Having portrayed Rumi, where do you want her to see her go next? What are you hoping for her? And also, as someone who’s a fan of K-pop music, what would be the next logical sort of storyline for them?
Oh man. I mean, storyline? I don’t know. I’m not a writer. I can’t do that, but I really do want to know her backstory. I want to know who Daddy Demon is. I want to know what happened to Mom. Is this a “Romeo and Juliet” story? What happened here? I want to know more about Celine. And then I want to see the girls’ babies. I think Baby Rumi is so cute. I’d love to see Baby Mira and Baby Zoe. And then I think it would just be really cool to just know how they all became Hunters, right? It’s such a big responsibility. I want to know how it started.
Yeah, I mean, someone would say the possibilities are endless.
Oh, oh my gosh. And then we can’t forget. We got to go find Jinu!
Yeah.
I mean, come on. He’s like the first boy, person, demon to see who Rumi truly is. And then he protected her, right? He covered it up. He didn’t even think for a second. I mean, he was just like, “I got you. Lemme back you up.” Everyone’s like, “Ahhhh.” It’s like that moment. It’s such a great storytelling moment, right? It’s so powerful. How could you not love Jinu and Rumi there, right?
Yep.
Then you go to the signing and they’re doing the little fighting, flirting, and you’re like, “Oh my God’s just secrets!” And the little fan with the shirt, it’s like, “I know your secret.” I just feel like there are so many great moments in the story that are just, how could you not love this movie?
To suggest it’s a phenomenon is sort of like the understatement of understatements for the year. But you’ve had an incredible summer even beyond “Demon Hunters.” You were a small part of the Tony Award-winning musical, “Maybe Happy Ending.” Can you explain your role in that, and having that happen just a week before “Demon Hunters” dropped?
To make a very long story short, a couple of years ago, when “Partner Track” was not renewed, I was heartbroken. And I basically was like, all right, it’s been fun, but I’m a retire. I’m good. And I actually took a very big leave, I think probably about a year or so, and I traveled. I did a lot of things that were kind of bucket list, and then in that time, the only projects I ended up doing or sort of coming out of retirement for, as I joke or my friends will be like, “Whatever, you’re full of it” But it was “Avatar: The Last Airbender” because again, it was something where it’s not about me. I’m going to support this amazing cast of young Asian American actors, and I just have to exist for me for a little bit. And then the same thing with “Maybe Happy Ending.” That was something that when my agent was like, “Look, I know you’re done and I know that you don’t want to do anything, but just wanted to let you know this is really cool. It’s a Korean writer, it’s a Korean musical, it’s Broadway.” And I was like, “Oh man. I mean, I can’t go back to New York heartbroken with ‘Partner Track,’ but if there’s an opportunity that I can just be a small part or support it, I want it to touch it,” if that makes sense. And I really get to just touch it. I just have this tiny little part, and it’s so not about me. It was one of those things where I think Helen [J. Shen] is incredible, and to be able to support and to see her shine and to just be like, that’s the next generation. I love music and Broadway is such a cool, I mean, it’s always been a dream in the future, but I feel so lucky to just have a little tiny part of it.
And then again, with “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” that was the same thing. It was one of those things where, ‘O.K., yes, I’m still retired, I’m done. I’m not doing any auditions. I’m not doing this anymore.” But this is different, an animation. And I love animation, and this is for the kids. This one was for me, this is for Baby Arden, who grew up feeling like I didn’t see myself in a lot of these stories, and ‘K-Pop Demon Hunter’ is really the movie that I always hoped for, dreamed for. And again, to be able to have a part in it is just such an incredible honor. And I’m so grateful people are seeing it and loving it. And again, I think I love that this movie just brings people joy and healing.
You said your friends didn’t believe you’d retired. I’m assuming you’re not retired now. I know it’s only been two months, but have you felt a change? Have you felt like there’s interest in places there hasn’t been before?
It’s really funny because, yes, I was retired. I am not auditioning for anything. But earlier, maybe about a year ago, there were still things. I was like, “O.K., you know what? I want to do this because it is a first-time Asian American director, and I want to support their projects.” So it’s like I am doing an indie that is, again, it’s a really cool Asian led story, and it’s really fun. And then I’m also doing another horror film where I’ve also joined as one of the producers. And again, it was a project where I intentionally chose the two so that it can be something where I can support and say, Hey, this can be something incredible for sort of Asian Americans in general. It’s nine female Asian American leads.
Oh, that sounds fun.
Right? So cool. And I feel like it was one of those things where I was like, “O.K., this one I’ve got to do because it’s so special. It’s super cool. It’s a Black List winning script, and we just have an incredible team”. And again, so lucky to be a part of it. But I will say that probably the biggest change in the last two months is that I have had this newfound, immense wave of energy. And this new feeling of maybe it’s not too late. No, it’s never too late. Maybe now is the time. And I just feel like this is crazy. But also, it’s so interesting because it’s sort of like happening as we speak, but I also feel like it just feels so natural and easy because it’s easy to talk about a project I love. It’s easy to have conversations with people that I feel like you genuinely love the movie, and it just makes people feel good. And I know that’s why I became an actor. I became an actor because I love stories. I love storytelling. I want people to feel good, and I want us to escape from the stress and sadness of life and have a moment of joy. I feel so lucky to have been almost re-inspired to want to continue this grind. This business is always so tough. I mean, so many people get to see our highlight reel. They see just the good finished polished stuff, but they don’t see all the projects that didn’t make it or died too soon or whatever, all our disappointments. But I feel like Rumi and “K-Pop Demon Hunters” is kind of one of those things. Also, who would’ve thought a movie, an original IP, an original animation about K-pop was going to be this global? This powerful? And I feel like it’s just a testament that when you tell real, honest, authentic stories and stay true to a narrative that is, again, so specific, it’s kind of like magic.
“K-Pop Demon Hunters” is available on Netflix
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