The first time I saw Sung Kang act was in independent film about a bunch of overachieving teens that turned to a life of petty crime. Little did I know that one of the films protagonists, Han, would end up playing such a big role in my favorite film series. After years of amusing us with his deadpan, straight man humor and incessant snacking, Kang has decided it was about time to make his own film.
It’s called, appropriately, Drifter, and it follows Kang as he attempts to go pro in drifting but finds himself unable to harness his talent. He seeks out a mentor so he can “learn to trust his found family and transform his untamed, lonely art into a dangerous dance of partnership, or be consumed and controlled by the past he’s desperate to escape.”
You can see the trailer here:
He’ll also be talking to David today, and David hasn’t seen a lot of movies. We’re going to need your help to ask some good questions.
I’ll start. Obviously, we’re doing a podcast with Leslie Hanna wherein we watch all the Fast and Furious movies. This leads me to my big questions:
If you had never seen F&F and were doing a rewatch, what order would you watch it in: Chronological or movie-release? And where would you watch Better Luck Tomorrow: before Tokyo Drift or before the OG Fast and Furious?
Ok, now it’s your turn.
Top photo: Drifter Movie
Were there any car you wanted to take home?
Which movie did you shift the most onscreen?
Can you give me Gal Gadot’s phone number?
What is the estimated number of manual gear shifts have you have done IN YOUR LIFE?
And how many manifolds have you posed a danger to?
When can we expect Drifter to be in mainstream theaters? Where can we watch it?
What was your favorite FF to film? Doe you think there could be another one like Tokyo drift or something like Beijing pit racing.
It isn’t specific to Sung but I’d pay homage to an acquaintance (RIP, JImmy) who was a film critic. He always closed interviews with “what is your go to karaoke song?”
What is Ben up to these days? Do they feel guilty?
Would you say you, as an actor, are faster or more furious?
Or you know, “WHASSUP???”
(Reference for the youngun’s):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rAEetITEmvg
Will there ever be a Fast and Furious movie where all the cars are replaced with Vespa scooters?
Fast & Furious / Italian Job crossover sequel. Half the actors are already in both. Bring in Marky Mark, put em all on scooters (after Luda and Tyrese try to get around a city center in a Lambo but can’t fit down any streets and realize they need some different equipment), boom. Plot doesn’t really matter but they can write something up in 10 minutes.
Perfect.
I attempted to go pro in drifting but stopped at semi-pro (the class below Pro in the British Drift Championship). Harnessing my talent was very much tertiary activity behind working three jobs and constantly fixing the car.
I was sponsored enough to get my competition costs covered, and safety equipment, but even doing drift demos and instructing (sorry, four jobs) I was losing money. I’d got so focused on proving myself in competition (I was 12th in class my two best years, so I wasn’t even close to winning) that I lost sight of why I was doing it in the first place, which was because it’s so much fun.
So I gave it up and just did practice days instead. Much happier, but it’d make for a boring film.
Then years later I was clearing out my work spam folder and found an old e-mail from a major insurance company asking me to call them to discuss sponsorship. I can’t adequately describe how that made me feel, but it was a lot.
I don’t really have a question, but I will have to see the film, and I know it’s going to bring up a lot of weird feelings for me. I’d also better get the bus to the cinema so I don’t do anything stupid in my 86 on the way home.
Your last sentence reminded me of seeing the movies in theaters in college. If any of our cars cars had more than 120hp we definitely would have gotten in trouble leaving.
Thanks for sharing. I knew some guys that were into drifting and it seemed like a ton of fun but certainly a lot of work.
The last sentence, I went to the first Fast and Furious with a friend with a heavily modified F250 with a lift 35″ all terrains and modified 351W and 5-speed manual. We left the theater flying, did some donuts and burnouts in the mall parking lot across the street, then, as he was accelerating to exit the parking lot at max speed, he ran directly into a 6″ curb dividing the parking rows at close to 50 mph. Amazingly, nothing broke thanks to lots of sidewall with 16′ rims. Although, thinking about it the next time he tried a donut in a dirt lot, one of the rear shackle hangers let go so F&F may have helped that along.
I would ask, “Who are you?” since I’ve never heard of this person.
Hows about you start of with a nice ‘How are you doing?’.
That is wat I would ask. You know, if I were some kind of interviewer of hot shot actors.
It’s my understanding that you had no real knowledge or interest cars prior to the role of Han, how has playing this character changed your life outside of the movies?
How did it feel playing the coolest fucking character in a series of films where everyone was trying so hard to be the coolest fucking character?
This 100%
I appreciate the decision to include James Pumphrey in the cast.
May I ask how that came about/how you got him involved? Thanks!
Can you please drop everything right now and watch Lucas Black in Sling Blade?
Can you sing “Shock the Monkey” by Peter Gabriel for us?
Related question… Would you rather sing ‘Shock The Money’ or ‘Big Time’?
How many sequels are too many?
Often actors are not really eating on camera because that could end up being a lot of food. What’s your strategy for fake eating – or snacking as seems more common in Better Luck Tomorrow and F&F?
“How many chips did you eat on set” is both a great ice breaker to the interview but also, as you note, a very valid question.
Full disclosure, I think I may have stolen this from a Hot Ones interview. I’m not sure, but I presume there isn’t anything new under the sun and I’ve seen a lot of Hot Ones interviews.
How’s it going?
F, M, K Engine Swaps:
LS/LT, 2J, 13B
What’s it like to be such a baddass in the F&F films that they had to rearrange the timeline to fit you into more movies, then totally retcon your death just to bring you back for even more?
They could have made a whole series about his character. Heck, his shop alone and the women he wheeled puts him on one of the all time motoring Mount Rushmore. But he’s too cool to be on that. He’s likely say no thanks to it… Legend.
F&F should be watched in release order, so you get the surprises as released.
Still haven’t seen Better Luck Tomorrow, should fix that.
Question for Sung Kang: What is your favorite snack?
How do you think the enthusiast community can encourage car brands to actually come out with colors for vehicles, rather than 50 shades of grey?