Hudson Yang – Fresh Off The Boat

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) Before I did the show, I had a small part in an indie film called The Sisterhood of Night. I’ve been auditioning for other roles and have guest starred on some shows like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” I did an appearance on “Liv and Maddie” and that should air in a few weeks.

Q) What is in store this season on “Fresh Off The Boat?”

A) We know that a few episodes ago I got a girlfriend and that will develop more and changes. Like with every relationship, there are rocky starts and rocky endings. The next episode talks about our first date. It’s a little bit weird, but it’s fun! For the other characters, it is a little different. For Evan (Ian Chen), his character is a smart kid and that will develop more and he’ll help the family with technology devices. It helps them realize he’s really smart and can do different things because of his mind. For the parents, there is going to be more trouble with their investment property because of termites. That is what brings them down a little bit because they have to pay for that. The restaurant is going to have to make up for that. So, Honey (Chelsey Crisp) and Jessica (Constance Wu) are working together and they are trying to get the house on the market as soon as possible. The restaurant is at a good point though. They all have to go through different troubles again to fix everything and get it back to normal.

Q) How do you relate to your character Eddie?

A) I think I do see a lot of things in my character that are similar to me, like listening to rap music. I’m starting to do that a lot more now. My personality is a lot like his. He speaks out about what he wants to say. I feel like I have that, too. The way he feels about himself and his confidence is a lot like mine. I feel like I’m unstoppable sometimes.

Q) What have you learned about the era of 90’s from being on the show?

A) Before the show, I wasn’t really aware of how things were back then. My dad tells me about television back then and I feel like I’ve learned a lot about computers and technology. Everything was so much harder then because of the technological advances now. I’ve played some of the old school video games as well. They are really different than what I play now!

Q) What is a day like filming the show?

A) When I’m shooting, it really is a lot of working together with everyone else on stage. As actors, we talk about the scene ahead of time so we have a feeling of what it will be like. Then, it is also depending other people. You depend on the director to make the scene look good and it depends on the grips and lights to get the lightening proper. We depend on the sound to make you sound good. The hair and makeup team has to make you the best you can look. It’s a lot of thinking and a lot of hard work. Without them, my hair would be really saggy.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Have you studied to practice it or is it a natural talent?

A) I didn’t really take any classes to learn how to act. I guess my mom and dad had a part to play. My mom is good at concealing her actual feelings and my dad is really good at speeches. If I’m on set, I can change my emotions to how the character is acting. I can remember my lines well and make it feel real. As far as humor is concerned, I had a lot of friends who were funny and I tried to be funny with them. I guess that helped me train myself to become funnier.

Q) What was one of your favorite moments from filming?

A) There are a lot of fun moments, but I think the most fun moment is when I got to sing in the Boyz II Men episode. I got to sing, dance and do the body roll.

Q) Who are some guest stars that you can tease this season?

A) There are going to be a few cool ones. We had Shaquille O’Neal before! There is a special guest star coming up and he has a big role with me, but I can’t tell just yet. It’s someone from the hip-hop world.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant feedback you get  from fans?

A) I’ve gotten quite a few questions and there are also a lot of comments. I feel inspired by what people are saying and there have been a few people on social media who talk to me about how they need help or want tips about getting into acting. That makes me feel good. Then, there are people who say, “I’m your biggest fan,” or “I love the show.” People will ask me cool questions and there are some questions that I hadn’t thought about. Those questions make me think deeper about the show, myself and a lot of different things. It’s a lot of fun talking to them. There are also a lot of people who say this show is the first funny Asian-American cast in a long time and that too is really good. It’s nice that it is so historical.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the show?

A) Keep on watching because the characters keep on evolving and changing. They become different, funnier and better in some cases! Also, the show has been picked dup for the back nine so there are twenty-two episodes this season!