Grace Park has been cast for the new television remake of “Hawaii Five-O.”  Grace Park will play Kono Kalakaua, the neice of Detective Chin Ho Kelly – a role filled by LOST actor Daniel Dae Kim.  According to Hollywood Reporter, Kono is a “beautiful and smart champion surfer who is about to graduate from the police academy when McGarrett recruits her to join his team.”  It’s good to see the beautiful Grace Park back on television.  She had a great stint on Battlestar Galactica where she built a great following.

The Wall Street Journal caught up with Grace Park of “Battlestar Galactica” fame and a couple of her friends in Vancouver.  Grace is originally from Vancouver and she shared a little bit of what do do while you’re in her hometown for the Winter Olympics.

Have you noticed the significant increase in Korean-American actors and actresses on TV and movies lately?  Have you noticed there are more men than women in Hollywood?  You would think that there would be more women in front of the camera because let’s be honest, Korean women are great to look at which makes sense in such a visual medium.  Not that the Korean men aren’t studs but who doesn’t like looking at a Korean women?  They are undeniably beautiful women.  Then again, I guess it does take more than just looking good in front of a camera to make it in Hollywood.

This is a an anecdotal story I’m going to share and it does not provide any empirical evidence as to why there are more Korean guys than gals on the screen.  However, it does suggest something.  In my earlier days living in NYC, I roomed with actors and guys who worked at a movie studio.  I was the odd man out because I had a regular job unrelated to the entertainment industry.  I once asked one of my buddies if he ever saw Asian guys out on the audition circuit.  He quickly responded, “Are you kidding me?!  Those guys get more work than most actors out there.”  Huh?! What?  He continued to tell me that though there are only a few roles seeking Asian male faces, there were even less auditioning for them and he suggested that I just give acting a try – even though I had very little acting talent.  Well, to best illustrate this perception, let’s do a quick roll call here.

Ladies on a TV show or in a film in 2009
Smith Cho, Moon Bloodgood, Grace Park, Jamie Chung, Kelly Choi, Margaret Cho, Jenna Ushkowitz, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Price & Yunjin Kim

Guys on a TV show or in a film in 2009
Daniel Henney, Tim Kang, Ken Jeong, Aaron Yoo, John Cho, Rex Lee, C.S. Lee, Justin Chon, Rick Yune, Sung Kang, Rain, Lee Byung Hun, Daniel Dae Kim & James Kyson Lee

We may have missed a few folks but these are the Korean-Americans who were in a prominent role in their film or show.  Now 14 to 10 in favor of the men doesn’t seem like a big difference, but if we were to count up the hours of coverage or viewer impressions, then we would see the greater disparity. We don’t have time to count up every second and sum it all up but here are a couple proxies.

Weekly TV program comparison: Tim Kang, Ken Jeong, Rex Lee, John Cho, C.S. lee, Daniel Dae Kim and James Kyson Lee are in key roles on current weekly network television shows.

Movies: Only Moon Bloodgood and Jamie Chung were in big screen films this year versus John Cho, Aaron Yoo, Ken Jeong, Justin Chon, Rick Yune and Sung Kang.  And don’t forget that Hollywood is really gambling with Ninja Assassins and the predominantly Korean cast with Rain as the lead role.

So what are we trying to say?  Simple observations suggest that America is becoming more accepting of the Asian male and there are more opportunities for them.  But what about the ladies?  My conclusion is that there’s that much more competition on the female side of the fence where they’re competing against more open non-ethnic/racial specific roles.  Though they may be going on casting calls for Asian-American woman between 25-30, they’re also going on casting calls for (all) women between 25-30.  I thoroughly root for all the Korean women on the big and small screen, but I wish there were more of them up there.   Don’t you?

We’re starting a new series to capture the key news and moments from the previous week.  So with that quick and clear description, here we go with our very first WEEK IN REVIEW.

Winner of the Week: Chan Ho Park
Chan Ho Park was the first Korean-born player to play in Major League Baseball and now he gets his chance after 16 years to play in his first World Series. If you didn’t know, and we found out quickly from our readers, Byung Hun “Home Run” Kim was the first Korean-born player to reach the World Series. If you remember, he had a habit of giving up home runs in the 9th inning. Let’s hope that Chan Ho Park represents us better.

Christina Kim is Nude and That’s Better Than a Clothed Grace Park
Christina Kim doesn’t look like Honey Lee (Miss Korea) but she is all athlete and she represented the LPGA in ESPN magazine’s body issue. Our staff discovered this week that if you want to drive traffic quickly to a web site, just insert the word “nude.”  Anything naked seems to outperform someone who’s barely naked.  Who would’ve thought that Christina would’ve beaten out Grace Park scantily clad on Maxim?!

Yul Kwon got a(nother) Job!
The guy who has career ADD has a new job. Surprise! Yul Kwon of Survivor fame is now working for the FCC, after having done everything from clerking to reality show contestant. If trends hold true, Yul will change jobs in 2 years.

