June 27, 2023 • 33 mins
Tommy is joined by Sang-Heon Lee of Netflix's XO Kitty. He opens up about his time living overseas, booking his first job, his journey to self-confidence and more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario. Now I feel like I have
formed a romance after talking to today's guest, because we
bonded on so many different levels. I could have talked
to him forever. Sun Hunley stars in Exokitty. It's the
new smash hit show on Netflix that is taking over
the world now. The show is about a girl named
(00:22):
Kitty and she travels from America to South Korea to
reunite with her long distance boyfriend at the very same
boarding school attended by her late mother. But things don't
quite go as smoothly as she hoped for. Once she
arrives and her happily ever after, well how do I
say this? It gets a little messy. Sun Hunley is
one of the many interesting people Kittie meets in South Korea,
(00:44):
and he plays the character of Minho brilliantly. He will
have you howling on the floor in laughter. He is
so good in this role. But what's so cool about
my guest today is that this was the very first
job he has ever booked in Hollywood, and he booked
it off an Instagram cast call. You heard that correctly,
So it just goes to show you never know when
your moment is about to come right and to give
(01:06):
you an idea of how popular the show became. Sunghan
gamed over a million followers in the show's first weekend
of airing, and since then it has tripled to three million.
He has a really interesting background, having lived in Korea,
Hong Kong, and the UK, and this is the very
first interview where you really get to hear a different
side to this. I don't know a really cool dude.
(01:28):
That's all I can say to describe him. He is
a cool dude. So let's see if today we can
get Sunghan Lee to say something that he has never
said before. Songhan, it is so nice to officially meet you.
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I'm all right, thanks for asking how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I am fantastic. I'm so excited to be chatting with you.
We have a lot to dive into, but first off,
I was doing a little investigating. I like to get
to know who I'm chatting with a little bit before
we actually meet. And something that struck me is what
you wrote in your Instagram bio. Now on Instagram bio
says quite a lot about who we are. I firmly
believe that, right. Okay, so you have a quote, and
(02:09):
that quote is life is either a daring adventure or
nothing at all.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Talk to me. Yeah, you put that in your bio.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
You know, you're the first person to ask me about that,
which I'm kind of glad that you asked because it's
a fun thing to talk about. So it's a quote
that I got from Funny enough, I got this quote
from watching this YouTube channel called Yes Theory. And Yes
Theory is about these these few guys in the in
(02:39):
the channel where they go through.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Adventures by saying yes the lot and yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
I mean it's kind of like self explained to it,
like yes Theory, and they put into like different scenarios
and just put themselves in different hard positions and conditions and.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Go through some amazing outcomes.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
And because of that, I remember them saying like, yeah,
life is either an adventure or nothing at all. And
that really struck me as I was watching it as
an audience, and I was like, Okay, that's a really
good quote. I think I should live with that because
every day is an adventure and I can't wait for
the next day. What's going to happen next? So I
(03:19):
put that on a bioty just to remind myself. Nah. Yeah,
live every day in a fulfilled way. Yeah, don't waste
to day.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So you're someone who strikes me as a risk taker,
Is that right.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
A little bit? Yeah? You got to risk it for
the Biscuit.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Well, I love that, And you certainly took a risk
when you auditioned for the Smash Hit Show on Netflix.
Exo Kitty, congratulations, man Than, thank you so much. Oh
my god, it's taken the world by storm. You of
course play Minhaw in the series, and you took a
risk because your sister sent you an Instagram open call
(03:56):
casting and by the way, for everyone listening, your sister
is also on the series. So when you saw that post,
what was going through your mind?
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Well, honestly, I just start because Jia sent me this
post saying I got pinned you should go for it
as well, And back then I was thinking, honestly, I
was like, nah, like what are the chances?
Speaker 4 (04:20):
And I was being so lazy, honestly, I think I
was a cocky of basket, wasn't I. So I would
say I would say, first start, you know what, like,
there's no way I can get it right, and there's
this open castle. And back then I thought it's going
to be filmed in the US. Now I gonna fly
me out and yeah I'm in Korea. What are they
(04:42):
going to do? Like this is like too much for me.
So back then I wasn't going to go for it.
And then until there was like three days left until
the deadline, that's when I started like memorizing lines and
then just videotaping myself and I was thinking, you know what, Yeah,
I mean, what have I got to lose? So I
(05:04):
went for it and then thankfully, yeah, everything turned out
was fine.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, it's incredible because it's your first, you know, acting
role in Hollywood, and what a role you booked on
this series that catapulted you to international you know fame
and start on and your social media has been blowing
up and everything's kind of been just going right for
you since you booked the series and put in the
(05:29):
work in doing it. I'm curious to know, with a
lot of success, I've certainly experienced this before, have you
ever dabbled or kind of fought with the imposter syndrome?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Do you ever kind of think or have thought I
don't quite belong I shouldn't be here.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Do you have those thoughts?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Well, I mean during the time I was filming, I
think I thought I was only one thinking maybe this
role is a bit too much for me, maybe I'm
not prepared, fully prepared. But it turns out, you know,
the other class as well. When they come back from work,
(06:11):
they would we were like sit, We would like sit
around the couch and be asked, like telling each other like,
oh my days, I was like the worst day ever,
like like I could have done better and everything. But
you know what, I think everyone tries to be harsh
on themselves, and in that way, I think people are
(06:32):
trying to strive improvement from that from that factor there.
So I think if someone is being really harsh with themselves,
I wouldn't call it like an imposture syndrome. I would
just say, you know what, you're just trying to be
a better person, or you're trying to just improve in general.
So I don't really think of it as like a
(06:53):
disease or like a something so bad about yourself by
putting a word into your mind, just you know, think
of it as you're really trying to be a better person.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
So I love that it's pushing yourself to the point
where you know you can go right.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, basically that's awesome. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So that first day on set, how exciting must that
have been? You're you're there, you're filming it. But I
know you mentioned that it was kind of a tough
day and you had to get your bill. Talk to
me about that, because I think it's so relatable for
anyone who starts the first day at any new job.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Yeah, damn.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Like, so my first day, Actually, my first day wasn't
so bad because I didn't really have lines, so it
was just like seeing a whole set and like saying
hi to the directors, saying hi to Ana, the producers,
everyone there. Like it was just nice to see the
environment get used to it. But the second day, when
(07:53):
I started to have lines and everything, that's when it
kicked in, Like the adrenaline just rushed in and my
mind went blank a few times.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And yeah, it was just like acting.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Boot camp really for like the first I would say
the first two to three weeks it was like acting
boot camp for me because I didn't know where to
stand for the light, where to see for the camera.
