They Call Us Bruce

[NOTE: This episode was recorded before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. They Call Us Bruce fully supports the actors and writers unions and their fight for fair contracts.] Jeff and Phil welcome actor Hoon Lee, who stars as Wang Chao on the action drama Warrior. He talks about playing a character situated between several worlds, getting in on the action, and the unique bond that forms between an all-Asian cast. Also: stay tuned for a special bonus edition of The Official Warrior Podcast, hosted by Lisa Ling and Hoon Lee, on the life and legacy of Bruce Lee.

Jeff and Phil welcome writer Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know, which tells the story of her adoption and search for her birth family, and A Living Remedy, her memoir about grief and the death of her adoptive parents. They discuss grieving under capitalism, writing and enduring through loss (and a global pandemic), If John Cho Were Your Boyfriend, and why you should never ever ever tell casual strangers that you're a writer. Also: They Good, The Bad, and The WTF of writing your life.

Jeff and Phil welcome director Adele Lim, screenwriters Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, and stars Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu and Sherry Cola -- the team behind the hilarious new comedy JOY RIDE. Recorded the morning after the film's world premiere at South by Southwest in Austin, they talk about The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Joy Ride -- a discussion that included, among many things, K-pop, Kumon, Settlers of Catan, Squid Game, trauma outfits, Vancouver weather and what joke went too far. 

Jeff and Phil welcome comedian Hari Kondabolu, whose latest standup special VACATION BABY is available on YouTube. He talks about how becoming a parent -- during the pandemic -- informed his act, why Father's Day should be observed on a leap year, making peace with Hank Azaria in the aftermath of his documentary The Problem with Apu, and why he's got no love for San Diego. Plus: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of being a dad. Hint: it involves poop. 

Jeff and Phil welcome Peter Sohn and Leah Lewis, director and star, respectively, of the new Disney/Pixar animated feature ELEMENTAL. They talk about drawing from Peter’s own immigrant family and upbringing to tell a deeply personal story, how even anthropomorphic fire and water can make moving and compelling narrative chemistry, and why computer animation still isn’t as simple as punching a button. Plus: The Good, The Bad and The WTF of making Elemental. 

With Jeff on vacation, Phil flies solo and welcomes back Gene Luen Yang, author of AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, and actor Ben Wang, who stars as Jin Wang in the Disney+ series adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel. They talk about some of the tricky considerations when it came to bringing this beloved book to life, how they updated the story for contemporary television (and contemporary Asian America), and how toy robots and Panda Express can bring people together. 

Jeff and Phil celebrate 200 episodes of They Call Us Bruce by welcoming back some good friends and returning guests from Episode 100: actor Daniel Wu, who stars as the Monkey King in Disney's adaptation of AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, and comedian/filmmaker W. Kamau Bell, whose HBO original documentary 1000% ME: GROWING UP MIXED explores multiracial identity though conversations with kids and families. They discuss why the kids are all right, the meme-ification of Bruce Lee, and The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of having a foot in two worlds. Plus: Phil and Kamau engage in an impromptu Daniel Tiger sing-off.

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, They Call Us Bruce is putting a spotlight on some of our podcast friends, so we’re featuring an episode from Modern Minorities, one of our sister podcasts from the Potluck Podcast Collective. Modern Minorities is trying to solve racism… one conversation at a time. Hosted by Asian American friends Sharon and Raman, Modern Minorities features minority voices for ALL of our majority ears. This is a show about all of you for all of us. On the episode we’re featuring here, Sharon and Raman talk to Gabrielle Berbey, a  documentary audio producer and one of the hosts of The Experiment, who actually produced a three-part series about SPAM. And WHY Filipinos love SPAM. Learn more about Modern Minorities and our other Potluck Podcasts at podcastpotluck.com. 

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, They Call Us Bruce is putting a spotlight on some of our podcast friends, so we’re featuring an episode from Asians in Baseball, one of our sister podcasts from the Potluck Podcast Collective. Hosted by Scott Okamoto, Kim Cooper, and Naomi Ko, Asians in Baseball is about … Asians in baseball. Each week, they break down what’s notable with the Asian players in professional baseball and then take a deeper dive into the Asians and Asian Americans who have shaped baseball as it is today. On the episode featured here, Scott, Kim and Naomi do indeed discuss Asians in baseball, and do a player profile of legendary hitter Hideki Matsui. Learn more about Asians in Baseball and our other Potluck Podcasts at podcastpotluck.com.

