InterviewTelevision

Randall Park and Melissa Fumero Rent a Rom-Com at the Last ‘Blockbuster’ on Earth

We got a chance to chat with Randall Park and Melissa Fumero, stars of Netflix’s new show Blockbuster, a workplace comedy following the employees at the last Blockbuster video rental store on the planet. Park (Aquaman, Fresh Off The Boat, the MCU’s Jimmy Woo) and Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, M.O.D.O.K.) play the possibly-romantic leads, infusing the movie-reference-laden script with quippy verve and moments of vivid nostalgia.

Check out our interview with the stars, below:

Park plays Timmy Yoon, who has carried an unrequited torch for Eliza (Fumero) since high school. Showrunner Vanessa Ramos (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Superstore) and her writing staff riff on the bygone era of video rental store culture (Remember choosing which aisle to choose a movie in? Remember DVD boxes?) while also peppering episodes with a healthy dose of Latin American film references, a storyline about Timmy’s Korean parents, and pleasantly awkward romantic tension.

To confess a slight bias, I know Randall a bit from our UCLA days, from Asian American artsy circles, and some indie filmmaking exploits back in the day, so it’s always a pleasure to see his comic talents put to good use. It was also nice to learn that Melissa is a fan of Always Be My Maybe.

Season 1 of Blockbuster streams on Netflix as of today, and apparently they have infinite copies, and you don’t have to worry about late fees or anything like that.


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Dominic Mah

@Dommah's pop music group 12 VALENTINES makes catchy songs about comic books and superhero stuff. He co-hosts the HARD NOC LIFE podcast with NOC co-founder Keith Chow, and enjoys space casinos.

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