put the suitcase in the car. Yeah came back watch the TV Yeah, thank God firefighters those aerial.
Yeah, I mean especially this time around, you know I've lived in LA for the last 45 years has been that long and over the years, you know We've had like earthquakes by wildfires all the time. Yeah, but this one was different Yeah, because it was close it was close and and when they said everybody in Los Angeles knows someone who lost a home Yeah, that could not be much real and I know multiple people who lost homes and it affected ways that that is, you know, it hits you Yeah, yeah, it's it's terrible when it becomes you know personal or or you lose your home or you're close by because I've been here For quite a few years and you you always live with a risk of it. You you kind of know Yeah, that's part of the devil's bargain We we're in from living here But it always seemed to be far away and it didn't seem to be that there were structural risk usually right but it was crazy Man, there was like did you get the app did you get the yeah? Yeah, I got you just watching you like oh my god There's fires everywhere yeah every day it was like one popping up how the hell is that possible?
I don't know if they're gonna figure that out yeah, but it made me appreciate our firefighters I was more than you know Yeah, they were the two heroes of Los Angeles totally totally I mean did you like I know that you know in your when you were a kid You know you had to flee did you have a flashback was there anything triggering no no no? No, I mean when something like this happened You're so in the moment. I know you can't think of anything else You know it's only when the fires are out and you have time to reflect. Yeah, that's when you go wow I kind of remember what that was like yeah, I'll never forget it.
You did you said yeah? Yeah, I sat down and I you know and kind of like the panic the panic uh and and just the you know the the the prospect of Losing everything yeah not only a value monetary value that all the history or the all the memories Yeah, it was kind of like when we you know escape of Vietnam in 1978. Yeah, you can still feel that in your body Yeah, yeah, I don't I don't think you I don't think you really recover from it. Yeah, you may heal from it Yeah, but uh, but the memory is there really and how old were you I was I was seven we tried multiple times It's not like it was not like we try one time and then but you remember the actual feeling in Vietnam at that time I was too young and I again I have like you know bit flashes of different memories and pieces You know images here and there of what you know of my life in Vietnam helicopters like American Yeah, but mostly but mostly family related okay, that's what made me comfortable Yeah, what gives me comfort, you know, just just you know for example like you know at night My dad would take me on his you know scooter.
Yeah, I thought for dessert Yeah, well, I'll just you know playing with my neighbors. Yeah, just stuff like that Yeah, just very normal and then all of a sudden you know this this you know this war happened and in my parents were very protective of us Yeah, I think you know we were so young. I think they shielded a lot of my kids nine total That's insane. Yeah, are you in the middle or the seventh the seven I think for me and my younger sister and brother It they don't remember as much but for my older sister age gap is big.
How old is she? I think she was 18 19 at that time So even like to this day when I asked her to talk about it I mean she's very you know you remember it vividly of course I mean she was like you know in late teens and like so what was happening is what the Americans were leaving is that what was happening? Yeah, the north was fighting the south. Yeah, and America was helping you know the south and then they felt you know the war They you know we should have never gotten into the war in the first place.
They left Yeah, and they left and there was no real help there. So so once when they left the war was over. Yeah, and you know we We live in Saigon at the time. Oh, there's a big Chinese community.
Yeah, ethnically Chinese And I think those pop that population was targeted the most so they were they were threatened physically that they would be you know Either killed or put in prison. Yeah, yeah, or you know have everything taken away from you And I think you know my my parents at that time they were very successful business, you know, business-wise Yeah, and they just didn't see a future not for them before us, right? You know, they had nine kids and all of us were coming You know my older siblings were coming into age and they felt that you know This is not a place that they want the children in the future and and they decided to give up everything they had And were they both born in China? My mom was born in Hong Kong.
My dad was China. Okay You know before the before the Vietnam War, I mean Vietnam was wonderful. Yeah, it was great And a lot of people go there and prosper from a lot of you know the opportunity at that time And that's what happened to my parents. I think people go there again.
Yeah, even I don't think beautiful by the way I mean just claim this is you know, this is in the 1970s right just right after the war. Have you been back? I've been back. How does that feel?
It feels very different, but I didn't go back. It's not recently I did a movie in 95. Yeah, it was a Chinese movie a very low budget Chinese movie that was shot there and it was very different But even then that was like 20 you know 20 years ago 30 years ago So now it's very different but like 30 years ago when you you decide to take that movie what were you doing on that movie? Was acting or were you doing that?
Yeah, I was an actor. Yeah, it was an action movie Why no you worked in film outside of acting as well, but I mean but at that time yeah at that time That was my last job as an actor before I decided to step away, but when you were you nervous going back? No, I was excited. Yeah, I wanted to see what my home.
Yeah, you know used to be yeah And it was it was really interesting me and there it was an emotional journey in in in ways that You know when I look at Everyone around us at the time we were shooting in Saigon And I just kept thinking oh my gosh if my parents, you know didn't make that sacrifice Yeah, I could have been that person. I could have been this person. I could have been that waiter Yeah, well, I could have been just this delivery boy. Yeah, and who I am an actor wild.
What did your other siblings end up doing? Oh, they're very successful in business. Oh, yeah, they they the majority of them are in Houston, Texas I just talked to somebody from Houston yesterday of Palestinian guy comedian Houston's an amazingly diverse city It is it's crazy and it's so big and so many different communities there so they ended up there the whole time huh? Yeah, and it's it's amazing.
It's really it's grown so much since my my my sisters my siblings Yeah came to the day. I mean they would very early group to go there In the you know late 80s and was there a big Chinese community? No, no back then was very small But now there's a big Asian community big Vietnamese community. Yeah, Chinese community The food the restaurant's a great.