Sometimes I would will miss a Mark, and yeah, it
was just everything was new to me. But I I mean,
(08:30):
I couldn't just sit there and cry, right, So I
had to pick up on my shit and just be like,
all right, let's get this thing together and I'm here
to work, right, Let's show them what you've got that
you've You've gone through so many auditions, you've waited for
this moment.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Let's not fuck this up and let's go for it.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
So that's when I was like, Okay, I think I
just switched it on and be like.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Right, I'm here to work, Let's do this.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Yeah, but it was definitely hard because damn, like the
amount of times I forgot my line on that first day,
I was like, ah, this is not happening.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Let's talk about your character for a second. Minho He's confident,
some might say he's overly confident, very much cares about
his appearance and how people perceive him. So what for
you as a real human being was the easiest thing
to connect with when playing this role and also the
most difficult thing to connect with.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I think the easiest time I would say that I
was connecting with one character, you know, was.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
To show.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
But even if someone acts so flashy and confident in
the outside, there's always layers inside, you know, the inside
there's someone who's always reaching out for love and who's
sometimes lonely the sense towards the family or their friends.
(10:04):
So yeah, I think during the times when I to
like show the vulnerable side of you know, it was
kind of easy for me to touching and channel channel
that really quickly because I think I'm like that sometimes.
And for like, I think the hard part was I
(10:28):
guess M trying to act confident than I normally am.
I think that's what got me thinking, because you know,
like it was it was just sometimes for me, like personally,
I thought, very in a technical sense, if I act
to cocky, like well I look like I'm just overacting,
(10:49):
or or like do what I mean? Or do I
just should I just be focused on I look like
a guy who's confident. So what I've all I would
do is to kind of maybe act up and as confident,
so maybe I should just act as me. So it's
just I had to like balance between those two levels
where I was. I was I was trying to be
(11:11):
cocky and confident at the same time, but not too much.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
It was I was I was really trying to balance
that out.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
You very much strike me as someone who wants to
continue learning and growing and and I know, kind of pivoting.
You have another project coming out later this summer, Gran Turismo.
You worked with Darren Burnett, another big Netflix star.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I've interviewed him.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
He's wonderful, and I was reading that, you know, you
kind of looked up to him as almost like a mentor.
You were asking him questions. He was kind of showing
you the ropes. He was giving you advice and tips.
And I think that with success, a lot of people
assume that you know everything and that there's not really
any questions to ask anymore. But you seem like someone
(12:01):
who really enjoys asking those questions.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Right, Oh yeah, definitely, because I think the one thing
I don't like to be as a person is but
I mean for me, is act like I know something
like when I don't, I would rather be a baby
about it, be like why is that?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Wait? How is that? And what does that mean?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Like it doesn't matter if it's even a single word
of vocabulary that I don't understand, I'll be like, yeah,
what does that word mean? Like I'm not not shy
to ask because if I act like I know it,
then later on when they mentioned that word or phrase or.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, then I'll be like, damn, maybe I should have
asked it what that is? I don't. I don't want
to look like a fool now.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
So, like, those type of scenarios happened quite a few
times when I was young. You know, when someone like
talks about some kind of things happening in the news
and everyone's nods alone like, oh, yeah, I've heard about that.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I'm like did, I don't, like, I have no idea
what they're talking about.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Yes, I didn't want to be that person like as
I was growing up, So I didn't mind asking Darren
like yeah, like all the things about.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
The industry.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Or like things that he've learned so far on the
set and offset and you know something, he's he's older
than me, So I asked him about like how he
deals with people with fans and like people around him
as he got that fame. So yeah, he was really
helping me out as a friend and as a mentor.
(13:41):
If I feel like, if I if I say a mental,
he's gonna be his head is his head is going
to be so far Bizarres so anyways, Like, yeah, but
he was a good friend. He was definitely a good friend,
good friend to have on set.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah, yeah, we've we've all gone through the embarrassing moments.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
So that that's part of life. Man, that's part of life.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I know a lot of people have probably been asking
you do you want to season two? And what do
you want to see in season two? I'm not interested
in that. What I'm interested in is here you are,
with a hugely successful show. How do you not let
that thought kind of guide your life every single day
while you're waiting to hear Like, do you think about it?
Is something that comes up a lot? Are you able
(14:24):
to put that aside and just kind of carry on
with your life in a healthy way, or do you
think about it twenty four to seven?
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Oh no, no, you know what I mean I did.
I mean what I'd love to do is also watch
a few videos on like on Instagram, on YouTube about
motivational speeches or like people giving inspiring thoughts about their
work or about people about their life. So and I
(14:52):
would say, well, first of all, I don't really think
about season two at the moment. It's just start, you know,
if it happens, it happens. But I'm always the type
of person where, you know, yeah, career wise, I've always
wanted this.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I've always wanted to become this actor.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
But then before becoming that actor, I've always wanted to
live life first.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
And you know, living life itself.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
It sounds so simple, but it's such an extraordinary thing
to go through, right. I mean people take things regaranted.
Waking up every day and smelling the fresh air sometimes
even if it's not fresh, like you just think that
it's fresh. But yeah, like it's like every day living
life can be such a great source of knowledge towards
(15:39):
your acting career. So in that way, I always start
live life first. You know, that's a great textbook and
use that when it comes to acting, and then you
know things will turn out great in some ways.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I think that's why I think live life.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
You know, meet your friends, have good food, go for
jog No, yeah, live a life a little bit.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
I gotta tell you, I'm probably about eight nine ten
years older than you. I'm thirty seven, and I feel
like that lesson did not, you know, sink into my
mind and into my body until probably my early thirties,
maybe mid thirties. So the fact that you are so
present right now at this point of your life. I mean,
(16:24):
it's no wonder you are where you are, and you're
only going to continue to soar. That's a hugely valuable
thing to know, I'm at any point of your life.
