Here we are for the John Cho (JC) Interview. The star of Harold and Kumar series and the man who said MILF from American Pie. He has come along way and is now the new Sulu in JJ Abrams Star Trek. Biggeoff (BG) and I (PJ) talked to him at the end of a crazy day of interviews and we all just really chatted so that’s why below goes to some crazy places as John talks about Star Trek , MILF and why he hates Eric Bana and loves the concept of Star Trek. ENJOY.
PJ- How’s everything going today?
BG- Has it been a whirlwind
JC-Whirlwind, I had trouble sleeping last night with the time difference.
PJ-Plus it was a very hyped up premiere
JC-Yeah we’re really pleased, I thought the audience had a good time, what did you guys think?
BG- It was a fantastic audience actually because Australia’s not known for it’s animated audiences so to hear people like with Leonard Nimoy coming on the screen and people just go WOO!!. You know that was a bit out of character . That was really good. They loved it
JC-That’s nice, but you never know , I saw the movie about a month ago and enjoyed myself ..meaning I had a good time not enjoyed myself on the screen. -laughter-
BG- You were like “ I looked really good on the screen” haha
JC-But you never know when you bring a movie over here and our first time seeing it with an audience .I was a little nervous. And the whole event felt so grand ,down at the Opera House, we were saying “we are actually in a postcard right now. This is crazy and to be in front of that building and then go inside that building and see your movie in that building is such a mind blowing thing. So anyway to finish up I felt confident but you never know, it just felt like we got a very warm reception.
PJ-Obviously because Star Trek is so huge did you have to research much? Did you meet George Takei?
JC- You know when I got the role I started to get the DVD’s and watching the original series again and kind of realised that even though I never I considered myself a real trek fan I realised that I had seen every episode. Its one off those things that is part of the culture so much now that even with people who don’t consider themselves trek fans know what trek is about. It’s a weird a thing .We’re lucky in that we already started off with that basic knowledge .
BG-It didn’t have to spend a lot of time explaining the premise of the film .
JC-yeah right, it's Star trek.
PJ-What was it like when they said your Sulu?
JC-when I heard that the movie was happening I called my agents and said please ,please get me in there some how. I need an audition for this . I was really keen on being connected to that legacy cause when I was a kid there wasn’t a whole lot of Asian American representation on television and films that I could be proud of but George was .
In watching Star Trek and even though it wasn’t a big role it was him doing something cool, non stereotypical, and that made a big impression so when I heard about it I …my soul needs to be connected to this film. Anyway I went and auditioned and never heard for a long time. I was actually on my honeymoon when I heard the news. Walking the street of Florence Italy, when I got the phone call.
BG-Nice wedding present.
PJ-All these Italians watching you jump up and down.
-Laughter-
JC-Yeah, it was great.
BG-In terms of Star Trek, Sulu got a pretty big portion of the film then probably other ones. Like that big fight sequence ..
JC-J.J was so generous if you watch the movie I cant believe everyone gets something great . That was one of the cool things about it. You could be a fan of …say the president off the Chekhov fan club and leave the film happy at the end. It’s almost like they solved this huge math problems on how do we give everyone a bit. How do we divvy up the pie but everyone seems to have their own little bit.
PJ-That was really cool because everyone usually would watch "The Spock and Kirk show" but this is more of a team movie.
JC-It felt that way making it, the whole team spirit was present from day one .A full couple of months before we started filming when Chris and I started to go into stunt training and it felt like we were going through Starfleet together. We went through this thing together and when we got to shooting we got to know each other and accomplished something together. It always felt like a crew.
BG-You can tell that watching the banter on the carpet when you all arrived.
JC-We’re all friends you know .Before we came, we got the cast and crew and decided to go for dinner before we started all his nuttiness and so we were together a few days ago.
PJ-Did you hate Eric Bana because he was the villain?
JC-I hate Eric Bana because it is like “Hey Mr good-looking guy! Your going to be funny and cool too” Your supposed to be good looking and an asshole.
BG-Have you seen any of his comedy work?
JC- That’s what I heard. Just from watching inside the actors studio and I was really surprised and then backstage he’s doing a running comedy bit the whole night and I’m like “What is with you?” You don’t get to be that good looking and funny. You don’t do both. I kept telling JJ “he s taking my thing” I don’t like that. I am meant to be the funny guy. Mr good looking wants to be the funny guy??
PJ- Yeah because your from a comedy background , so how was the change from comedy to action?
JC-It was fun . I liked jumping around from genre to genre when I can and sometimes when you do a drama it’s great to do a comedy to clean the palate and goof off for a while and vice versa. It helps. Even when I am doing some serious stuff sometimes I look for a way to make a joke in a scene cause people make jokes in life sometimes in dramatic situations because it relieves the tension . People do that . So my comedy sensibilities sometimes help out in dramatic roles and vice versa and doing comedy I like to think of it as a drama because generally comedy is about people that are having awful, dangerous things happening to them and it’s funny. As a character you have to play it like it’s life or death. So it’s funny how one feeds off the other.
BG- I have to give you props . For me I see John Cho and say “There‘s Harold “ and I think it’s a really good progression to be in Star Trek
JC-Yeah, it really tickles me . I am travelling with the guy that came on tour with me. His name is Harold and he is the guy that Harold and Kumar is based on. And we became friends and I asked him to come with me on this tour and last night he saw the movie for the first time and he said “That’s Harold in space” I think it’s really funny that Harold is ..the MILF guy in space.