Don’t RAIN on my Parade!
The RAIN man is starring in Ninja Assassin and he better kick some ass with his big Korean-American male cast. Otw, we ain’t getting more acting gigs in Hollywood for a while.  The movie is coming out on Thanksgiving.

Grace Park of Battlestar Galactica was at this week’s Spike TV’s Scream Awards.  Red carpet photo:

Oh boy! This is going to make the men happy. Hot off the presses is Grace Park gracing the cover of the November issue of Maxim. If you can’t tell, it’s a magazine geared towards the male demographic for all ages.

It’s very impressive that a Korean-American woman is on the cover of a magazine, even though she’s scantily clad. This isn’t the first time Grace Park of Battlestar Galactica fame has been in Maxim magazine. Don’t forget her very famous and popular photo shoot by a fireplace. Click here for those pictures from Maxim. And let us also not forget the Complex magazine photo shoot.  Korean women are simply beautiful!

The Korean-American film “West 32nd” is finally being released next week on DVD.  West 32nd is a Korean gangster flick set in New York’s Koreatown.  It was directed by Michael Kang and stars John Cho, Grace Park, Jun Kim and Jane Park.  It’s had a successful run through the Film Festival circuit and it was an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007.   We attended the TFF screening with John Cho and Grace Park and it was great meeting those two and the rest of the cast.  First impressions of those two were that John and Grace are rather tall.

Here’s what I remember of the movie.  It was great seeing a full Korean-American cast and it was obviously well acted with John Cho leading the way.  The story gives some insights into the struggles of some young Korean immigrants and how they immerse themselves into the dark side of Koreatown (West 32nd).  That’s all we’ll give you but here’s the official synopsis.

When John Kim, an ambitious young lawyer, takes on a pro bono case to exonerate a fourteen-year-old boy from a first degree murder charge, he finds a world he never knew existed in the underbelly of Manhattan – the Korean underworld. Infiltrating the knotty and complex realm of Korean organized crime to search for clues, he meets his match, Mike Juhn, a rising soldier in the syndicate. Recognizing John’s determination and daring, Mike brings John into his confidence, furtively drawing him into his scheme to re-shuffle the Korean underworld. Though they become fast friends, they just as quickly end up trying to outfox each other as they discover they’ll both do anything to win.

From John Cho ~
When I came to Los Angeles to pursue acting 10 years ago, it felt like I was one of very few Korean American guys in town. In the years since, the situation has changed dramatically – I would never have guessed then that there would be so many prominent Korean American actors working today. And it’s been so exciting to see that growth paralleled by the growth of Korean cinema in the global market.

I began to wonder what it would be like if resources and talent flowed both ways, from the United States to Korea and back? One of the first answers to that question is a Michael Kang movie I acted in called West 32nd. It’s set in New York’s Koreatown; it’s often bi-lingual; it stars Korean American and Korean actors; and it was financed by CJ Entertainment, a Korean company that took a chance on this uniquely entertaining thriller.

On a personal note, the experience of making this film is among the most gratifying of my life. My character’s discovery of his own culture mirrored my own experience with a largely Korean American cast and crew. It was a special time for me.

But the opportunity to give birth to a new category of film – the Korean/American co-production – is also special. In success, I hope this film is a catalyst for stories, talent, and resources to be shared between Koreans and Korean Americans. It would be a shame for us to drop the ball on this now.

West 32nd is available on DVD October 13. We ask that you please alert those you know. This is the way it happens – people emailing friends and family. Thank you very much for reading.

From Grace Park ~
The making of West 32nd, with its story, characters and cast, was an absolute gem of an experience. From the moment I read the opening sequence I was enthralled with the tapestry of visual stories that spun around you, seducing you into the underground world that lives and breathes on Manhattan’s West 32nd.

Upon meeting the cast at our table read the first day, it was apparent that we were in the presence of casting magic, which became transformed into charismatic, compelling, inviting and dark performances and characters. It is hard to take your eyes off of these people as they live on screen.

Being a part of this film was really important to me. It represents discovery. Discovery of my Korean heritage, peers, working in the Korean language, and the Korean film market. As well for the audience, there’s an unveiling, learning and exploration of this unique covert subculture. And finally I had a personal revelation of myself involving self-image, perception and awareness because of my experience of and interactions from playing “Lila”.

This film comes at an exciting time with Hollywood and Korea reaching out to each other, broadening and deepening their horizons. This film is a rich symbol of that consummation. Support and watch West 32nd and be a part of history.

As a side note, the music is from Heather Park, our featured interviewee for this week.

For additional footage: Clip 1, Clip 2

It’s either premiere week for the fall season or the end of the summer for TV shows and tonight The Cleaner has its 2nd season finale.  Grace Park, who plays Akani Cuesta, co-stars with Benjamin Bratt in this A&E TV show about helping drug addicts recover from hitting rock bottom by using unconventional means.