But the fact that you're so present and clear minded
is incredible.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Thank you, Tommy.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
By the way, I'm just going to say this right now,
I think so far there were the questions you've been
asking and the way how you talk, it's just incredible.
I think this is the I mean no offense to
the other interviews, but like I think this is the
far most like the most impressive interview I've ever had
(16:58):
so far, And thank you for having me honestly, like,
this is great.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Oh man, thank you. That means a lot to me.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Listen, I started the show because I want people to
come on and show sides they don't always get to show.
I work a lot of red carpets. Three minutes on
a carpet you get with everyone, and as you know
by now, and I always feeling like, oh God, I
wish I could have dove into something a little deeper.
So that's why the show was born. And when I
caught wind of your show. I'm like, I've got to
get them on. I know there's layers in there we
(17:25):
can talk about. And speaking of there's your background to
me is incredible. So you were I want to get
this right, Born in Korea, raised in Hong Kong. Right,
You studied drama in London, returned to Korea to complete
the mandatory military training, and then pursued acting in the
role of a lifetime happened. So how has this wildly
(17:48):
colorful and vivid upbringing, you know, help shape your identity?
Speaker 4 (17:54):
You really done your research, like everything was spall and
there was not a false note. Okay, So I think
experiencing the international school life in Hong Kong was I
think the most impactful thing that happened to me. I
got to thank my family might especially and father for this.
(18:17):
Because of this job, our family moved to Hong Kong,
and during the times I was in Hong Kong, I
met just you know, diverse people, different people from different
backgrounds and cultures, right, different ethnicity and yeah, because of that,
it really opened my mind.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Up to the world that how big the world is.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
And it made me think, damn, like I think, well,
I mean back then, I didn't really consider it too much,
but since I was young, I didn't. Again, like I
didn't really think take things seriously. I took things for granted.
It's literally but because of all meat seeing all those
(19:00):
international school kids with my friends back then, nowadays I
can I see. I realized how everyone's spread out in
different parts of the world. In university, they went there,
they went to their home countries or whatever. And then
because of that, I have a vision where iking all right,
then I can go to these places for a reason
(19:22):
to see this friend, to see someone getting married, or
to see if someone's doing well with the family, like
and it's just like it made me think like damn,
like I really do love to travel, and back then
I didn't really like to travel. But nowadays it really
inspired me to think of in a global sense, if
(19:43):
that makes sense. And yeah, I mean that's that was school,
the international life. And I would say military, I mean
the military didn't really do much to me, honestly, Like
if you ask any Korean saying that, oh, military, like
how was it? And it they said, like military changed
their life. Mate, NA start like what are you doing?
(20:06):
It's It's like it's just like it's just really it's
just boot camp. Yeah, sure you learn how to shoot,
you learn how to fight, you learn how to do whatever,
but it's just I would say military would be like
if you've read the books, was it the King of Flies?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
The fly King? What was it? Like?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Lord of the Flies?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Lord of Flies? That's it.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
That's it, that's it. That's exactly what it is about
Korean military.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Like everyone like they're young, they all they even everyone's
under their thirties. So I would say everyone there is
like Lord of Flies, Like everyone doesn't know what they're doing.
They're just being They're just doing whatever they're being told.
So it's a mess. So I wouldn't say that Korean
military changed my life.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Is it was just a fun experience.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
And after the military, so I did like a year
and a half of modeling, And during the times I
was modeling, I I just I started modeling because I
just wanted to earn some pocket change in my wallet,
just you know, because I realized if I start acting
(21:20):
as a career off right off the bat, then I'll
probably be starving or be asking for allowance for my parents,
which I didn't want to do that. So the first
thing I did was, you know, go on like these
modeling gigs like commercials and like photo shoots or whatever,
just to earn some money.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
And then my goal.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Was if I gain like if I reached this amount
of if I reached this number in my bank account,
that's when I start acting. So I just really just
strive for money. Back then, for like a year and
a half, I didn't really meet a lot of people.
I was very anti social. I just wanted to get
(22:00):
that goal done so I can pursue my acting.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Career, enjoy the modeling.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Modeling was fun, you know, it wasn't okay, Actually it
wasn't really fun. And I did it for money, so
it wasn't fun.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I didn't really have passion for it. I had. I
just kept that passion for acting. It was always at
the back of my mind.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
But at the same time, during the time I was
getting comfortable with money by modeling, it got me a fear.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
It got me.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Thinking, where, oh damn, am I getting too comfortable here.
I was supposed to be pursuing acting, Like what am
I doing like? And then that made me again focus
on right, reach this number and start acting. Do whatever
it is, Like if I don't care if it's a
background or do something.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Let's do something.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
So yeah, I think during the times I was a
year and a half modeling, I realized how I realized
how valuable money is and time is towards me, and
how hard this industry is. Like even for modeling or acting,
(23:12):
I think there's some they're quite similar. Different from the
money thing, but then how sometimes people can use you
in such despicable ways and where they were just you know,
like they would pay you this much for working eight hours,
(23:32):
and it's like, if I think back, I'm like, raw,
I mean, you're discussing human being. Why did you pay
me only that much when I work for eight hours?
Like there are so many people out there, and I
just feel like because of that, I didn't. I think
I was more hungry to be successful at what I
(23:53):
wanted to become an actor, And for the actor part,
I was just thinking, no matter how hungry I get,
I would definitely keep pursuing acting and see if I succeed.
So I was just digging with that one hole and
just hoping that I succeed.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
The other thing that really strikes me that I love
is exokitty kind of emerges in this new era we're
in of great you know, Asian American productions, and you're
seeing more and more work in this space, right with
beef and everything everywhere all at once, and now this
and the list goes on and hopefully it will continue
going on and on.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
For you.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
I'm sure you've met so many people who who have
shared with you what seeing the show means to them.