BG-Is MILF a hard thing for you ? I know there will always be an appreciation but …I know Jason Biggs struggled with being the “pie shagger”
JC-Lets just say its not the thing I want carved on my tombstone .But on the other hand on that movie I met a lot of great people that led to a lot of good things in my life. Chris and Paul Weitz who directed that movie, we all remain really close and they are great guys . Generally I look back on it and think of it very fondly .And that movie was very sweet .It spawned a lot of imitators that were just about the sex but American Pie remained special in my mind as it had such a sweet heart.
PJ-So was it the same with Star trek? Are you signed onto more?
JC-You sign an optional deal , for three I think but it’s really up to them whether they feel like they financially want it. They don’t have to have Sulu in the next. It’s up to them .They could shoot Kirk on an ice planet for two hours and that’s the movie . So we’ll see what happens and if this move does well I would love to do another one.
PJ-But don’t worry Eric Bana won’t be in the next one
JC-He can come onto Harold and Kumar and steal the show
BG-Harold and kumar go to space
BG-What do you have coming up next?
JC- I have a pilot I am really excited about. It’s written by a super talented guy named David S Goyer and he directed it and in the pilot episode everybody in the world blacks out for 2 minutes and in that blackout everyone see a vision of their future that lasts 2 minutes. Joseph Fiennes and I play two FBI agents that try to piece together what happened and it was very exciting . I looked at the script and I wasn’t looking to do television but when I read that script I said this is friggin fascinating and I just saw the possibilities and television was the right medium for this. Every week we’re gonna get new pieces of this bizarre puzzle. That’s cool, that’s exciting.
BG-TV’s changed a bit in the last 5 years
JC-Thanks to people like JJ
BG-Lost has done wonders for TV.
JC-It’s interesting . I felt like there was so many innovative things happening in television decades ago . There used to be more teleplays . It had show like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock stuff that was on television .Then we lost our way, I felt like we had a couple of successful things that everyone just sort of imitated and Lost is like the vanguard of today. Its been great for actors because the quality is better. We just have to find a way to lessen the amount of reality shows and provide some room on the schedule for some actors.
PJ-What was it like to be on the bridge of the Enterprise dressed in the full uniform ?
JC-It was so…..words can’t really explain it. It’s so bizarre and wonderful .You saw the bridge ,it looks awesome in life so you walk onto the bridge and holy ass this is the Enterprise. Plus it’s a weird thing because it’s familiar , you’ve seen it before but it’s completely new and so everyday things like that were happening . You know this but it’s new. Old and new at the same time and walking onto the bridge was kind of like a religious experience . It’s such a meaningful space , one of the most recognisable spaces of all time you know. To be on it was also really reverential plus you really just wanted to get in there and see how everything worked.
BG-Was that your hand really pushed the handle into warp speed or a hand model?
JC- haha I remember when we were doing a close up on the handle going into warp and the camera operator come over and says -he’s English-”John …a bit sexier next time”
-laughter- Ok will do.
JC-I guess I was roughing it up
-More laughter-
JC-Maybe I needed a little soft music and some candles. That was hilarious and just fun. There was nothing like it. Most of those knobs and buttons weren’t connected to anything but they were buttons and knobs that turned and so it was really easy for us to look like we ere going into warp speed. Then you start to break things
BG-Did you take home any memorabilia from the film?
JC-I wish . They was such secrecy and we couldn’t get anything out. But I should have just stolen something. But I was nice and asked. But I also didn’t have anything to steal and what I really wanted was a phaser.
PJ-Yeah, everyone would.
JC-But in the storyline I didn’t ever have one.
BG-There wasn’t really many phasers in the film.
PJ-There was your sword
JC-Yeah!!!
PJ-There was the helmet or the suit which looked cool
JC-The helmet was cool .
BG-That was a really cool sequence on top of the drill (As seen in the trailer)
PJ-Would there be anything you would like to do like that in part 2?
JC- I want to go and hit Spock
BG-Who wouldn’t?
JC- If I do another if its possible . I really enjoyed learning a new skill . So learning the new fight sequence , something I hadn’t really done in my career.
PJ-Did you do the flip over him? Haha (In the trailer again so no spoilers)
JC-ah that was the stunt guy….mostly because that suit was so hard to move around in. It’s super tight and very hot and it just hard to be really agile in it. It has some limitations. It was…..(looking down) forbidding. Man to get measured for that suit …um a little embarrassing. Your standing there in your skivvies with people measuring .Measuring tape everywhere . Chris and I were like “Look at us this is ridiculous “
BG-The effects in the film were amazing like on Nero’s ship. Were all the sets massive, the effects were so good in the film it felt seamless.
JC- They were all shot at Paramount studios so they weren’t that big but the digital effects were. You sometimes watch a movie and go “the visual effects are good.” and your thinking about it too much . For me this time ,there was a way in which they did it where you didn’t think those are good ,you think this scene is exciting. You know what I’m saying? And the way they did it I am sure they didn’t have any better technology than any other movie . The way the integrated it . Very well done in my opinion.
PJ-Well we’ve been given the wrap up I think.
BG-Thanks
JC-Thanks guys, it was a pleasure
PJ-Sorry one more thing what would you like the fans to leave with in this movie? Even the non trekkies?
JC-Well…I don’t know what message I would like to give them but looking back on it now with some time after filming and people are talking about us. I am so proud of being associated with this franchise , it’s little bit hippieish thing to say but it’s a very positive storytelling tradition. It’s essentially a group of people of different races and genders and species that are working towards a common peaceful goal. I just think that’s a very positive legacy and its something I will be proud to tell my son I was part of. You know what I mean? So that’s what I want to say is that I am proud of being a part of a positive story.
BG-We should probably get out before we get kicked out. Before we get in trouble.
PJ-Thanks a lot
JC- see you later.
So That’s it fools. Stay tuned for the head honcho himself JJ Abrams as he whips out his ideas on Sound, Star Trek sequels and Lost.