LOS ANGELES – At a live Q&A on Wednesday, director Randall Park spoke to LMU students about his heritage, acting journey, and childhood experiences as an Asian-American and how it shaped his directorial debut Shortcomings.
“Choosing Shortcomings as my directing debut wasn’t by accident,” Park said. “I’m more interested in telling stories about Asian Americans in particular — people like me, born and raised here. It’s a big part of who I am, and it informs everything I do.”
Directing Shortcomings allowed him to draw on his past experiences from shows like Fresh off the Boat. The six-season hit in which he played Louis Huang, the humorous father of an Asian American family, helped him tell a story that reflected his own lived experience rather than stereotypical Asian immigrant narratives.
Staying true to his authentic perspective, Park tackled sensitive cultural topics like interracial dating and Asian fetishization by relying on an “internal barometer to keep the characters honest” — even comparing his role as a director to that of a journalist. He found storytelling requires telling the truth regardless of public reaction.
“I knew that this movie…would bring up a lot of conversations,” Park said. “But that’s a tough thing about art. You want everyone to love everything you do. You want to tell the truth, but clearly, from what’s going on today, it’s like some people don’t want to hear the truth, so you can only go by what’s in your heart.”
Park’s commitment to authenticity did not stop at racial representation. He emphasized the importance of developing the film’s main female characters, Alice and Miko, and worked closely with the actresses to ensure their roles as co-star went beyond “devices to push the story along.”
“We’re two guys, you know,” Park said, acknowledging his limited perspective as a male director. “Allowing [Sherry and Ally] to shape the characters, listening to them, and incorporating their ideas into the project were definitely important.”
English professor and interviewer Julia Lee closed the event with a request for Park’s advice to aspiring creators, especially those from immigrant families or communities of color.
“Don’t think of ‘making it’ as fame or fortune,” Park noted. “Making it is literally making stuff. Writing, shooting, collaborating, failing, and learning. That’s how you find your voice.”
From growing up as a native Angeleno to feeling a disconnect to his Korean homeland, Park’s experiences offered the film industry new, unique stories about Asian American life.
“Every decision I made, from framing shots to directing actors, carries a piece of my life,” he said. “That’s how you develop a signature in your work.”
For LMU students, Park’s stories exemplified the impact of Asian American voices in media and the responsibility that comes with being an authentic storyteller. Through his directing, Shortcomings became a film that is as much about Asian American culture as it is about relationships, mistakes, and finding your path — delivered with humor that resonated far beyond one community.