How have those reactions impacted you? Do you feel kind
of that not the weight, but do you feel the
beauty will say around that of how you're helping so
many people feel seen.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
You know what, I didn't really have the Asian representation
thing in my mind whilst I was in Korea, because
I think I think that was quite natural for me
to think that way, because I was surrounded by Koreans
and the films.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Or the TV.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Every time I turn on the TV, it will be
like an Asian film or Asian TV series or whatever,
like a Korean TV series. So in that sense, I
didn't think that it was such a huge deal the
fact that there's an Asian face in an American series
or film that's that's.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Leading or whatever. So I think I didn't really think
that much.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
You know, I still don't think that it's like a
I think it's a huge deal, although I wouldn't consider
it as like a thing where you know, people should
flaunt about it or be like they should really say
something so meaningful, because I think, you know, you know,
(26:02):
at the end of the day, we're just getting to
know the faces of you know, different actors. Right, We're
all we're all we're all human being, like, we're all
people here. Doesn't matter what color you are of your skin,
it's just you know, just actors playing a role. Right,
So hopefully what I'm trying to say is hopefully people
(26:23):
the audience will get used to the fact that you know,
there's an Asian face out there, there's a there's just
an actor there, one actress whatever, and then just you know,
playing his role, playing a role. And hopefully you know,
the kids who the team are, the kids who the
fans who grew up who watched our show grows up
(26:47):
and be like, oh, yeah, my favorite show was ex
O Kitty Like, and then I bet they didn't even
I bet you know it would be back by then
when they grow up, it's like it's not even a
it's not even like a huge deal about that, Oh
about the whole Asian representation.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
It's more like, Oh, they're just great actors. They're just
great actresses.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Like that's it, Like there's nothing more to it, and
hopefully that will come up.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That's the outcome I'm hoping for.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I think we're getting there. I think we are definitely
getting there. That's that's awesome and very interesting. Your perspective
going from where you you know, where you were living
to America and seeing how it was so common and
normal there and then hearing here how people are like,
oh my god, finally we're seeing it. So I think
you're hoping that that gap will be bridged, and I'm
certain it will be.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Okay, it's the moment of truth. Are you ready for it?
Speaker 4 (27:37):
Go on?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Then, what is one thing that you have never said before?
Speaker 4 (27:43):
I don't mind saying this because it's something that made
me who I am. I always act confident. I'm never
I'm never truly confident with what I do like in life,
in like talking to people, and when I this is a.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Very huge.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Topic on talking about, like it's just too broad, but
if I go into the specifics, I'm never confident with
talking to people and to guys or girls or.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Or like.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Sometimes I'm not confident with myself, but I try to
act confident, and that's when I think.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
You know, that's.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Probably because during my childhood I was bullied during while
I was in Korea and in Hong Kong and in
Korea back then, I was bullied because I didn't know
how to speak Korean, and that's I got bullied.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
These from these classmates and.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
The teacher were yeah, and the teacher didn't like she
did not want to talk to me for some reason.
I was holding this dictionary like this, this keypad dictionary,
like I was just like typing away like the words
and like translated back to English, and I was like, okay,
so that's what it means. But people hated that. People
think I was a foreigner, and then they called me
(29:17):
names and I did not like that. They beat me
up for that reason. So I had a horrible childhood.
But I'm never ashamed to say that, because you know,
that's what whatever happened in the past, this is what
I am right now. And I'm pretty happy with what
(29:38):
I am right now because I even if I'm not
truly confident, I can act like I'm confident and because
of that, it helps me get things done and it helps.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Me get to where I want to be.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
So you know, like, okay, let's also for example, like
let's just say that there's a girl that I think,
oh she's she's gorgeous, like she's so amazing, but there's
no way I can talk to her like confidently, and
I was I was just put like a mask on
her face and be like, all right, so how are
you doing? Like like I would just act like I'm
(30:16):
like this this charismatic person, but really I'm like, no,
I'm actually not really quite shy. I can't do this thing,
but I'm going to go for my shot. Like but
you know, I say all this thing like as if
you know it's a bad thing about acting confident, but
you know what not, really people act every day in
(30:38):
their lives, right, and whether it's a good thing or
a bad thing. I wasn't like they can lie about
themselves or hide their feelings and show a different mask
towards the public.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
But sometimes I feel like, you know, it's never such
a bad thing.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
I say that, I just said it as if it
was a bad thing, but really I think acting confident
it does get you somewhere and does change your personality sometimes,
Like you know, if you keep acting confident, you know,
maybe you will be confident.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
So yeah, you gotta fake it until you make it right.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Yeah, man, that's so true. Thank you, Thank you for
sharing that. I think what's most interesting about that is
someone will look at you and think the opposite, right,
They think a successful career, good looking guy has this
shit together, he's got to be confident. So when I
hear people like you say stuff like that, I think
it's so valuable in this day and age we're living
in because it just goes to show you cannot judge
(31:40):
a book by its cover.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
You just can't. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm just saying.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I guess I'm also just not so ready to show
my vulnerable, vulnerable side so easily out in the public.
You know. I'd rather be showing some good side and
some confidence side of it, and then like if I
get close to that person, I get like I peel
my onion myself and show that I have.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Layers as well. I can be very very vulnerable too.
But yeah, well that was a lot.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
Yeah, no, thank you for opening up.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
I mean, for someone that says, you know, he's working
on his confidence and vulnerability. I would say today you
were beautifully open and vulnerable, and I just I'm so
gratefully you took the time to really share something you've
never said before and to have this discussion. I hope
it was as fun for you as it was for me.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
No, it was definitely fun.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
And I I'm not sure you can see it, but
what like below this little green box here, like what
we have here, My hands are like shaking like a man.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
You're awesome. I would again, I would never know. So
you have a really good poker face. And I love
this conversation and I feel like, you know, if you're
in New York, we have to grab a coffee and
talk more. There's a lot more to talk about.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Yeah, that'll be sick.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
And honestly, Tommy, as I mentioned before, like this, this
was the most impressive interview I've ever gotten so far.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
So thank you for this opportunity and thank you for
having me. You were good.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for hanging out.
And until we meet again, thank you. I've never said
this before. Is hosted by me Tommy Diderio. This podcast
is produced and edited by Mike Coscarelli, and executive producers
are Andrew Paglici and Katrina Norvel At iHeartRadio. I've Never
Said This Before is part of the Elvis Durant podcast
(33:30):
Network on iHeart Podcasts For more, rate, review and subscribe
to our show and if you liked this episode, tell
your friends.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Until next time, I'm Tommy Dederio.