I know they got all kinds when you have all the different communities You got all the kinds of food. Yeah, and the ones that serve the community are the better ones You know So how did it work when you guys left? You know, did you all go as one family? No, we had I mean It's too big of a family to escape Yeah, yeah, it was escaping in the middle of the night Oh, it wasn't like oh we go by plane ticket and get on the plane and leave it was it was nothing like that You know we tried multiple times got caught and what happened when you got caught pretty jail the whole family Yeah, I was I was in jail a couple of times with my father The last time my mom took three kids and escaped to Malaysia Uh, and then they immigrated to Los Angeles My dad took six of his kids myself included.
Yeah, and then we went to Hong Kong We escaped to Hong Kong When the on the successful escape on this So when you were putting jail how long did you have to stay in jail for? Uh, the first time was three weeks that second time was three months You were in jail for three months as a kid as a kid. Yeah with other kids. No with my dad So just the two of us.
Yeah, I was just the two of us. Yeah, do you have that memory too? Yeah, I have I have uh, uh, Yeah, I have images of that like my dad being handcuffed Me not knowing what's going on and it was just uh, it's just a tiny cell with me It's just me and him and it was like it was tough to watch. Yeah, because every dad is every kid's hero, right?
Yes strong man strong man. Yeah, you look up to him. You look you look him to protect you. Yeah, uh, so to see him in such a vulnerable state Uh, you know that wasn't that's hard.
It's not good for mental health. Yeah for a kid. Yeah, and I guess you guys had no idea how long he would necessarily be in there Yeah, yeah, you don't know, but I don't know, you know, you know, eventually they let us out and then my uh, we didn't give up my dad was You know, it was very persistent. Yeah, uh, you know, he wanted to make sure that uh, uh, that we would have a bright future and we tried again Uh, but the last attempt was it was more of it wasn't a secret as much.
Yeah, it cost us a lot It cost the entire fortune of my parents. In fact, they didn't even have enough they had to borrow money from their friends and who you paying off? Uh, that time probably, you know, a government official And uh, you know, whoever that was, you know, was was orchestrating this this escape Yeah, uh, because it wasn't it wasn't a secret as much because we got on a boat that had more than 3,000 people leaving leaving. Yeah, uh So I imagine like even though they're drifting and making money off it, they probably wanted people to leave Well, you know, the probably thing again, this is just me second guessing They're probably thinking, you know, whether we want to not people were leaving so might as well profit from it Right, right.
They're gonna try to get out one way or the other. Yeah, and where'd you end up honk honk? Yeah, we ended up in honk honk honk. I spent a year in a refugee camp Uh, with your family, uh, you know, they were like pictures and books, you know, that's written about it Yeah, um, and you know, you and hcr which I got involved with recently a year ago.
Uh, I didn't even know this I went to the archive Yeah, and uh, what is that? You know, they do wonderful work for displaced people around the world UNCR, UNhcr. Okay, so that's the uh, united refugee administration program? Okay, yeah, uh And uh, and you know, they were they were you know, they were talking to the honk honk government at that time Yeah, uh to get all of us On board.
I mean, I'm sure we stay there and they will help working around with all the different countries You know, just trying to get you guys relocated. Yeah, we located it. Yeah, and you know, I'm really grateful to Do the American government at that time? I think trumps shut that down.
Uh, yes, unfortunately. Yeah, yeah, but I mean, you know, it's uh Uh, we were just very lucky and this was, you know, 45 years ago And I just hope you know, we have a lot of displaced people now with the shocking I mean back then I think it was like what maybe a million now it's over 110 million displaced people Uh, and I just hope that people can really you know, it's a very divided subject Yeah, uh, but I just hope that people can look at it through the lens of empathy and compassion I you know, I'm very scared about the lack of empathy because I think that you know, if you don't work the muscle that is empathy if you don't allow your heart to engage in it It just goes away I don't think it's a natural thing. I think it's something you know tolerance and empathy has to be something that You let happen as opposed to just Very good point. Yeah work from anger or or some sort of resentment or or hatred because you know, everybody's pretty selfish So to sort of engage in the concern for other people.
It's it's not it's not really second nature I think in the big picture. I think like if you're on the street and somebody's in trouble You know, people will show up but if they have time to think about whatever politics or whatever they think is a threat Then that they stop being able to see people's people. Yeah, right? Yeah, so yeah, so like How did how did you end up with the United States?
I mean imagine the agency was trying to move people wherever Yeah, they were asking us where we wanted to be and then because my mom Got out early before we did she went to Malaysia. Yeah, and then she immigrated to Los Angeles So when you know when they were asking us where we wanted to be of course we wanted to be united with my mom and my other siblings Yeah, so Los Angeles was the place we chose. Yeah, and in 1979. Yeah, I got on the plane for the very first time And landed in Los Angeles.
I was I was eight. Yeah. Yeah, that was must've been crazy. Was it a military plane?
No, no, it was just a regular plane. Yeah, and you had your papers and you were ready to go. Yeah, yeah, I remember my dad holding a bunch of folders Yeah, a stack of documents Yeah, and then and then just come in here and reuniting with with my brother who's my best friend and my mom who I hadn't seen in a long time Was you know, it was such a wonderful memory even now I can recall what that was like And of course back then, you know when you get off the plane your family makes you right at the gate Yeah, you're there. It's not like now where you have to meet them baggage claim outside the terminal.
Sure. Uh, but uh, yeah, the minute we walked out It was you remember it. Yeah, remember the joy. Oh, yes Yes, that's the crying everybody's crying.
Yeah. Yeah, and so whether your mom all set up, do you have a place? Yeah, you know, she you know We were living in chinese, tai-n-n-los annulus at that time. Yeah, it was a really small community.
