Steve Park (comedian)

Stephen Park[1] is an American comedian and actor. The son of Korean immigrants, Park began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian before transitioning into acting. He is best known for being a cast member of the sketch comedy television series In Living Color during the 1991–1992 season. He is also known for the film roles of Mike Yanagita in Fargo (1996), Sonny in Do the Right Thing (1989), and Detective Brian in Falling Down (1993).

Steve Park
Born
Stephen Park

Brooklyn, New York, U.S.[1]
NationalityKorean American
Occupation
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • voice actor
Years active1987–present
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1999)​
Children2

Park's other acting work includes the role of Mike Sorayama in the Adult Swim animated television series The Venture Bros. and the role of Judge Pete in the critically acclaimed independent film Rocket Science (2007).[2] Park has acted in two Coen brothers films, Fargo (1996) and A Serious Man (2009).[3]

Personal life

Park married Kelly Coffield, another former cast member of In Living Color, in 1999.[1] They have a son, Owen, and a daughter, Eliza.[1]

Advocacy

In 1997, Park wrote a mission statement in which he called for Hollywood to portray people of Asian descent in a less disparaging light. He wrote the statement after witnessing a racist incident while appearing in a guest role on the television series Friends.[4] In his statement, Park wrote that "In movies and television, Asian characters, mostly men, are subjected to indignity and violence or are tokenized, while Asian women are exploited as objects of sexual desire. You rarely see Asian characters in leading roles that contain any significant power or influence".[4]

"[T]he 1st AD (assistant director), in a short tirade, called an Asian-American actor to the set over a walkie-talkie with the words, 'I don't have time for this! Where's Hoshi, Toshi or whatever the f--k his name is. Get the oriental guy!' He did not even have the respect to learn the name of the actor, a veteran of 40 years."

—Steve Park, recounting his experience on the set of Friends[4]

Filmography

Film

Television

References
  1. Williams, Stephen (June 5, 2009). "'In Living Color,' the Sequel". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  2. Holden, Stephen (August 10, 2007). "A Boy Rendered Speechless by Life". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  3. Emerson, Jim (April 25, 2011). "Steve Park: A funny man, serious and significant". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  4. Asian American Empowerment - Steve Park's Mission Statement
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