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy di Dario. Now I feel like I have
formed a romance after talking to today's guest, because we
bonded on so many different levels. I could have talked
to him forever. Sun Hunley stars in Exokitty. It's the
new smash hit show on Netflix that is taking over
the world now. The show is about a girl named
(00:22):
Kitty and she travels from America to South Korea to
reunite with her long distance boyfriend at the very same
boarding school attended by her late mother. But things don't
quite go as smoothly as she hoped for. Once she
arrives and her happily ever after, well how do I
say this? It gets a little messy. Sun Hunley is
one of the many interesting people Kittie meets in South Korea,
(00:44):
and he plays the character of Minho brilliantly. He will
have you howling on the floor in laughter. He is
so good in this role. But what's so cool about
my guest today is that this was the very first
job he has ever booked in Hollywood, and he booked
it off an Instagram cast call. You heard that correctly,
So it just goes to show you never know when
your moment is about to come right and to give
(01:06):
you an idea of how popular the show became. Sunghan
gamed over a million followers in the show's first weekend
of airing, and since then it has tripled to three million.
He has a really interesting background, having lived in Korea,
Hong Kong, and the UK, and this is the very
first interview where you really get to hear a different
side to this. I don't know a really cool dude.
(01:28):
That's all I can say to describe him. He is
a cool dude. So let's see if today we can
get Sunghan Lee to say something that he has never
said before. Songhan, it is so nice to officially meet you.
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I'm all right, thanks for asking how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I am fantastic. I'm so excited to be chatting with you.
We have a lot to dive into, but first off,
I was doing a little investigating. I like to get
to know who I'm chatting with a little bit before
we actually meet. And something that struck me is what
you wrote in your Instagram bio. Now on Instagram bio
says quite a lot about who we are. I firmly
believe that, right. Okay, so you have a quote, and
(02:09):
that quote is life is either a daring adventure or
nothing at all.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Talk to me. Yeah, you put that in your bio.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
You know, you're the first person to ask me about that,
which I'm kind of glad that you asked because it's
a fun thing to talk about. So it's a quote
that I got from Funny enough, I got this quote
from watching this YouTube channel called Yes Theory. And Yes
Theory is about these these few guys in the in
(02:39):
the channel where they go through.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Adventures by saying yes the lot and yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
I mean it's kind of like self explained to it,
like yes Theory, and they put into like different scenarios
and just put themselves in different hard positions and conditions and.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Go through some amazing outcomes.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
And because of that, I remember them saying like, yeah,
life is either an adventure or nothing at all. And
that really struck me as I was watching it as
an audience, and I was like, Okay, that's a really
good quote. I think I should live with that because
every day is an adventure and I can't wait for
the next day. What's going to happen next? So I
(03:19):
put that on a bioty just to remind myself. Nah. Yeah,
live every day in a fulfilled way. Yeah, don't waste
to day.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
So you're someone who strikes me as a risk taker,
Is that right.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
A little bit? Yeah? You got to risk it for
the Biscuit.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Well, I love that, And you certainly took a risk
when you auditioned for the Smash Hit Show on Netflix.
Exo Kitty, congratulations, man Than, thank you so much. Oh
my god, it's taken the world by storm. You of
course play Minhaw in the series, and you took a
risk because your sister sent you an Instagram open call
(03:56):
casting and by the way, for everyone listening, your sister
is also on the series. So when you saw that post,
what was going through your mind?
Speaker 5 (04:05):
Well, honestly, I just start because Jia sent me this
post saying I got pinned you should go for it
as well, And back then I was thinking, honestly, I
was like, nah, like what are the chances?
Speaker 4 (04:20):
And I was being so lazy, honestly, I think I
was a cocky of basket, wasn't I. So I would
say I would say, first start, you know what, like,
there's no way I can get it right, and there's
this open castle. And back then I thought it's going
to be filmed in the US. Now I gonna fly
me out and yeah I'm in Korea. What are they
(04:42):
going to do? Like this is like too much for me.
So back then I wasn't going to go for it.
And then until there was like three days left until
the deadline, that's when I started like memorizing lines and
then just videotaping myself and I was thinking, you know what, Yeah,
I mean, what have I got to lose? So I
(05:04):
went for it and then thankfully, yeah, everything turned out
was fine.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well, it's incredible because it's your first, you know, acting
role in Hollywood, and what a role you booked on
this series that catapulted you to international you know fame
and start on and your social media has been blowing
up and everything's kind of been just going right for
you since you booked the series and put in the
(05:29):
work in doing it. I'm curious to know, with a
lot of success, I've certainly experienced this before, have you
ever dabbled or kind of fought with the imposter syndrome?
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Do you ever kind of think or have thought I
don't quite belong I shouldn't be here.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Do you have those thoughts?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Well, I mean during the time I was filming, I
think I thought I was only one thinking maybe this
role is a bit too much for me, maybe I'm
not prepared, fully prepared. But it turns out, you know,
the other class as well. When they come back from work,
(06:11):
they would we were like sit, We would like sit
around the couch and be asked, like telling each other like,
oh my days, I was like the worst day ever,
like like I could have done better and everything. But
you know what, I think everyone tries to be harsh
on themselves, and in that way, I think people are
(06:32):
trying to strive improvement from that from that factor there.
So I think if someone is being really harsh with themselves,
I wouldn't call it like an imposture syndrome. I would
just say, you know what, you're just trying to be
a better person, or you're trying to just improve in general.
So I don't really think of it as like a
(06:53):
disease or like a something so bad about yourself by
putting a word into your mind, just you know, think
of it as you're really trying to be a better person.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
So I love that it's pushing yourself to the point
where you know you can go right.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, basically that's awesome. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So that first day on set, how exciting must that
have been? You're you're there, you're filming it. But I
know you mentioned that it was kind of a tough
day and you had to get your bill. Talk to
me about that, because I think it's so relatable for
anyone who starts the first day at any new job.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Yeah, damn.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Like, so my first day, Actually, my first day wasn't
so bad because I didn't really have lines, so it
was just like seeing a whole set and like saying
hi to the directors, saying hi to Ana, the producers,
everyone there. Like it was just nice to see the
environment get used to it. But the second day, when
(07:53):
I started to have lines and everything, that's when it
kicked in, Like the adrenaline just rushed in and my
mind went blank a few times.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And yeah, it was just like acting.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Boot camp really for like the first I would say
the first two to three weeks it was like acting
boot camp for me because I didn't know where to
stand for the light, where to see for the camera.
