Your character Ji-Ah is very inspired by Judy Garland she has a love for old Hollywood movies. Are there any old Hollywood actors, or actors from your childhood who inspire you in that same way in real life?
You know, what's so funny is I didn't watch a lot of musicals growing up. I had to watch a lot of Judy Garland movies to prepare for this role. But growing up, I watched a lot of Audrey Hepburn movies. My mom was a big fan of Audrey Hepburn. My mom didn't idolize her, but dressed like her and loved her movies, and so that's kind of what I've gravitated towards the most, but they're all kind of from the same era, which is really cool.
Ji-Ah has a special connection with Atticus. They're both passionate about literature, and they both came to understand each other more when they realized that they had similar upbringings. Both of their parents are trying to mold them into something they are not. But Atticus now has this relationship with Leti, and that's strong too because they have their childhood bond and they both just went through traumatic events together. I'm just wondering, in your opinion, who do you think is the better romantic match for Atticus?
Ooh, I don't know. I mean, what they've shared in Korea was really quite special, but then it also ended in such an abrupt way. What's interesting is, I do think that now that we've set up this love triangle, you will see that play out. You will see that come to a head and be confronted. But the whole time Atticus is running away from his past, and sometimes it's better not to live in the past. So I personally, without giving anything away, I think that it's more suited for Leti and Atticus to be a couple than Ji-Ah and Atticus.
You've played roles before where the torch was passed on to you. For example, Miho was played by Devon Aoki in the original Sin City, and then you got to put your stamp on that character in the sequel. And then on the flip side you got to play Mulan in Once Upon a Time, and now there's this new live-action movie starring Yifei Liu, and now she gets to play the character. I'm just wondering if you had a chance to watch it yet and what you thought of this new iteration of the character?
No, not yet. I can't wait. It actually released when I was on a road trip, because my husband and I drove from New York back to L.A. And so I, kid you not, just got back into L.A. late last night, so I haven't had a chance to watch it, but it is so high on my list. Because that's an original folklore, and I fell in love with the animation, and I was able to play a different version of that character. Ours was never the origin story in Once Upon a Time, this was long after how she first became a warrior, and now she's in this fantasy world. So it was very, very different, and it was so fun to play her, but I can't wait to see the live-action version of Mulan, the origin story. I'm very excited. I just literally have not had time to see it yet.
In Lovecraft Country, you got to tap into your own Korean heritage with the role of Ji-Ah. In the past, you've also played characters from other Asian cultures. For example, Mulan, who is of Chinese descent. Are there any challenges that come with playing a character from a different Asian cultural background than your own?
Well, I mean, I think it's not so much of a challenge. I think it's more of a question of, will people accept it? And I am very sensitive to that. But growing up in San Francisco, I went to a school of like 98% Asian kids, and it was very multicultural in a sense that there was Taiwanese, there was Chinese, there was Hong Kong, Taiwan, so I'm comfortable and familiar with those cultures. Yes — I'll never truly understand what it's like because I'm Korean American, but I am familiar with them. And yeah, and I do appreciate the authenticity of certain characters. So I guess it begs the question of, was it appropriate for me to play those characters? I can't answer that, but I will say that it was an honor to play those characters and it's something that I respect, because I respect all the different Asian cultures.
