Joey Magidson
It always makes me appreciate Ken Jeong even more when I remember where he came from. After all, he was a successful doctor before he became a successful comedic actor. Playing one in Knocked Up put him on my radar, while he became something else entirely when The Hangover hit. He’s worked consistently since, though this week’s release of Charlie Day‘s directorial debut Fool’s Paradise offers up his juiciest role to date. Last weekend, Jeong and I connected to talk about the film and his performance. Today, you’ll get to listen to our discussion.
Below, you can hear my chat with Jeong. I had to record outdoors due to some internet issues where I was, so we had a bit of fun with that as we kicked off. Then, it was on to Fool’s Paradise, which you can tell he’s supremely proud in. Jeong is also quick to praise Day, which leads to some interesting little tidbits. We had a good time chatting, which I hope comes off in the conversation.
In my review of Fool’s Paradise (here), I had the following to say about Day and Jeong’s performances:
Charlie Day is just splendid here. Evoking Charlie Chaplin with his silent turn (or near silent since he has dual roles and speaks in the other one), Day is as reliably funny as you’d expect, but he finds the pathos that so easily could have been lost here. It’s the most complete performance here, though Ken Jeong is also very amusing as the high strung publicist. Mainlining energy drinks, it’s a big turn, but also where a lot of the heart resides. The aforementioned Kate Beckinsale and Adrien Brody are delighting in hamming it up, while the late Ray Liotta is always a welcome presence. Supporting players, many of whom are just cameos, include Common, Jason Bateman, Jillian Bell, Edie Falco, Travis Fimmel, Glenn Howerton, John Malkovich, Dean Norris, Jimmi Simpson, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Zajur, and more.
Here now is my interview with Fool’s Paradise star Ken Jeong. Enjoy:
Fool’s Paradise is in theaters now!
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