Sometimes I would will miss a Mark, and yeah, it
was just everything was new to me. But I I mean,
(08:30):
I couldn't just sit there and cry, right, So I
had to pick up on my shit and just be like,
all right, let's get this thing together and I'm here
to work, right, Let's show them what you've got that
you've You've gone through so many auditions, you've waited for
this moment.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Let's not fuck this up and let's go for it.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
So that's when I was like, Okay, I think I
just switched it on and be like.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Right, I'm here to work, Let's do this.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Yeah, but it was definitely hard because damn, like the
amount of times I forgot my line on that first day,
I was like, ah, this is not happening.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Let's talk about your character for a second. Minho He's confident,
some might say he's overly confident, very much cares about
his appearance and how people perceive him. So what for
you as a real human being was the easiest thing
to connect with when playing this role and also the
most difficult thing to connect with.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I think the easiest time I would say that I
was connecting with one character, you know, was.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
To show.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
But even if someone acts so flashy and confident in
the outside, there's always layers inside, you know, the inside
there's someone who's always reaching out for love and who's
sometimes lonely the sense towards the family or their friends.
(10:04):
So yeah, I think during the times when I to
like show the vulnerable side of you know, it was
kind of easy for me to touching and channel channel
that really quickly because I think I'm like that sometimes.
And for like, I think the hard part was I
(10:28):
guess M trying to act confident than I normally am.
I think that's what got me thinking, because you know,
like it was it was just sometimes for me, like personally,
I thought, very in a technical sense, if I act
to cocky, like well I look like I'm just overacting,
(10:49):
or or like do what I mean? Or do I
just should I just be focused on I look like
a guy who's confident. So what I've all I would
do is to kind of maybe act up and as confident,
so maybe I should just act as me. So it's
just I had to like balance between those two levels
where I was. I was I was trying to be
(11:11):
cocky and confident at the same time, but not too much.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
It was I was I was really trying to balance
that out.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
You very much strike me as someone who wants to
continue learning and growing and and I know, kind of pivoting.
You have another project coming out later this summer, Gran Turismo.
You worked with Darren Burnett, another big Netflix star.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I've interviewed him.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
He's wonderful, and I was reading that, you know, you
kind of looked up to him as almost like a mentor.
You were asking him questions. He was kind of showing
you the ropes. He was giving you advice and tips.
And I think that with success, a lot of people
assume that you know everything and that there's not really
any questions to ask anymore. But you seem like someone
(12:01):
who really enjoys asking those questions.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Right, Oh yeah, definitely, because I think the one thing
I don't like to be as a person is but
I mean for me, is act like I know something
like when I don't, I would rather be a baby
about it, be like why is that?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Wait? How is that? And what does that mean?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Like it doesn't matter if it's even a single word
of vocabulary that I don't understand, I'll be like, yeah,
what does that word mean? Like I'm not not shy
to ask because if I act like I know it,
then later on when they mentioned that word or phrase or.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, then I'll be like, damn, maybe I should have
asked it what that is? I don't. I don't want
to look like a fool now.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
So, like, those type of scenarios happened quite a few
times when I was young. You know, when someone like
talks about some kind of things happening in the news
and everyone's nods alone like, oh, yeah, I've heard about that.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I'm like did, I don't, like, I have no idea
what they're talking about.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Yes, I didn't want to be that person like as
I was growing up, So I didn't mind asking Darren
like yeah, like all the things about.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
The industry.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
Or like things that he've learned so far on the
set and offset and you know something, he's he's older
than me, So I asked him about like how he
deals with people with fans and like people around him
as he got that fame. So yeah, he was really
helping me out as a friend and as a mentor.
(13:41):
If I feel like, if I if I say a mental,
he's gonna be his head is his head is going
to be so far Bizarres so anyways, Like, yeah, but
he was a good friend. He was definitely a good friend,
good friend to have on set.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah, yeah, we've we've all gone through the embarrassing moments.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
So that that's part of life. Man, that's part of life.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I know a lot of people have probably been asking
you do you want to season two? And what do
you want to see in season two? I'm not interested
in that. What I'm interested in is here you are,
with a hugely successful show. How do you not let
that thought kind of guide your life every single day
while you're waiting to hear Like, do you think about it?
Is something that comes up a lot? Are you able
(14:24):
to put that aside and just kind of carry on
with your life in a healthy way, or do you
think about it twenty four to seven?
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Oh no, no, you know what I mean I did.
I mean what I'd love to do is also watch
a few videos on like on Instagram, on YouTube about
motivational speeches or like people giving inspiring thoughts about their
work or about people about their life. So and I
(14:52):
would say, well, first of all, I don't really think
about season two at the moment. It's just start, you know,
if it happens, it happens. But I'm always the type
of person where, you know, yeah, career wise, I've always
wanted this.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I've always wanted to become this actor.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
But then before becoming that actor, I've always wanted to
live life first.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
And you know, living life itself.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
It sounds so simple, but it's such an extraordinary thing
to go through, right. I mean people take things regaranted.
Waking up every day and smelling the fresh air sometimes
even if it's not fresh, like you just think that
it's fresh. But yeah, like it's like every day living
life can be such a great source of knowledge towards
(15:39):
your acting career. So in that way, I always start
live life first. You know, that's a great textbook and
use that when it comes to acting, and then you
know things will turn out great in some ways.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I think that's why I think live life.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
You know, meet your friends, have good food, go for
jog No, yeah, live a life a little bit.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
I gotta tell you, I'm probably about eight nine ten
years older than you. I'm thirty seven, and I feel
like that lesson did not, you know, sink into my
mind and into my body until probably my early thirties,
maybe mid thirties. So the fact that you are so
present right now at this point of your life. I mean,
(16:24):
it's no wonder you are where you are, and you're
only going to continue to soar. That's a hugely valuable
thing to know, I'm at any point of your life.
