Randall Park is a talented actor with impressive performances in film and television. Born to Korean immigrants in Los Angeles on March 23, 1974, Park’s passion for acting was borne while he was at the University of California, Los Angeles. Yet, it was not until he was 29 that he made his on-screen debut.
Besides being a fantastic actor, Park is a comedian, writer, director, and producer. These talents have helped him uniquely breathe life into his film and television roles. Since his professional debut in 2003, Park has starred in over 170 film and television roles. Although mostly playing supporting roles, he easily stands out in every cast. These are the top 9 Randall Park‘s roles in film and television.
IKEA Heights (2009–2010)
One of Randall Park’s earliest roles that has gone unnoticed by many television audiences is his work in IKEA Heights. The show is a comedic melodrama web series created as a spoof for soap operas. All of its 7 episodes are filmed covertly in an actual IKEA store. While obviously frowned upon by the company (especially because they didn’t give authorization), it’s a hilarious web series that introduced the world to the acting genius of Randall Park. The web series lasted from January 31, 2009, to May 31, 2009.
Veep (2012–2017)
The HBO political satire comedy series, Veep, was one of the network’s most successful shows in the 2010s. It ran for 65 episodes across 7 seasons, from April 2012 to May 2017. Randall Park was cast as the recurring character Danny Chung, Minnesota State Governor. Although the series revolved around the fictional Vice President of the United States, Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Park’s character made a worthwhile impression on viewers. Governor Danny Chung wastes no effort reminding anyone about his military experiences to score cheap political gains. Park’s character is introduced in season 1, episode 4 (“Chung”) and makes a final appearance in the final episode of season 6, “Groundbreaking.”
The Interview (2014)
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg-directed The Interview (2014) is largely inspired by the Canadian-American magazine Vice 2012 documentary. It follows its main protagonists, Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen) and Dave Skylark (James Franco), who get an exclusive interview with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un (Randall Park). However, just before they fly off to North Korea for the interview, they’re recruited by the CIA to help assassinate Kim Jong Un. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and condemnation from the North Korean government and the cybercrime group Guardians of Peace, Park’s performance was one of a few performances singled out for praise.
Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020)
Randall Park is cast as part of the main cast in Nahnatchka Khan-created sitcom, Fresh Off the Boat, for ABC. The series revolves around a Taiwanese-American family who relocated from Chinatown of Washington, D.C., to Orlando, Florida. It follows their lives, family business, and how they adapt to the American culture and community. Randall Park played the patriarch of the Huang family, Louis Huang. The character is the husband of Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) and the father of Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang), Emery Huang (Forrest Wheeler), and Evan Huang (Ian Chen). Louis Huang also owned the Western steakhouse restaurant, Cattleman’s Ranch. Fresh Off the Boat ran for 6 seasons, from 2015 to 2020.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Randall Park joined the list of actors playing characters in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2018. He is introduced as Jimmy Woo, an FBI agent, in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). As a federal agent, Jimmy is assigned as Scott Lang’s parole officer. He reprised the role in the Disney+ series WandaVision in 2021, appearing in 6 episodes. Park also made a cameo appearance as Jimmy Woo in the 2023 sequel Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and will also appear in The Marvels (2023).
Aquaman (2018)
In 2018, Randall Park joined the short list of actors who have acted in the MCU and DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Park portrayed the marine biologist, Doctor Stephen Shin. Doctor Shin is obsessed with finding the lost city of Atlantis. Aquaman (2018) became Randall Park’s highest-grossing film, grossing $1.152 billion on a $160–200 million budget. Park will reprise the role of Doctor Shin in Aquaman‘s 2023 sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Always Be My Maybe is one of the few films where Randall Park is cast in a lead role. Although directed by Nahnatchka Khan, Always Be My Maybe is co-written and co-produced by Randall Park. Alongside actress Ali Wong, Park takes audiences on a hilarious ride through the romantic comedy’s 102-minute runtime. The movie always stars Daniel Dae Kim and Keanu Reeves, playing a fictionalizer version of himself.
Human Resources (2022–2023)
Human Resources is Netflix’s adult animated series, a spin-off of Big Mouth. The show follows a group of monsters assigned to and represents the feelings of a group of adult humans. Randall Park voiced the character of Peter “Pete” Doheny. Pete was a Logic Rock, representing human logic. Human Resources second and final season was released on June 9, 2023. Other notable voice cast of the show included Ali Wong, Aidy Bryant, Keke Palmer, Maya Rudolph, Bobby Cannavale, Hugh Jackman, Rosie Perez, Thandiwe Newton, Miley Cyrus, Florence Pugh, and Eugene Levy.
Totally Killer (2023)
2023 was a busy year for Randall Park, starring in six feature films. His fourth released film for the year was Totally Killer. It’s a Nahnatchka Khan-directed black comedy slasher film. Although only playing a supporting role, Park’s performance stands out right from its introduction. The film’s plot follows Jamie Hughes (Kiernan Shipka) as she uses a time travel machine to travel back in time to stop the Sweet 16 Killer and alter the death of her mother in the future. Randall Park was cast as Vernon’s Sheriff Dennis Lim in 1987.
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