SUNG KANG Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Interviewed by Cinema AZN, courtesy of AZN Television

Sung Kang previously collaborated with director Justin Lin on his critically acclaimed directorial debut Better Luck Tomorrow. For Kang, transitioning from a low budget independent with Lin to a big budget summer release was a bit surreal. “Beautiful cars, beautiful women, beautiful locations,” he explains with a grin…“I thank Justin every day. We went from an independent feature to a big studio project. It’s a world of difference, and it’s nice that you can share it with friends.” Cinema

CAZN: Hi Sung, nice to see you.

Sung Kang: Nice to see you

CAZN: So it seems you’ve got a pretty wild set here?

SK: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy - It’s pretty spectacular.

CAZN: A bit larger scale, would you say than, Better Luck Tomorrow?

SK: Much larger scale. Justin and I laugh about it sometimes. I remember Josh who was the first AD for Better Luck Tomorrow, he’s also on this project, and we closed the door at the production office and laughed at, you know… the camera test alone is probably more than the budget of the whole film for Better Luck Tomorrow.

CAZN: Who’s your character in this film?

SK: I play Han - it’s a kind of an inside joke for all the fans of Better Luck Tomorrow because it’s the same name as the character I play in Better Luck Tomorrow - and basically, I guess a simple analogy would be he’s a cool version of Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid, you know, instead of the karate I teach the main character Sean played by Lucas Black how to drift and bring him into my band of misfits. We live at this nightclub/garage/VIP room and basically I become his older brother-mentor.

CAZN: Did you know about drift culture before you took this?

SK: No. I didn’t know that it really existed, you know. And then doing the research for the film you realize it’s this whole strict sub-culture that’s slowly coming to America. Pontiac took their NASCAR sponsorship out and now they’re sponsoring D1 racing, so I think the release of the film will be pretty good timing as the drifting culture makes it’s move to the States.

CAZN: What attracted you to this role?

SK: Well, how often do you get to play an Asian American character that’s not there for an Asian reason, even though the film takes place in Tokyo? Han is not a Japanese character, he’s more of a Korean American from Los Angeles who uses Tokyo as his Mexico, you know. He’s funny and sexy, and there are dimensions that rarely exist in a Hollywood feature - it’s just nice just not having to have an accent, not being there for a specific Asian reason. Also having a heroic position within this film - what could you not like about it?

CAZN: Since you are teaching Sean the art of drifting what is your relationship with the drift king?

SK: My relationship with him is more of a business relationship because Han is not Japanese and he is involved in illegal scams and he needs to be protected by the Yakuza - and DK his uncle is part of the Yakuza. So it’s more of a relationship of convenience, and more of a calculating business relationship. It’s like a 50/50 business relationship, and I think Han understands what DK is all about because maybe he went through it when he was younger, so a lot of times he’s amused by the flashiness the cockiness. DK also needs me to keep him connected to the drifting world also and always pays off to hang out with a guy who owns the clubs and all these pretty model types. So yeah, I think it’s give and take.

CAZN: Do you think that since this is supposed to be taking place in Japan and that there is a Caucasian character living in this world where he is the other, that Justin’s sensibility growing up here being the other, brings something special to the story?

SK: I think the perspective that Justin has, looking at the American culture from the outside in, it gives Han different dimensions that maybe a non-Asian American or non-minority wouldn’t understand. So yeah, just to see things and not take everything so seriously, you can laugh at things that are going on. You could see it two ways, you could see it in a negative perspective or you can have fun with it and I think that’s the core of Han’s character. He does have fun with everything. He doesn’t take himself or his surroundings or the situation very seriously and I think that’s what gives him these interesting layers, and I think that’s what makes people really comfortable with him because he’s comfortable with himself.

CAZN: What’s it like being re-united with Justin and Jason (Tobin)?

SK: Ah, it’s a blessing. It’s like a family reunion. We get to get paid to go on vacation together in Tokyo and, you know, do what we love together. It eliminates a lot of the time that you have to kind of develop a relationship and the trust with a director and another actor, and Justin’s the master at setting a positive tone, a real team collaboration so…

CAZN: Have things opened up for you as an actor since BLT?

SK: I think it opened some opportunities with the Asian American projects that at least you are in the know, like you’re that guy, that ‘cool’ guy who smoked a lot in Better Luck Tomorrow. But I think it’s baby steps. I’ve realized that it’s not going to be easy because I don’t think we have enough writers out there creating roles for me, because I’m an anomaly. I don’t know martial arts, I don’t do action stuff, so and I don’t fit a certain image of what I think Hollywood has already developed in the past.

CAZN: How do you look at roles like Sandra Oh plays in Grey’s Anatomy and BD Wong plays in Law & Order. Those are really color-blind roles, don’t you feel that these are characters that could be played by anyone?

SK: Sure, and that’s inspiring. Even Daniel Day Kim on Lost got a lot of slack from the first part of the season, but you know, it’s inspiring seeing your colleagues out there that work so hard and are so passionate about acting, that for the perseverance and taking those baby steps. Eventually, I see his role becoming more colorful and more dimensional. I don’t think you can expect overnight miracles. I think those baby steps like Sandra and BD and Daniel have made, as well as directors like Justin Lin, that you know there’s progress.

CAZN: Okay. It’s been great. Thanks for talking to us.

SK: Thank you.