Uh, we went to the house Yeah, uh, yeah, and in chinese, tai-n-los annulus Um, and it was crowded. I remember it was three bedrooms 11 of us Yeah, uh, and we also have to rent, you know half of the room out just to help cover the rent because when we got here I mean we had nothing yeah, and not only nothing like we were my parents went dead. Yeah, uh, but it didn't matter Yeah, you were here. We were here.
We were here. We were all together. Yeah, and how did everybody start getting work? Oh immediately my my the older siblings.
Yeah, you know, uh, they all love to work and they're very, uh, they're very ambitious Yeah, so and in chinese, you know, they went and we didn't even have a car. Yeah, but it was such a small Community that you can walk anywhere and everywhere. Yeah, what is the makeup? What province do most of the people in chinese town come from?
Is there a specific one? Uh Uh, it's a variety some some but then this is I'm talking about like in 1970s. Yeah, uh, the majority of them were Uh, Vietnamese Chinese refugees. Yeah, okay.
Yeah, but then you also have the the Chinese people who lived here for already Yeah, yeah, they didn't come in the 70s. They probably came way early. We have maybe maybe in the 1800s Yeah, you know the wrong reasons you probably but I mean it was there Did you feel a class tension between the Chinese community that have been there forever and and the new people? No, no, no, no I mean, you speak the enemies.
No, I don't but my older siblings uh do We all spoke the same language. We spoke chinese and everybody there spoke, you know, chinese. Yeah, yeah, cantonese specifically Yeah, it's uh, it's amazing like these china china towns like the I don't know if they call it a diaspora But it's always interesting to me that chinese people are got got everywhere. I mean they're they're represented in every state Yeah, there were so many different, you know, provinces and different dialects.
Uh, but yeah, we do have a big diaspora. Yeah, just great And do you have you been back to china? Yes It's my wife is from china. Okay, uh, so she's first generation here.
No, no, she's born born and raised in china Uh, oh, we met in Shanghai Uh, she lives in in in a she's born and raised in shan-juan, which is a city right next to home call. Uh, um, yeah, and we've been together for 22 years Oh, so she's got family there. Yeah, she's got family there Yeah, she's got family there. I went to china once I guess in the early 90s and it was like going to another world Yeah, I mean I went to uh, uh, Beijing and it was crazy.
I've never seen anything like it a lot of different types of bicycles Yeah, well back then a lot of bicycles now a lot of cars. Oh, yeah, well there was that there was that too But I noticed that a lot of people were writing contraptions almost. I mean like it was it was that was one of my memories like how many different kinds of petal Machines do they have? You know when my wife and I dated which was in the early 2000s, uh, China was a very different country one It's like she couldn't even get a visa to come here Uh, and and it wasn't as wealthy or as developed as it is now today.
Yeah, you go now. I mean, it's just incredible. Yeah, uh, incredible One skyscraper bigger than the other. Uh, uh, there's uh, it's just you know, there's a lot of wealth.
Yeah, a lot of new buildings. Yeah, residential buildings Uh, it's very very yeah, it's very different. There's no trouble getting in and out. No, no trouble getting in and out Like people can come here people and come out on a visa.
Yeah, and and you know, they have a lot of tourists over there too So when you get here and you're eight years old, I mean, I'm sure you've told this story plenty of times But you know how do you end up? You know being a child actor. I did not look I did not want to be an actor or even you know, this profession was not even on You know on my radar. Sure.
I was just being a kid. I was just like and I was I was 11 Um, and I was just busy trying to learn English right? Acculent mating school. Yeah public school.
How was that? It was great. I loved it. Uh, you know, but it's largely a Chinese community So all my all my all my friends all my classmates were Asian.
Yeah. Yeah, so so it was not a party to you know, uh, integrate Integrate exactly. Yeah, so I was just busy being a kid one day. Yeah, this casting director showed up With a camera and my school with a camera and with his associates And all of a sudden I see all these kids lining up to be to audition For for this movie that I know nothing about.
Yeah, my brother was one of them And I kind of you know, I was with him. Yeah, we were just chatting and I was just looking over it as he's like studying the sides Um, I had no idea what it was for how old are you 10? No, I was 11 Yeah, and he was just looking at these script pages. Yeah, I can barely read them My reading comprehension wasn't that great at that time.
Yeah, and when it was his turn to go into the room to audition for the casting director I was with him. Yeah, I was with him and I know I genuinely Loved the process and I thought I thought he could do better. So I was giving him direction like as if I was a director So they were giving him notes and you were explaining it to him Yeah, and I was just telling him to you know to be scary or to be like have big energy I was just like flowing these you know directions and the casting director saw that he looked over and he says who is this kid, you know? And he says hey, uh, what's your name?
I say key and he says, uh, do you want to go in audition for me? Yeah, and I say, yeah, I Didn't think much of it. I didn't think it was pretty big. It was harder when you think But then of course once when I was in the seat, yeah, it was hard.
Yeah, I was yeah I was I stumbled on my lines. I didn't know how to how to say the lines properly, right? But luckily he um, he saw past that and he said he just put it down just I just want to talk to you Yeah, and we had a nice chat. What was a chat about?
It was like, you know, like, you know, how many siblings you have just you know, just very common questions You know what you're saying in school. Yeah, how many siblings do you have? How long have you been here? Right, you know, just just common questions and and after it was done I didn't know I was told years later when I walked out he called uh Steven Spielberg and George Lucas who were looking for an Asian kid for a long time Um, and they said we don't have to look any further.
I think I found him And and from that day forward my life has been changed So you're at home and what you they come over to your house and say we want it We got we got a call the following day. Yeah, um and and and their assistant says we were like he had to come in Yeah, I didn't even say English. So it was my brother my older brother who was on the phone talking to the assistant Right, uh, and so she was saying we want him to come in and my brother nonchalantly says he can't we don't have a car We can't we can't get to Hollywood. Uh, and it was only 12 miles away.