Jeff and Phil welcome back Tze Chun, showrunner behind not one, but two new shows: the animated prequel series GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI and the Boots Riley-created absurdist coming-of-age comedy I'M A VIRGO. He talks about spinning new lore from a classic franchise, putting Chinese characters at the center ("unless otherwise noted"), getting to tell "weird" stories about people of color, and making sure fellow Asian American creators get a boost.

Jeff and Phil welcome two of the legions of Asian American women of a certain age who were named after journalist Connie Chung: writer Connie Wang, whose New York Times piece "Generation Connie" put a spotlight on this phenomenon, and cartoonist Connie Sun, one of the many namesakes of the trailblazing newswoman who participated in the "Con Con." They talk about this unique sisterhood, the aspirational qualities of naming your kid Connie, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of being named Connie.

Jeff and Phil welcome writer Sarah Kuhn and artist Arielle Jovellanos, whose new original DC young adult graphic novel GIRL TAKING OVER: A LOIS LANE STORY re-imagines Lois Lane as an Asian American teen tackling a summer internship in the big city. They talk about finding your people, putting an Asian American twist on a beloved legacy character, the dreaded drawing of cars and crowds, and re-directing the scent of stinky lunchbox moments.

Jeff and Phil welcome Shin Yu Pai, award-winning poet, museologist, and host of TEN THOUSAND THINGS, a podcast about modern-day artifacts of Asian American life. They discuss the personal objects and collections that say who we are and where we've been, from Rep. Andy Kim's now-famous blue suit to our precious stuffed loved ones. They also play a special show-and-tell version of The Good, The Bad and The WTF featuring their own Asian American artifacts.

Jeff and Phil welcome amazing sibling duo Alex and Maia Shibutani, two-time Olympic medalist ice dancers and authors of the children's picture book AMAZING: ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS WHO INSPIRE US ALL. They discuss their unique journey growing up as brother/sister teammates on the ice, their evolution as role models and community advocates, and The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of working with your sibling. This episode is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Learn more about updated COVID vaccines at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis

Jeff and Phil welcome Vivian Yoon, host and writer of the podcast K-Pop Dreaming from LAist Studios, a journey through the rise and history of K-pop in the United States, mapped against Vivian's own coming-of-age as a second generation Korean American in Los Angeles. They talk about some of the unknown stories behind K-pop's ascent, how diasporic Korean identity has always been in conversation with K-pop, and how to feel, as Asian Americans, about K-pop's seemingly sudden global dominance and ubiquity. This episode is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Learn more about updated COVID vaccines at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis

Jeff and Phil welcome back the Bruce Crew, perennial favorite guests Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of DIASPORA, to slice, dice and discuss the Netflix series BEEF. They talk about the evolution and future of Asian American storytelling, the seductive appeal of the worship leader oppa, and what happens when Asian American character are allowed to be their whole, messy, specific selves. Also, stick around for the bonus SPOILER discussion at the end of the episode. 

Jeff and Phil welcome Susie An and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, hosts of WBEZ Chicago's Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast. They talk about scheming up the podcast as a shameless, naked excuse to talk to sexy Asians; the public radio hoops they had to jump through to get it made; and why listeners in search of "bold sexual discourse" might be disappointed. And of course, they discuss The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of sexy Asians.

Recorded the day after the 95th Academy Awards, Jeff and Phil welcome perennial favorite guests Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of DIASPORA to debrief and discuss a historic night at the Oscars, for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Daniels -- and Asians in general.

Jeff and Phil welcome Yoko Okumura, Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy, the director and stars, respectively, of the horror/thriller UNSEEN. They discuss the challenges of crafting a story about two people connecting via FaceTime; the unique storytelling dynamic that occurs when a movie, not originally conceived as an Asian American story, is told by a director and two leads who happen to be Japanese American; And The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making UNSEEN (hint: involves bugs).

Jeff and Phil revisit the film EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, now in the thick of awards season and on the cusp of Oscars glory, with an epic super-sized compilation of their previous conversations with Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Daniel Kwan, and of course, Michelle Yeoh -- who now all happen to be Academy Award nominees.