When Randall Park was first approached about playing an F.B.I. agent in Netflix’s new murder mystery series, “The Residence,” his first thought was: Another one?
“I just didn’t want to do the same thing,” said Park, 50, who has a recurring role as Agent Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in “WandaVision,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and its sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
After he read the script for “The Residence,” which begins streaming on March 20, he reconsidered. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” he said. And when he found out that Uzo Aduba would be starring in it, “I was like, ‘Oh gosh, yes, I know I want to do this for sure.’”
He’s not sure he’d be a good secret agent in real life, though.
“Well, maybe, because I am pretty calm under pressure,” he said. “But then again,” he added, “I’ve never held a real gun.”
In a phone conversation from his home in Los Angeles’s Studio City neighborhood, where he lives with his wife, the actress Jae Suh Park, and their 12-year-old daughter, Ruby, Park shared a list of favorites inspired by his native Los Angeles. It includes his go-to Korean place, his favorite running routes and the locally made condiment he puts on absolutely everything. These are edited excerpts.
Los Angeles
It’s been on my mind a lot because of the recent fires, and also because I’ve just been traveling a lot and missing home. L.A. gets a bad rap in a lot of ways. People label it as superficial, or too Hollywood, but L.A. is so much more than Hollywood. It’s a big city with different enclaves and different experiences.
Kobawoo
I’ve been going to this hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Koreatown since I was in college. They specialize in a dish called bossam, which is a pork dish with a bunch of accouterments: cabbage, radish, fermented shrimp and garlic. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles.
‘Dodger Blue’ by Kendrick Lamar
I’m a big fan of hip-hop in general, but for the past decade it’s been hard to find something that really resonates and reminds me of the era I came up in. Kendrick really has something to say, and I admire him so much as a storyteller. “Dodger Blue” puts me in an L.A. state of mind, and I love driving up and down the streets while listening to it.
‘Rejection’ by Tony Tulathimutte
I’m reading it right now. I can’t stop thinking about it. As someone who’s not on social media — who actively tries to stay away from the internet — it’s a glimpse into these dark areas of the internet that are very scary but also really funny and strange and kind of sad.
Hamilton High School
I graduated in 1992, and it was formative for the person I’d become. At a time when the L.A. riots were happening, I had a very diverse circle of friends of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds. That’s my comfort zone to this day.
Reel Inn
This seafood restaurant off the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu was destroyed in the Palisades fire. It became one of my family’s favorites during the pandemic. We’d eat in the car together while watching something on one of our phones. It became a tradition for us, and we kept going even after Covid. We’d gotten to know the staff there, so when the fires happened, it was tough to think of all those nice people being out of a job. I hear they’re planning to rebuild; I hope so.
‘When Harry Met Sally’
It’s the quintessential rom-com, and it was a big inspiration for “Always Be My Maybe,” the film from 2019 that I did with Ali Wong. There are such great lines — “I’ll have what she’s having!”
Boon Chili Oil
It was created in L.A. by a private Thai chef and is only made in small batches. It’s really flavorful and smoky and garlicky, a little fishy in the way that Asian people love. I put it on everything — eggs, burritos, noodle soup, pizza.
Kulture City
My daughter, Ruby, is on the autism spectrum, so this charity is near and dear to my heart. Kulture City works with venues and organizations to make them more accommodating for people with sensory needs. When Ruby was initially diagnosed, my first thought was, “Oh gosh, how do I fix her? How do I make her more prepared for the complex cruel world?” But I love that Kulture City puts the onus on the world, like, “How can we make the world more accommodating and ready for Ruby?”
Running
I ran the New York City Marathon last November, and I enjoyed the training so much that I’m still running almost daily. I love running. It’s a very personal thing, like meditation. I’m in my zone; it calms me; it relaxes me, while challenging me at the same time. I love running in Manhattan Beach, or around the perimeter of the U.C.L.A. campus, or on the beach in Santa Monica and Venice.