Right. We don't talk miles away So were they sent a car? So that's exactly what they did. They said don't worry.
We'll send a car. We'll send a driver over Um, and and yeah, and then go what they take you over to the production They took me to go back to studios. It was the first time I've seen the studios Uh, we you know we went past the security Um and and all of a sudden, you know, I'm there with my mom In the lobby and outwalks this man. Yeah, but it'll be on the mustache and I had no idea who he is Uh, and then he he got down to my level.
Yeah, we had a nice chat I was wearing this stupid three-piece suit that made me really uncomfortable Um, and and yeah, we had a little chat And I was told to go back the next day, uh and just wear something that I'm more comfortable in like your clothes Yeah, just like regular clothes. Just clothes that I would normally write. Yeah to school. Yeah, and I did Um and I I walk in the room and there was George Lucas Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg Crazy.
Yeah, it was pretty insane and to think that only four years prior to that Was when I came here as a refugee. Yeah, we had nothing. You've been in prison. You've been in a refugee camp I mean in a refugee camp and all of a sudden I find myself On a set with basically the biggest filmmakers on the planet and biggest movie star on the planet So you're in that room with them at first, but you have no idea who they really are but you know that you're You're in a big thing.
I didn't know I was in a big thing I didn't know who because at that time I've never seen Star Wars or Raiders right so to me they were just you guys guys Yeah And I think I think it's because of my my you know my lack of knowledge of who they are Uh, make me really comfortable because you know, there was no stakes for me Sure and what was that first meeting like was it sort of like to see if you had chemistry with Harrison? Yeah, we did we did you know I did the famous card scene Uh from temple of doom. Yeah, that scene was not in the script. It was a scene that that's Steven came up Uh, it was improvised but that exchange between indian short round came off so funny Yeah, Steven he just says we gotta have that in the movie and you did that in the room just improvising Yeah, so he gave me the premise.
It was just like hey you guys are playing cards and then you catch indie cheating Okay, he's cheating and you're not happy. Yeah, and uh, and so that's the premise And that was the kind of not the audition, but that was the first time you were with him with that was the first time Yeah with Harrison, um, and then also, you know, we did a couple of you know scenes from the script sure Uh, and we spent you know in an afternoon together a couple hours and you still don't know who he is really I still don't know but he's just there. He's been nice to you. Yeah, and he said although I can me It was all these guys are really friendly really nice Uh, and and a few weeks later Uh, you know like between before I got on the plane to go to Sri Lanka then all of a sudden i'm going in for wardrobe Fiddie, you know, all of that, uh, and I said oh, this is what's going on.
I have no clue And I still didn't know at that time. I still didn't know I was making a sequel to the biggest movie Uh, uh, in nineteen in nineteen night in i.e. Yeah, that's hilarious and what's your mom thinking? Uh, she loved it.
Yeah. Yeah, did you know who they were? She didn't know who they were but she knew, you know, uh, what was it? What was that steak?
Uh, uh, and she was just very proud. Yeah, very proud of me. Uh, and so and then the next you know, you They shot it in Sri Lanka. They shot it in Sri Lanka for three weeks.
That's the second time on a plane? Yes, second time on a plane. I went from riding from the back of the plane to riding first class to Sri Lanka And we shot the majority of the movie in London. Yeah, and every day must have been just amazing Yeah, because you know, you don't know anything about this process.
I always like and yeah, you were just a natural at it. I guess yeah I mean honestly, I mean I look at that movie now and I'm still surprised that I had no prior acting experience never been on a movie So before uh and and I look at that performance. Yeah, uh, and I said, yeah, it's pretty good It's pretty good, but I would have to credit. I would have to credit, uh, Spielberg.
Sure. Oh good. Yeah with with kids. Um, and What was it about if he just trusted him and you know, he kind of make it clear what you needed to do?
Yeah, and his voice is very soothing and he's just because he's a kid himself. Yeah, uh, and every time he talks to you, he's never looking down at you. He always gets to your level uh, uh, to give you directions and exactly what he wants you to do and and every time What what's incredible is like, you know, when I do something when I do a good take, you know, I would get a high five You know, I would get you know, wow really good key. Yeah, that constant praise and as a kid.
Yeah, you love it. Yeah It's a great feeling How long did it take to shoot it? I was five months five back then five months. They don't do movies like that anymore Everything was practical.
I mean, you know, I didn't need to imagine anything. Sure. You walk on it You can touch you can smell everything, you know, yeah, yeah, that must have been so exciting So you do the shoot and then like you just wait you're like, I don't know, you know, like I mean, you didn't know what the movie was gonna look Yeah, once when it was done, I went back to school. Yeah, uh, And to be a regular kid again.
Yeah, uh, and then and then when the movie came out We premiered at the man Chinese theater. It was the first time I saw it all put together I because I wasn't allowed to watch daily. Yeah. Yeah, so I had no idea what we shot You know, they're all like bits and pieces.
Yeah, and for someone who has no knowledge of filmmaking You don't know how it's gonna put together. Yeah, of course not so the very first time I watched myself up on the screen was at the premiere The big screen with with 1400 people and they loved it. Yeah. What do you think?
I thought it was incredible I I could not believe it was me up there on the screen and you can understand why I fell in love with acting immediately. Yeah, of course and I follow that with the goonies That was a huge movie. Yeah, and they like we're now after them after you did, uh, you know, the uh, the temple of doom Is Harrison in touch with you? Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, he came to visit us. Oh, yeah on the set of the goonies. Oh, yeah, uh, I remember when after we we finished Shooting he came over again because we didn't have a car at that time.
