ABC's Randall Park, Ali Wong co-star in new rom-com 'Always Be My Maybe' based in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- You know Randall Park from his five seasons as the lovable dad on ABC's "Fresh off the Boat.," and you know Ali Wong from her Netflix comedy specials and ABC's American Housewife.
But if you've never thought of them as romantic leads before, they challenge you to think again.
Ali and Randall wrote and produced "Always Be My Maybe," streaming now on Netflix.
It's the story of two childhood best friends whose friendship ended, after one awkward teenage encounter. Years later, Wong's character Sasha has become a celebrity chef in L.A. while Park's character Marcus has stagnated, still living at home with his dad in San Francisco.
That's when she comes back to open a new restaurant, and they get a second chance.
ABC7 News anchor Kristen Sze sat down with Park and Wong at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel ahead of the film's release.
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Wong says about the Marcus character, "Yes he lives at home but she loves him. And you believe that she loves him cuz growing up, I love guys like that."
Guys who may not look like Daniel Dae Kim of ABC's "the Good Doctor" and formerly of Hawaii 5-0 or Keanu Reeves, who makes a surprising cameo.
When asked about her character choosing Park's character over Kim and Reeves, Wong says "Randall is a pretty hot man."
If Randall and Ali have an easy chemistry, it's because they've been friends since their improv days at UCLA, where they learned if there's no role for you, you make your own.
Which they did, bringing on board the director of "Fresh Off the Boat," Nahnatchka Khan. Park says in making "Always Be My Maybe," they weren't trying to break racial barriers, but they know representation is important.
"It wasn't something where we sat down and said we gotta make this Asian-American story. It was more like we have to tell this story and we have to come from a place that feels real to us."
A place feels more real to Wong than San Francisco. It's where she grew up and attended University High School.
Some of her favorite local spots are featured in the film - The Richmond District, the cable car line and the Civic Center Farmers' Market, all rooted in authenticity.
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Wong says, "You can see when we first meet, I'm jostled cuz this old Chinese lady is like bumping me That's not an extra who's getting paid. That's an old Chinese lady who's trying to get to her radishes."
The movie also gives Park a chance to showcase something he does for fun, rap music. It's a major plot line for Marcus. It's one of the perks of producing.
Sze asked Park if he got Wong into this project just to have an outlet for rapping, to which he replied, "Let's go back to the sexy thing."
