I really wish Randall Park could receive all the recognition he deserves. Mr Always Be My Maybe. Marvel’s Jimmy Woo. The dad from Fresh Off the Boat. Even Asian Jim in The Office if you wanna go niche. Alas, by the powers that be, it isn’t my call to make. Yet I suspect I’m solely disappointed, while the actor himself is not bothered by it too much.

There have been incidences far more consequential. Initial gigs of his career pursuit include a guy who attempted to circumcise himself on House. A commercial for lube. A doctor for the fictionalised Larry David’s unsavoury rash. Naturally lending him to the question: What is it about me? Till today, Park still does not know.

“I guess I always enjoy playing these kind of put upon characters,” he chuckles, “I was doing a lot of theatre, sketch styles and able to play everything early on, but once I started getting into TV and film, it was a matter of where can I work? I’ll take any job, and the ones coming to me then mostly fit in that mould. I don’t know, something about my energy. But I wanted to play those roles, and still do because it’s great fun.”

He must really relish donning these beleaguered (my word) and exasperated (his) personas given that they convey so… effortlessly? A peak version, in my personal opinion, can be found in It’s Florida, Man. The entertaining reenactment of true Floridian news stories, not to be confused with Netflix’s Florida Man. Presently, the actor is excited to be at a place to choose a wider range of roles.

Which is why he is once again an FBI agent. Alongside Uzo Aduba, Park investigates a state dinner murder on Netflix’s The Residence. To be fair, he was fairly reluctant to accept the offer as it adds one more FBI agent to the filmography. Until he read the script.

“I thought it was so unique and original. I had never read anything quite like it. I really like the character too. It’s equally comedic but in a strange way, the stakes feel a lot higher because it is in a real world situation,” he explains.

No comic book villains, and a meticulously detailed set that allegedly uses original White House plans to replicate the actual East Wing. Additionally, delays in production due to the strikes, as well as the passing of the esteemed Andre Braugher. Through the tumult however, the camaraderie of the large cast shined through.

For a change in beat, Park also personifies Moriarty in CBS medical drama Watson. Yes, that Moriarty. Park has played antagonists before—a certain infamous dictator for instance (see: The Interview)—but this surprising offer came with the note that this rendition of Sherlock Holmes’ arch nemesis was going to be a little more unconventional.

All things considered; this path has a positive impact on the actor’s life. As a private person with a tight social circle, the profession has put him in situations to constantly make new friends. An uncommon feat as adults, too.

“I’m not really one to seek the spotlight, but I do love performing,” he admits, “It’s just so fun for me because I kind of fell into this career. I meet these great people on sets and the next thing you know, we hang out outside of work. I don’t know if that would be the case if I didn’t have a job like this, because I have the same friends who I grew up with in LA and still live here.”

His stint in standup helped lay the foundation. He liked writing the jokes above delivering them onstage, but soon fell in love with the craft entirely. “It was a great life experience visiting these different cities and towns trying to make people laugh. Sometimes bombing and feeling miserable, then picking yourself back up and doing a whole other show.”

It became a great metaphor for life, since rejection is not only prevalent in the business, but a part of life. Park defaults to not letting his expectations get too high, an occupational hazard when younger. There was once a point of seemingly endless failed auditions where he somehow convinced himself that he had to collect as many rejections possible before reaching the big life-changing break.

He doesn’t recall what that particular number was, but it kept him feeling closer to where he needed to be. These days, he views it as a chance to learn and keep moving forward. “Your worth or value is in how you respond. If I didn’t have that mindset, I think I would have gone crazy,” he smiles, “It’s like that miner digging for diamonds meme. It always felt like that in the sense that I always knew. I was confident that there were great opportunities ahead of me, I just didn’t know when they were gonna happen.”

Park reveals more optimism and tenacity than his on-screen alter-egos let on. In moments of doubt, he seems to double down on the impossibility to prove otherwise. When opportunities weren’t availing to him, he created his own via plays, shorts and web shows with peers. When he turned 50 and the little voice at the back of his head began to question if it was time to hang up the hat, the man pushed himself to complete The New York City Marathon.

“I started in this industry in my late 20s, so I always felt a little behind. Getting older is where everyone thinks things slow down,” he shares, “But I was happy to turn 50. I really believe they are gonna be my best years. It was a big reason for telling myself to do something I’ve never done before. I’m big into creating your own symbolism and I wanted to have a symbol to hold onto that would be proof that I can still do anything.”

The pride from accomplishing goals he once perceived insurmountable was nothing but fuel for the fire within. Together with support from the ones that mattered when it mattered, this confidence continues to inspire his desire to create, write, produce and direct. If his directorial debut Shortcomings in 2023 is a taster of what to expect of future projects, we can only gladly anticipate.

The movie’s unique voice and comically imperfect protagonist, based on Adrian Tomine’s graphic novel, is the fruit of Park’s Asian American production company, Imminent Collision, that focuses on the AAPI experience.

“One thing that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is how divided people are, and how much social media plays into that. How much the algorithm feed off division and people often give in to it,” he expresses, concerned, “Everything becomes binary. One side versus the other as opposed to more nuance. I think people in general are more complex than what these algorithms want us to be.”

It feels rare to see someone known for deadpan humour show a side that’s anything apart from light-hearted. In fact, it makes one wonder what honestly enrages him? As his features crease in contemplation, Park mentions the troubles happening in the world and how it previously trapped him in an unhealthy bubble.

Periods where he was so immersed in his phone and getting news from different sources. He now tries to limit how much he consumes or let the information affect him. Being off social media helps. Not just because it ruins your day, but also your perspective of the world.

“I think everybody’s different and all my convictions on morality, how we should treat each other and how the world I think should be goes into my work. That’s why I want to keep putting projects out there that are good for people.”

We still haven’t figured out what is it about Randall Park; about how his happy indifference towards how others regard him and yet possesses a strong regard against worldly indifference—how those two sides can strangely coexist in a body.

He returns to that familiar jovial spirit as we conclude with lore behind his name; an intriguing choice from immigrant parents (“I wish it was a really great story but my dad named me after a coworker he really respected. He was a really nice person and a good family man”).

Fun fact: Park’s legal middle name is just the letter ‘D’. Whether it was due to the phonetic spelling of his Korean name eluding his folks, he remembers his father telling him it meant “rock”, “stone”, something solid. Before any poetic significance could be held, however, Park adds that he later learned the word meant other things, so to this day, he does not definitively know. The irony strikes and I inevitably grin, because it does seem like a pretty Randall Park thing indeed.