He came picked me up Puck me to his house and I you know, I I had a wonderful day with him and his kids. Yeah, uh, sweet Yeah, and then and then he took me back home. Yeah, that's sweet. Yeah, so the goonies and now you're like you're on fire Yes Two out of two.
Can you believe that? Do you at any point? Train at all a little bit or no, no, I was I was not with it. Yeah, I was never uh never trained as an actor Somehow it just it just come naturally to me and then but you know, they had these other parts and you were in cenomann with poly Yeah with poly with shawn shawn aston Brendan Fraser was he nice?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and they were a little older than you were same age Uh, we're about the same age, but but one thing was very different. Yeah, we didn't see no man Yes, and I was uh, I was one of the stars in temple of doom I was one of the stars in the goonies. Yeah, and all of a sudden, you know, I'm struggling now I'm struggling as an actor and already By in cino by in cino man. Yeah, I I just had a very small role in that.
Yeah, but I was grateful that I was working I was I was happy that I was I get to be in this movie with shawn. Yeah, so after but after The goonies it became you knew a big difference. There was a big difference in how you're being cast and yeah And also it was at the time where you know, I was going through puberty. Yeah now.
I'm like 15 16. Yeah, uh I was coming into age. Yeah and yeah, I I spent more and more time in school Yeah, then I you know after which I graduated and now you know, I'm deciding what I want to do Should I go to college? Yeah, like you know, she was acting full-time hammer away at the acting Yeah, and I chose the latter I wanted to be an actor and when does it get to the point where it's heartbreaking?
Uh when when you first of when you audition and you don't get anything And this is like you know after you've been in two big movies sure. Yeah, so you're first your audition Yeah, you don't get it. Yeah, and then even the opportunity to audition goes away those away And you've got agents. Yeah, that's tough.
Your agents are telling you don't worry, you know, we're gonna send you out on it Just constantly talking you up even getting the agent on the phone was hard Oh my god It's not like come on if you're an agent you have so many clients and all the other clients are making money for you And who is this actor that's not making money for you and he's calling you to to to to see if there's any opportunities out there Uh, yeah, it was like just getting agent getting my agent on the phone was hard. Oh my god. It's such a A unique story because you know generally I would say more so than not it doesn't really end that well for child actors Yeah, yeah in terms of you know where their life goes. It's hard right because they change physically and you know what you're known for is gone because you're a kid You know my my goonies brother jeff conwin also went through the same thing.
Uh, you know, he was this cute chubby kid Uh and hit puberty all of a sudden, you know, he he lost all the weight Uh, he also had really difficult time getting getting a job as an actor uh and dig donner the director of the goonies Yeah, uh really mentored him and says kid, you know, it's not just acting to be in this business There's all this stuff that you can do too. Yeah, uh and kind of guiding him down this path to be an entertainment lawyer And that paid for pay for his tuition. Oh, he did he did. Oh, that's sweet and and came out and now jeff conwin Yeah, it's one of the most successful entertainment attorneys in hollywood.
He has his own law firm. Yeah, he's my entertainment lawyer He's been by the way. He's been my attorney. Yeah for 25 years ever since he he started his own law firm I was I was one of his first clients.
Yeah, I signed with him right away, but what's incredible is this? Yeah, I never made him any money But you were friends we were friends from i never yeah, I would tell people that he's my lawyer all the time But then secretly i'm just thinking catch up even say that because he never made a dime off of me But what's what's incredible is that yeah every time I call him or need legal advice. Yeah, he's always there He's always there picks my phone returns my call at the very same day all the time So i'm really happy that i'm making him some money now and so when do you like uh figure out That you want to say in show business, but you have to figure out a way to do it You know that doesn't involve acting as much You know it was it was not an easy it was not like oh one day I wake up and go wow, okay I know what I want to do. No.
Yeah, but it was like slowly gradually and you know and I think the you know the seed was planted when you spent so much time alone Yeah, and waiting and then especially like when you're in you like 21 And you have no real control of your life. Yeah, just waiting for someone to make a decision Yeah, because there's nothing you can do if nobody hires you as an actor Yeah, there's practically nothing you can do. Yeah, uh And that's what happened to me and uh and I said You know, I didn't want to live my prime years like that. Yeah, I mean so how did you like decide what what changed?
What'd you do? Uh, I one day I decided to go to college Yeah, I said, you know what let me try to enroll in film school and if I get in then it's meant to be you're in your 20s I'm at 20s. Yeah, so I said I want I want to see in you know, uh film school is very hard to get into Uh, so I applied and I say if I get in then it's meant to be and it's meant that I need to continue my education Would you apply to USC? Oh, so you could have got a good letter of recommendation there it seems yeah Uh, did you know I didn't I didn't want to people were saying at that time.
Oh, you should get you know, you should call Yeah, yeah, kadano especially spiel donners from there too. No, but especially Yeah, uh, I didn't want to I didn't want to bother him. You didn't I just feel like, you know, so biz I'm one of those people where I'm so busy. Let's not bother them.
You know, wow Try to do things yourself. That's pretty noble. Yeah, but well when you graduate you got a film degree You did some shooting and made the movies like I first movie out of college was x-men as uh as an actual Algifer so but was the plan to direct or was uh, you know when you got out the plan was yeah the plan was to direct Uh, but then before I even got there, uh, I got this call from this Hong Kong director who just got a job as an actual Algifer on on x-men. Okay, so he says would you want to come work for me?
Yeah, and I said of course Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I had my bag and showed up in the No in Toronto. Okay, Toronto, Canada met a young kevin fight. He met a young huge japan Yeah, and and that was the first time That I stepped behind the camera. Yeah, I was being paid.