Grace is now a veteran of television with a successful role on Battlestar Gallactica, The Border and now The Closer.  She’s been in numerous films as well.  Check out Grace Park tonight on the A&E network at 10pm EST.

For more on Grace Park on Korean Beacon>

So who are the Korean-Americans that are on television today?  You might be clicking on the remote going from one channel to another, but along the way you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the numerous Korean-Americans who are on American TV: they’re on reality shows, they play gay characters, and of course they show some skill and intelligence.  You’ll find a Korean-American actor or host on a show almost every night of the week.  Here’s a roll call of Korean-Americans who are living large on your high definition television this summer.  Don’t forget, John Cho and Daniel Henney will be leading another group of Korean-American actors into new shows this fall.

Tim Kang: The Mentalist is one of the highest rated shows on television and Tim Kang plays Kimball Cho, one of the main characters who assists Simon Baker’s character.  Even if you haven’t seen The Mentalist, he’s probably familiar to you because he’s had a great run on commercials.  You can see him on Thursday nights @ 10pm on CBS.

Grace Park: She’s a rising star who’s coming off of a successful run on Battlestar Gallactica.  She’s well known for her lingerie shoot on Maxim and for being voted FHM Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World, but you’ll find her weekly with Benjamin Bratt on The Cleaner, Tuesday nights @ 10pm on A&E.

Margaret Cho: She’s the most famous Korean-American comedian.  Whether you like her jokes or not, you can’t argue her success.  She’s been going strong for a long time, and she’s currently on a cross country comedy tour.   You can find her on two different television channels: her comedy special, Beautiful, on Showtime and on  Drop Dead Diva on Sunday nights @ 9pm on Lifetime.

Kelly Choi: She’s the ex-Ford model who’s gone from local NY TV host to a national TV show.  She’s not just a pretty face either, because she has degrees from William & Mary and Columbia University.  It’s hard to believe that she’s a foodie because she’s so skinny but some people are just blessed with great genes and metabolism.  Check out Top Chef Masters on Wednesday nights @ 10pm on Bravo.

Rex Lee: How did a gay minority become one of the favorite characters of a show fueled by male testosterone?  He started out as the abused assistant to power agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Pivens), but the audience came to love the guy because of his banter with Ari and the boys.  Sunday nights are back with Entourage – 10pm on HBO

Moon Bloodgood: She made a big splash this summer in the blockbuster, Terminator Salvation.  She’s one of People Magazine’s most beautiful people.  She’s got one of the coolest names and you can see Moon Bloodgood on Burn Notice on Thursday nights @ 9pm on USA.

You’ve seen Grace Park before: for men it was the Maxim photo shoot, and for everybondy else, it was probably Battlestar Gallactica.  Today you can see Grace Park on A&E’s The Cleaner.  Grace Park has been on a PR junket to promote her upcoming season of  The Cleaner, which airs on Tuesday nights.  Among the interesting interviews we discovered this week, the lesbian and bi-sexual website AfterEllen.com had some interesting questions for Grace related to her Korean and Asian background.

AE: Have you ever thought that your race was an obstacle in your career?

GP:  I haven’t found that at all but it wasn’t like when I turned 20, I turned Asian. It’s not like Cinderella.

I found that I didn’t realize some of my beliefs until I went to another country. I went to Hong Kong for a year and was in a fashion show and I’d say 80% of the girls where Chinese. I thought, “That’s weird!” I was so used to being the token Asian. There was this realization that I was in the majority, after I hadn’t realized I was the minority. I know that that is a perspective for a lot of different people whether you’re gay or Jewish or Asian. It could be anything.

There are so many ways to identify yourself with a smaller group and it also gives you a sense of togetherness, but it actually can give you a sense of distance and separation depending on how you see it.

I don’t find it for myself but I certainly have noticed there’s a lot more exposure of Asians now. I was looking through Oprah’s magazine about a year ago and after the fourth ad of an Asian person, I had to put it down. [laughs] “What is going on here? This is really weird!”

Then I realized that four is a phenomenal amount, and that was just the first half of the magazine.

AE: And if Oprah’s doing it, everyone else will follow!

GP: Exactly! If Oprah’s doing it…

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About The Cleaner:  Inspired by the true story of real life “extreme interventionist” Warren Boyd, who also co-executive produces the series, “The Cleaner” stars Benjamin Bratt as William Banks, a recovering addict who must balance his unwavering dedication to helping others get clean with an increasingly rocky personal life and the ghosts of his addictions. Banks and his teammates Akani Cuesta (Grace Park) and Arnie Swenton (Esteban Powell) employ an unconventional – and often by any means necessary – approach to getting addicts and those who surround them to realize they’ve reached rock-bottom and help them begin the process of recovery. With every success and failure, William wrestles with his commitment to his work and his love for his wife Melissa (Amy Price-Francis) and their children through an unusual relationship with God.