But the fact that you're so present and clear minded
is incredible.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Thank you, Tommy.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
By the way, I'm just going to say this right now,
I think so far there were the questions you've been
asking and the way how you talk, it's just incredible.
I think this is the I mean no offense to
the other interviews, but like I think this is the
far most like the most impressive interview I've ever had
(16:58):
so far, And thank you for having me honestly, like,
this is great.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Oh man, thank you. That means a lot to me.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
Listen, I started the show because I want people to
come on and show sides they don't always get to show.
I work a lot of red carpets. Three minutes on
a carpet you get with everyone, and as you know
by now, and I always feeling like, oh God, I
wish I could have dove into something a little deeper.
So that's why the show was born. And when I
caught wind of your show. I'm like, I've got to
get them on. I know there's layers in there we
(17:25):
can talk about. And speaking of there's your background to
me is incredible. So you were I want to get
this right, Born in Korea, raised in Hong Kong. Right,
You studied drama in London, returned to Korea to complete
the mandatory military training, and then pursued acting in the
role of a lifetime happened. So how has this wildly
(17:48):
colorful and vivid upbringing, you know, help shape your identity?
Speaker 4 (17:54):
You really done your research, like everything was spall and
there was not a false note. Okay, So I think
experiencing the international school life in Hong Kong was I
think the most impactful thing that happened to me. I
got to thank my family might especially and father for this.
(18:17):
Because of this job, our family moved to Hong Kong,
and during the times I was in Hong Kong, I
met just you know, diverse people, different people from different
backgrounds and cultures, right, different ethnicity and yeah, because of that,
it really opened my mind.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Up to the world that how big the world is.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
And it made me think, damn, like I think, well,
I mean back then, I didn't really consider it too much,
but since I was young, I didn't. Again, like I
didn't really think take things seriously. I took things for granted.
It's literally but because of all meat seeing all those
(19:00):
international school kids with my friends back then, nowadays I
can I see. I realized how everyone's spread out in
different parts of the world. In university, they went there,
they went to their home countries or whatever. And then
because of that, I have a vision where iking all right,
then I can go to these places for a reason
(19:22):
to see this friend, to see someone getting married, or
to see if someone's doing well with the family, like
and it's just like it made me think like damn,
like I really do love to travel, and back then
I didn't really like to travel. But nowadays it really
inspired me to think of in a global sense, if
(19:43):
that makes sense. And yeah, I mean that's that was school,
the international life. And I would say military, I mean
the military didn't really do much to me, honestly, Like
if you ask any Korean saying that, oh, military, like
how was it? And it they said, like military changed
their life. Mate, NA start like what are you doing?
(20:06):
It's It's like it's just like it's just really it's
just boot camp. Yeah, sure you learn how to shoot,
you learn how to fight, you learn how to do whatever,
but it's just I would say military would be like
if you've read the books, was it the King of Flies?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
The fly King? What was it? Like?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Lord of the Flies?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Lord of Flies? That's it.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
That's it, that's it. That's exactly what it is about
Korean military.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Like everyone like they're young, they all they even everyone's
under their thirties. So I would say everyone there is
like Lord of Flies, Like everyone doesn't know what they're doing.
They're just being They're just doing whatever they're being told.
So it's a mess. So I wouldn't say that Korean
military changed my life.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Is it was just a fun experience.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
And after the military, so I did like a year
and a half of modeling, And during the times I
was modeling, I I just I started modeling because I
just wanted to earn some pocket change in my wallet,
just you know, because I realized if I start acting
(21:20):
as a career off right off the bat, then I'll
probably be starving or be asking for allowance for my parents,
which I didn't want to do that. So the first
thing I did was, you know, go on like these
modeling gigs like commercials and like photo shoots or whatever,
just to earn some money.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
And then my goal.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Was if I gain like if I reached this amount
of if I reached this number in my bank account,
that's when I start acting. So I just really just
strive for money. Back then, for like a year and
a half, I didn't really meet a lot of people.
I was very anti social. I just wanted to get
(22:00):
that goal done so I can pursue my acting.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Career, enjoy the modeling.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Modeling was fun, you know, it wasn't okay, Actually it
wasn't really fun. And I did it for money, so
it wasn't fun.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I didn't really have passion for it. I had. I
just kept that passion for acting. It was always at
the back of my mind.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
But at the same time, during the time I was
getting comfortable with money by modeling, it got me a fear.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
It got me.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Thinking, where, oh damn, am I getting too comfortable here.
I was supposed to be pursuing acting, Like what am
I doing like? And then that made me again focus
on right, reach this number and start acting. Do whatever
it is, Like if I don't care if it's a
background or do something.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Let's do something.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
So yeah, I think during the times I was a
year and a half modeling, I realized how I realized
how valuable money is and time is towards me, and
how hard this industry is. Like even for modeling or acting,
(23:12):
I think there's some they're quite similar. Different from the
money thing, but then how sometimes people can use you
in such despicable ways and where they were just you know,
like they would pay you this much for working eight hours,
(23:32):
and it's like, if I think back, I'm like, raw,
I mean, you're discussing human being. Why did you pay
me only that much when I work for eight hours?
Like there are so many people out there, and I
just feel like because of that, I didn't. I think
I was more hungry to be successful at what I
(23:53):
wanted to become an actor, And for the actor part,
I was just thinking, no matter how hungry I get,
I would definitely keep pursuing acting and see if I succeed.
So I was just digging with that one hole and
just hoping that I succeed.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
The other thing that really strikes me that I love
is exokitty kind of emerges in this new era we're
in of great you know, Asian American productions, and you're
seeing more and more work in this space, right with
beef and everything everywhere all at once, and now this
and the list goes on and hopefully it will continue
going on and on.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
For you.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
I'm sure you've met so many people who who have
shared with you what seeing the show means to them.