I had a job and all of a sudden Uh, I knew what I wanted to do like the future didn't seem so bleak anymore You wanted to be you want to be the coordinator? Yeah, when you were in college, did you make films? Yes, we make films make short films. Yeah, you know, uh, and those were really fun.
It was uh, uh, uh, it was that time where All of us wanted to be the next Spielberg the next Lucas. Yeah, we're all like full of aspirations And um, you know, we we were because that my that generation my generation was all heavily influenced by those movies in the 70s and 80s Of course. Yeah, you were into yeah So when I you know like all my friends about us friends and I we graduated with really high hopes We're gonna change the world and uh, uh, make you know, you know, rapid breaking movies any of them do it Reality said and we realized that first, uh, there's no one you know, no one is gonna be Steven Spielberg. No one is a george luke.
Yeah, um But uh, yeah, some of my friends went on to be great writers. Yeah, uh, some of them are great, you know, uh, sound mixers Yeah film editors. They're all they covered it all with that school. Yeah.
Yeah, so this uh, uh, action choreography Yeah, did you know anything about it other than being a kid actor? I had the background I studied tai kwon do for many years. I'm a black belt Yeah, I can do and I grew up watching and loving those hong kong, uh, 80s action movies. Yeah, yeah from jakikin samohong Yeah, and so so my brother and I we were enamored with with that genre.
Yeah, so we would go we would we would study Yeah, come back watch those movies and then we would like walk out the fights ourselves because you knew the moves We knew the moves and then I would even buy a sandbag and put it up in my backyard and practice my cakes Yeah, uh, and I did that for a long time as a kid as a kid. Yeah, and thinking that oh now now that I have a black belt Hollywood's gonna put me in an action movie. Yeah, you're ready. Yeah, I'm ready.
I'm ready to kick ass, you know, uh, but then Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right. Yeah, uh, Hollywood was not hiring an Asian actor to kick ass alongside, you know, stilone old swatcha nigga Uh, so I I put those skills away until until, uh, I I call it upon them again working behind the camera Yeah, I know I mean look flash boy. I mean flash forward to now all those skills that I acquired as a kid and also behind the camera That's how I made love hurts. I know I can see it, you know, and you're definitely on top of it Yeah, I mean, I imagine you had to do some training.
Yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah, the training is because I haven't done those moves in a long time They they exist in memories, you know, but they're there but they're there so before I did love hurts I trained with our action team. Yeah 87 north of a three months.
Yeah, and so you have the memory now It's about getting your muscles to do what you remember you can do and when you were doing the coordinating You know, did you become like when you work for that guy? Uh, did you eventually become your own coordinator? Uh, well, I worked with him and you worked with him before him for a long time. So you really learned how you do that?
Yes, how you stage fights how you uh, do fights that look good on camera. Yeah, and then also how to shoot it Yeah, uh, because when you do fights, uh, there were not a places to put that camera Right in order to sell that punch or that kick. Yeah, uh, there's only one or two good angles Yeah, I learned that and so doing love hurts and and talking with jojo I would direct him and our action team whatever they were saying I understood it right away because it's the same language Yeah, we did it for years, right? And then so now I can not only am I an active in this but now I can contribute I go, you know what?
This move looks great, but I think I can do more or can we do this? And it's really about a great fight sequence should have a story Yeah, uh, and that's the most challenging part. Uh, and that's what we try to do with this movie is every fight should have a story It also advances, you know the plant or or I should tell you what that character Well, yeah, because the movie's played for you know, it is played for comedy And the characters are very you know, well defined, you know, even the bad guys to the point where you know one of us will poet And uh, so each individual it's interesting how it's written like that because each individual Outside of maybe one of them, you know, you get a very strong sense of their little backstory Right and so and they're kind of comedic because they're you know, it's an ironic juxtaposition Which between what this guy does and like you got the guy is having a hard time with his wife The other guy is a misunderstood poet, you know, one guy's your brother and then there's a bad guy But you know, you really entering any fights in outside of the choreography having an arc You've got these guys who you have uh, you kind of get them as comedic characters, right? And also like the like for love hurts, it's really an homage to those Hong Kong movies.
Oh, yeah totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah The fights, uh, you know, it's very martial arts very choreography doing it. Yeah, yeah, and it was it was kind of funny because I was noticing There was a period there where these movies Like it didn't kill as many people Rambo rambo just another rambo chose a lot of people. No, I mean the more comedic one.
Yeah, yeah, the more comedic one You know, this is a comedy a romantic comedy on some level And like I kept thinking about the cop movies in the 70s where you know, they just destroy an entire city But then there was a period where comedy com movies they'd hurt guys But very rarely did they kill him and in this movie some guy catches a bullet in the head that didn't even you know, I had a comment It was like a pig It's all it's all about the you know, the payoff. Yeah, it's a punchline. Yeah, yeah, yeah But before this movie, you know, so had you given up on acting totally once you became involved with the coordinating So you were you're okay with your life. You're making a living I was making a decent living.
I was making a lot of money. Yeah, I was making a paycheck Sure, but I was doing what I love. Yeah, which was like, you know, uh, I was still making movies But just in a different capacity right? Uh, yeah, and I was having a good time and you're okay And I was okay and you let go of acting in your heart.
Uh, yes, yes Uh, I was doing okay, but you know, it's as the years went by and I started to watch you know More and more movies. Yeah, and seeing great performances up on the screen Yeah, I couldn't help but to start have that you know that feeling that's the algae I can like you didn't know you couldn't you couldn't have figured out a way back in really Yeah, I couldn't because I was already I was already like out my my job. Yeah, uh Was behind the camera. Yeah, I had There was no there was no There was no way that I could see myself stepping in front of it right right.
