"F9" and "Fast & Furious 6" star Sung Kang discusses his role as Han in this interview with CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb. Find out what Kang's favorite "Fast & Furious" Easter eggs are, watch him discuss Han's importance to the Asian-American community and more! You can see "F9" in theaters on June 25.
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00:00 I can't believe you've been playing this character
00:02 for 19 years.
00:04 (laughs)
00:05 - Oh, it's 19 years, crazy.
00:07 - Surprise.
00:08 - Nice clubhouse.
00:09 (dramatic music)
00:12 - You were a kid and you were in "Better Luck Tomorrow."
00:24 Did you ever think like,
00:27 like, oh, I'll probably keep playing this character
00:29 in one of the biggest franchises in the world?
00:32 - No, I thought "Better Luck Tomorrow"
00:33 was gonna be my last acting gig.
00:35 So who, you know, who knew, right?
00:38 - Seriously?
00:39 That was kind of one and done?
00:40 - Yeah, you never know.
00:41 I mean, I look at, even now I look at every job
00:43 as potentially my last job.
00:45 You never know in this business, you know?
00:47 - So you and Justin have said like on record
00:50 it's the same character,
00:53 but does that mean that "Better Luck Tomorrow"
00:55 is officially like a film in the "Fast" franchise?
01:00 - I don't think we can talk about that
01:02 because "Better Luck Tomorrow" is a Paramount movie
01:05 and "Fast" is universal.
01:07 So, you know, I think there's two separate IPs.
01:11 So I don't know if we can actually blend the world, right?
01:14 - Yeah.
01:15 So as far as you guys are concerned, you know.
01:19 - Yeah, absolutely.
01:20 - You have your own mythology going on.
01:22 - Han and I will do it, right Han?
01:25 - It's all yours, man.
01:26 - So like 19 years, that's a long time.
01:28 How would you say that as like a movie franchise,
01:32 how would you say the "Fast" films have changed your life?
01:34 I know it's a big question.
01:36 - Well, it's given me a different set of shoes
01:39 to walk in definitely.
01:40 You know, it's like, you know, before Han
01:43 I had no responsibility outside myself.
01:45 You know, it's like now, you know,
01:48 this character represents some, you know,
01:50 something positive to so many people.
01:53 And then even if, I mean, if you break it down
01:55 to like Asian Americans, you know,
01:57 it's a character that, you know,
02:02 gives a lot of young kids, the 12 year old version of me
02:06 living in Georgia, a place at the table, you know,
02:09 a place in the clubhouse, if you will, you know.
02:12 Definitely has changed my life in that way, you know.
02:14 Aside from all the other stuff, you know.
02:17 Yeah, who knew that a character was gonna give me,
02:23 I guess, insight, you know.
02:24 I mean, I don't know how to describe it, you know what I mean?
02:27 But it's forcing me definitely to be a better person,
02:32 you know, and go, I do have responsibility, you know,
02:36 when I do go outside and what Han means to people,
02:41 especially now.
02:42 - You know, you choose to be around you,
02:44 but you know who you are.
02:46 - These films have been around for so long
02:48 that they're becoming like increasingly self-referential.
02:51 You know what I mean?
02:52 They have like, there's like so much to work with.
02:54 Is it exciting for you when you read a new script
02:57 to see the callbacks that they're gonna work in?
02:59 And are there any in particular that got you all jazzed?
03:02 - Yeah, well, anytime I see Tokyo Drift references,
03:05 I get super excited.
03:07 - Easy to sound cocky when you got no ride.
03:09 Take mine.
03:11 - And then within the, you know, like, you know,
03:14 every film does like a, what do you call it?
03:20 Like a little homage to all the previous films, you know,
03:23 and you get to see all the cars
03:25 that kind of define the franchise.
03:28 - And F9 has lots of Tokyo Drift stuff,
03:29 so that was probably tough.
03:31 Great shirt, by the way, thank you for your time.
03:34 - Yeah, Tyrese is making fun of me.
03:36 You think, yeah, I look like a Hawaiian valet.
03:40 I'm in a Hawaiian hotel, yeah.
03:42 - Not today.
03:43 [intense music]
03:46 - Whoa, we out of here.
03:49 [car crashing]
03:51 (upbeat music)