Columbia PicturesRandall Park, who played a caricature of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in The Interview, says he was never worried about his personal safety amid the now-famous cyber-attack against the film studio. It was, however, "crazy," to see his face on the TV news.
The 40-year-old, Los Angeles-born actor, who is of South Korean descent, made his comments at a 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour event for his the new ABC sitcom, Fresh Off the Boat.
The Interview, a controversial, R-rated comedy movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, depicts an assassination plot against the North Korean leader. Weeks before its scheduled Christmas 2014 release, hackers launched a cyber-attack against Sony, its parent studio, and leaked private emails of executives and even famous actors, as well as upcoming movies. They demanded The Interview be pulled and then took it a step further, threatening moviegoers, which prompted major cinema chains to cancel screenings.
"No, I was never worried for my safety or for getting hacked or any of that during that process," Park told reporters at the 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour event. "It was more, like, crazy to turn on the news and see my face…they're talking about Kim Jung On, but showing my face!"
The United States blames North Korea for the cyber-attack, while the country denies involvement. Sony ultimately posted The Interview as a paid download online and it was also screened in in select theaters on Christmas Eve in a surprise move.
"That definitely was a crazy experience," Park told reporters. "Right after the movie came out, everything kind of died down and I was, in my head, trying to piece everything together and I still haven't fully pieced everything together as far as what that experience meant to me. I was just really glad that movie came out and that in the end people got the chance to see the movie…I'm excited to move on from that."
The Interview has already made more than $5 million in theaters and more than $31 million in legal online downloads, Variety reported last week, adding that the film cost about $75 million to produce.
"I am glad that that whole chapter is done and looking forward to what happens with the show," Park added.
Fresh Off the Boat debuts on Feb. 4. Park plays the patriarch of a Taiwanese family living in the United States in the '90s. Watch a teaser video below.
—Reporting by Tierney Bricker