Yeah at your age and And also I'm working with all these great director. Yeah, even they didn't say keep Do you want to play this like they didn't even do that? Yeah, you know, but they knew who he were they knew why yes They knew who I was everybody knew, you know, my that's a kid from goonie in fact on x-men When we were walking out the fight sequence we're going by we spent a few weeks choreographing the big finale Yeah, the fight between the Wolverine and um mistake They gather the entire casting crew together Uh, and it was me and another stunt guy walking out the entire scene So everybody can see what's going on. Yeah, and it was Kevin fight.
He's standing to the sciences That kid that is the kid from Indiana So But then you know, it also just because I was working with all these incredible filmmakers and none of them Ever asked you know, key what you want to play this role. So that kind of cemented my yeah, my believe that my my my acting days are over Yeah, so like this just crazy though. So like how does you know, how does everything everywhere? What's happened?
You know, I mean it's crazy It's pretty interesting how everything came together one day when I was 49 years old Uh, and I was I was like thinking oh my gosh. I'm gonna be 50 very soon Yeah, and I was just like, you know, my career wasn't going that well. I don't think I was happy I wasn't making a lot of money. You got you got kids.
No, no, I don't have we don't have kids You know, my wife and I've been together for you know, what does she do? Uh, she's always uh, she does a lot of stuff But she sells just so she took after my mom Um, and then it was at a time where I was also doing comic-con. Yeah, you know, uh, I was doing pictures. Yeah, signing pictures Yeah, uh, try to make a you know, uh, a decent uh, income.
That's not a happy thing I'm not it's bittersweet in some ways that it's you know in the beginning when I when I started doing it I was not comfortable with it, but then honestly the fans it's all about the fans. Sure. Yeah, they love it They love seeing us and I'm very grateful to you know, uh, for those opportunities But I was at that point where oh gosh, I don't know what to do with my life Yeah, and uh, and it was then the idea of what if you know, but what if I have I tried this again? Yeah, you know, do you think people would want to see me?
So you did try you did try I thought about it for a long time before I finally said okay, I'm gonna do this what you do I call it my friend who was an agent. Yeah, and I say hey Crazy idea Do you think I can be an actor again? He said, uh, yeah, maybe And I wasn't even asking for much. I said it would be incredible if I can just get like a serious regular Yeah, a serious regular on television.
Yeah, doesn't have to be number two or forget about number one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Maybe number five six seven, you know, instead of something where I'm working as an actor Yeah, my insurance back. Yeah, do you think that's possible is this? I don't know.
Yeah, there was so many uncertainties Sure, of course. Always. Yeah, and also it's not like oh, I I stepped away for a year. Yeah, it's not like that I said with him one in 20 years, you know, uh, uh, and then uh, it was one of those things where everything just aligned Yeah, when I said when I decided to be an actor again, it was at the very same time Yeah, not the Daniels.
Yeah, we're casting they were looking for an actor to play women. Yeah, and everything Yeah, well once right and literally when I got myself an agent it was two weeks later. Yeah That they asked to see me. Wow, think about it.
Think about it Think about it. Had I had I procrastinated ago. Wow. You know, I don't know that if I sat on my ass and and continued to debate Well, I should be that actor again that opportunity would pass me by and none of this.
Yeah, that shit would have sailed Uh, and none of this would be happening. Yeah, so you went in for an audition? Went in for no before I did that because I haven't I was insecure so I told my agent I said who's the best acting coach in Los Angeles I want to get ready. Yeah.
Yeah, so met with him. He was just coaching people for audition and I met with him I had a couple of sessions. Yeah, even in the beginning, you know, he's just kidding. You're acting stop acting I was like, oh my god, I'm sorry.
This is such a horrible decision But then after a couple of sessions he says yeah, I think you're ready and this was it was for that part Yeah, I had the acting lesson it was only specifically just to go in to try to land to nail the job. Yeah, yeah And so you went in you were kind of confident a little bit no not confident scared a shit Sweating but I but I but I was like overprepared. I was very well prepared. Yeah, memorized all my lines Yeah, but still you know being in a room with strangers is very hard.
Yeah, especially when you have a camera facing you You have a reader. Yeah, and you don't know the scariest part is you don't know that if your interpretation of the Characters looking for and it doesn't well the Daniels were so sweet because when I After the room they said we love you. We've been a big fan of yours, you know for a long time We've seen all your movies where kids with something I've heard a lot sure, you know But even in my younger days every time I walk into a room I always say the same thing yeah, but then I didn't get the job right so it's like okay Well, that means nothing because I've been down this path many times. Yeah, I need to hear that anymore Yeah, well, my girlfriend is uh, she said you were the first age-appropriate Movie star that she had a crush on because she's younger than me, but when she was a kid she had a crush on you really You're actually in her age range.
Wow I want to meet her. You might you might be here. Oh, that's great. Yeah, so yes.
I went in um was really happy I was in the room for a long time. Yeah, which is a good thing if you're a desert sure because they want to do it a different couple of different ways so they were uh, you know, uh, yeah, they were thrown out directions At me and I got good. Oh, great guys. Yeah, yeah, I'm so grateful to them.
Okay, you know, they they they took a chance on me And they so they had you in the room a long time and then they you left and I left yeah call my agent and I said hey I think I might have a chance. Yeah, I feel really good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then I didn't hear from them for two months two months As of weeks went by I'm like thinking I'll call my agent. I said any news yet again.
This is something like it's very traumatic for me because I've been down There's a role of course coming to see the boys part of the road. Yeah. Yeah, have you heard? No?
No? Have they have they cast anybody yet? No? No too much too painful, yeah, uh, then that phone call cases we want to see you again So it's not like you got the job we want to see you again So when in the second time and before I did that I got more acting sessions.