How have those reactions impacted you? Do you feel kind
of that not the weight, but do you feel the
beauty will say around that of how you're helping so
many people feel seen.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
You know what, I didn't really have the Asian representation
thing in my mind whilst I was in Korea, because
I think I think that was quite natural for me
to think that way, because I was surrounded by Koreans
and the films.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Or the TV.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Every time I turn on the TV, it will be
like an Asian film or Asian TV series or whatever,
like a Korean TV series. So in that sense, I
didn't think that it was such a huge deal the
fact that there's an Asian face in an American series
or film that's that's.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Leading or whatever. So I think I didn't really think
that much.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
You know, I still don't think that it's like a
I think it's a huge deal, although I wouldn't consider
it as like a thing where you know, people should
flaunt about it or be like they should really say
something so meaningful, because I think, you know, you know,
(26:02):
at the end of the day, we're just getting to
know the faces of you know, different actors. Right, We're
all we're all we're all human being, like, we're all
people here. Doesn't matter what color you are of your skin,
it's just you know, just actors playing a role. Right,
So hopefully what I'm trying to say is hopefully people
(26:23):
the audience will get used to the fact that you know,
there's an Asian face out there, there's a there's just
an actor there, one actress whatever, and then just you know,
playing his role, playing a role. And hopefully you know,
the kids who the team are, the kids who the
fans who grew up who watched our show grows up
(26:47):
and be like, oh, yeah, my favorite show was ex
O Kitty Like, and then I bet they didn't even
I bet you know it would be back by then
when they grow up, it's like it's not even a
it's not even like a huge deal about that, Oh
about the whole Asian representation.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
It's more like, Oh, they're just great actors. They're just
great actresses.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Like that's it, Like there's nothing more to it, and
hopefully that will come up.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That's the outcome I'm hoping for.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I think we're getting there. I think we are definitely
getting there. That's that's awesome and very interesting. Your perspective
going from where you you know, where you were living
to America and seeing how it was so common and
normal there and then hearing here how people are like,
oh my god, finally we're seeing it. So I think
you're hoping that that gap will be bridged, and I'm
certain it will be.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Okay, it's the moment of truth. Are you ready for it?
Speaker 4 (27:37):
Go on?
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Then, what is one thing that you have never said before?
Speaker 4 (27:43):
I don't mind saying this because it's something that made
me who I am. I always act confident. I'm never
I'm never truly confident with what I do like in life,
in like talking to people, and when I this is a.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Very huge.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
Topic on talking about, like it's just too broad, but
if I go into the specifics, I'm never confident with
talking to people and to guys or girls or.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Or like.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Sometimes I'm not confident with myself, but I try to
act confident, and that's when I think.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
You know, that's.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Probably because during my childhood I was bullied during while
I was in Korea and in Hong Kong and in
Korea back then, I was bullied because I didn't know
how to speak Korean, and that's I got bullied.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
These from these classmates and.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
The teacher were yeah, and the teacher didn't like she
did not want to talk to me for some reason.
I was holding this dictionary like this, this keypad dictionary,
like I was just like typing away like the words
and like translated back to English, and I was like, okay,
so that's what it means. But people hated that. People
think I was a foreigner, and then they called me
(29:17):
names and I did not like that. They beat me
up for that reason. So I had a horrible childhood.
But I'm never ashamed to say that, because you know,
that's what whatever happened in the past, this is what
I am right now. And I'm pretty happy with what
(29:38):
I am right now because I even if I'm not
truly confident, I can act like I'm confident and because
of that, it helps me get things done and it helps.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Me get to where I want to be.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
So you know, like, okay, let's also for example, like
let's just say that there's a girl that I think,
oh she's she's gorgeous, like she's so amazing, but there's
no way I can talk to her like confidently, and
I was I was just put like a mask on
her face and be like, all right, so how are
you doing? Like like I would just act like I'm
(30:16):
like this this charismatic person, but really I'm like, no,
I'm actually not really quite shy. I can't do this thing,
but I'm going to go for my shot. Like but
you know, I say all this thing like as if
you know it's a bad thing about acting confident, but
you know what not, really people act every day in
(30:38):
their lives, right, and whether it's a good thing or
a bad thing. I wasn't like they can lie about
themselves or hide their feelings and show a different mask
towards the public.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
But sometimes I feel like, you know, it's never such
a bad thing.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
I say that, I just said it as if it
was a bad thing, but really I think acting confident
it does get you somewhere and does change your personality sometimes,
Like you know, if you keep acting confident, you know,
maybe you will be confident.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
So yeah, you gotta fake it until you make it right.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Yeah, man, that's so true. Thank you, Thank you for
sharing that. I think what's most interesting about that is
someone will look at you and think the opposite, right,
They think a successful career, good looking guy has this
shit together, he's got to be confident. So when I
hear people like you say stuff like that, I think
it's so valuable in this day and age we're living
in because it just goes to show you cannot judge
(31:40):
a book by its cover.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
You just can't. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm just saying.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I guess I'm also just not so ready to show
my vulnerable, vulnerable side so easily out in the public.
You know. I'd rather be showing some good side and
some confidence side of it, and then like if I
get close to that person, I get like I peel
my onion myself and show that I have.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Layers as well. I can be very very vulnerable too.
But yeah, well that was a lot.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
Yeah, no, thank you for opening up.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
I mean, for someone that says, you know, he's working
on his confidence and vulnerability. I would say today you
were beautifully open and vulnerable, and I just I'm so
gratefully you took the time to really share something you've
never said before and to have this discussion. I hope
it was as fun for you as it was for me.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
No, it was definitely fun.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
And I I'm not sure you can see it, but
what like below this little green box here, like what
we have here, My hands are like shaking like a man.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
You're awesome. I would again, I would never know. So
you have a really good poker face. And I love
this conversation and I feel like, you know, if you're
in New York, we have to grab a coffee and
talk more. There's a lot more to talk about.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Yeah, that'll be sick.
Speaker 4 (32:56):
And honestly, Tommy, as I mentioned before, like this, this
was the most impressive interview I've ever gotten so far.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
So thank you for this opportunity and thank you for
having me. You were good.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for hanging out.
And until we meet again, thank you. I've never said
this before. Is hosted by me Tommy Diderio. This podcast
is produced and edited by Mike Coscarelli, and executive producers
are Andrew Paglici and Katrina Norvel At iHeartRadio. I've Never
Said This Before is part of the Elvis Durant podcast
(33:30):
Network on iHeart Podcasts For more, rate, review and subscribe
to our show and if you liked this episode, tell
your friends.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Until next time, I'm Tommy Dederio.
Host
Tommy DiDario
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