Yeah, coaching sessions On the second when the second when you went in second, I did to have you read with other actors No, it was just me and but then also they wanted to see me cry on cue. Oh, they also which is very hard to do Uh, and they also wanted to see me do martial arts. So I was like they wanted to see some kicks So you were in good shape then right? I was in okay.
Not great. Yeah. Uh, and it's not something that I was you know, keeping up with it. Yeah, yeah So I was a little nervous.
I go. Oh shit. I uh, so then you know again memory muscle memory. Yeah Um, I didn't uh, and I was like sweating and they were so sweet.
They you know, they they wanted to give me a hug afterwards I go no, no, no, don't hug me. I'm sweating. I was like literally like doing punches and kicks, you know, uh, and I was really embarrassed And I I left um and it was it was not long after that they called me. Oh my god.
And you know what? Yeah, I'm sure every actor knows this. Yeah, when you get that phone call from your agent, right? Uh, it's this it's incredible incredible.
Especially for a role that you just want so bad. Yeah, yeah, and you got it Yeah, and then you got an Oscar and I got an Oscar. It's so fucking crazy. Yeah, isn't it?
Well, it's so what was beautiful about it other than it was you did a great job and the movie was you know, spectacular and unique and great But you know, it was one of these things where you know, hollywood and you know and everybody who you knew from when they were kids You're like, what a great story. What a great ending to that story. It's not an ending, but you know, this full circle thing Like the full second moment now. It's crazy.
Yeah, and what's really even more crazy is do you and when our movie came out This was on my mind the last time the audience saw me on this thing was I was 12 years old And all of a sudden he was this middle-aged man up on the screen. Yeah, uh But you know, but luckily, you know, they embraced my my you know, yeah, but oddly you know, you you you you maintain some of the look Yeah, I mean, I didn't look like shit, right? Well, no, but like you're not unfamiliar. You know, they didn't look at you and go like, you know, that's the same guy You still have something about you.
That's the same because a lot of child actors you're like, oh my god What happened to that guy? I think I think also my voice. Yeah, everybody said he sounds exactly the same I don't know if that's a compliment or what but how can a guy sounds exactly when he's 12 and then you know now i'm 50 something Yeah, it's okay. So so he went all the all the awards and it was all very exciting and you had that reunion with Harrison Yeah, you hadn't seen him in years.
I saw him. I was doing uh, Loki at that time. This is after the movie came out Um, I get Loki. Yeah, uh, so, uh, I attended an event called d23 for disney Yeah, and it was at that event that I saw him again after, you know, 38 years.
Oh my god And we took that photo and that photo went viral. Uh, it was um, it was really incredible It was you know seeing him again and of course you know, and I didn't know he was gonna be presenting for best picture One, we didn't know we were gonna win right second. We didn't know who the presenter right is And when he walked out and I said could he could he could he could he could he say everything everywhere? Yeah, and sure enough, you know It's such a it's such a beautiful like we cannot have asked for a better night.
Like if you were a writer Yeah, I don't think you would do. Oh, let's do this. Let's write no one will believe it nice. Yeah, anything to the Yeah, no one would believe it but a full circle moment and then also it's like with Spielberg and the audience john Williams You know, uh, it was just yeah to unbelievable you have my first very first movie family And then you know, and that night I was with my brand new fan.
Yeah, everything everywhere family to have both of them together This you know where I started and where I am now. Yeah, what a wonderful Unbelievable and now you're back in it. Yeah. Yeah, and how's that feeling?
It feels amazing mark. It really is very different this time. Yeah, very different Well, this movie just the new one uh, I love her. It's it's a fun movie.
It's all you you're doing the thing. It's funny It's it's kind of crazy. You know, I I love I grew up in loving you know, those movies in the 80s I want to have yeah, I want 40 minutes and they're not just trying to do anything but just to entertain you Yeah, and that's it. Yeah, that's why this one comes in like an hour 20 hour 20 And I would have and it's like it's meant to be where you just go and you escape reality Yeah for 90 minutes.
Yeah and come out feeling a little bit more refreshed Yeah, all your troubles. Yeah, whatever problems you have goes away for a little while Yeah, and then it's just kind of for you to recharge. I love you know, I love those movies in the 80s and I really miss them It does feel like one of those movies. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, great job. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, nice talking to you Thank you for having me The two we sail is now on with thousands of holidays reduced plus save up to an extra 250 euro per booking lock in your getaway today with a low booking deposit book now on online or in your local store holiday deal sorted to live happy offer terms of addition supply So people listen I had one of the biggest recording artists in the world here in the garage last week She's also nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress and before you hear my talk with Ariana Grande next week You can hear me preview it tomorrow on the full maren With Brendan I brought up that thing that I wrote down the other day that ambition is not a point of view and she found that very enlightening somehow that you know her intention early on was to sing It was not to make money. It was not to make a pop.
You know, it hit single, you know that she wanted to sing And I think what what struck me towards the end of the the conversation Which I think is a very great part of the interview was that when when she was auditioning for this role That she had to wear with all You know to work with a vocal coach and to work with an acting coach I mean, this is Ariana Grande who has certainly has complete control of her instrument Right for what she does but she realized that you know this the character of glinda And what it required vocally was something completely out of her wheelhouse It was it was operatic and it was you know a different type of of of octave and a different type of completely different type of control necessary To do justice to this character that that was not in her wheelhouse to sing for this role So she had to very deliberately separate You know everything that she is in order to honor the role of glinda and learn how to sing Appropriately for this type of role in this type of singing You can hear the rest of that tomorrow if you're a full mare and subscriber and everyone will hear the Ariana Grande episode next monday To subscribe to the full mare and go to the link in the episode description or go to wtfpod.com and click on wtf plus And a reminder before we go this podcast is hosted by a cast being the bond i got angels everywhere