Posted in: Amazon Studios, Lionsgate, Movies, TV | Tagged: Freaky Tales, Ji-young Yoo, lionsgate

Freaky Tales Star Ji-young Yoo on '80s Punk, Pascal, 'Expats' & More

Ji-young Yoo (Expats) spoke to Bleeding Cool about her latest Lionsgate anthology in the '80s-themed Freaky Tales, punk, Pedro Pascal & more.

Few are fortunate enough to participate in a period anthology, let alone be in the same film as accomplished as screen legends Tom Hanks, Ben Mendelsohn, and Pedro Pascal, but Ji-Young Yoo was happy to tackle that challenge in Lionsgate's Freaky Tales. Set in 1987 Oakland, California, the film is a multi-track mixtape of colorful characters — an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teen punks, neo-Nazis, and a debt collector — on a collision course in a fever dream of showdowns and battles. Yoo plays Tina, who, along with Lucid (Jack Champion), are youths discovering themselves in the punk scene, facing the pressures of growing up and an uncertain future. The Expats star spoke to Bleeding Cool about working with directors-writers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, her big '80s hair, chemistry with Champion, and her time on the Prime Video miniseries Expats.

Freaky Tales Star Ji-Young Yoo on Her Deep Dive into the 1980s

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Freaky Tales?'

When I read the script, I thought it was such an original idea. It was so interesting and fun. I've never done an anthology film, and certainly nothing quite like this. All of it felt like a new challenge. Tina is an amazing character, and I resonated with the film's message.

What does a role like Tina allow you to do that you wouldn't normally do as an actor? Did you have any external inspiration to help drive the character aside from the script?

Tina is so confident, bold, and cool. I remember thinking that she was way too cool for me and that I was never going to be able to pull it off. I still don't quite think…I won't put myself down [laughs]. I used a lot of things. I did a lot of research about the development of the [San Francisco] Bay and the Bay punk scene in the 80s. I studied in an Oakland dialect and read as much as I could about the development of the music there. I had a playlist and everything, although I didn't spend much time listening to it because I was studying the dialect on the way to work.

Did you have a wig, or was there tons of hairspray involved?

We didn't burn a hole through the ozone. No, that is a wig, but it's a wonderful invention from the hair designer Belinda [Anderson], who was just a genius. She did this in about 28-48 hours.

What were Anna and Ryan like as creatives?

They're great and have a wonderful dynamic. They've been working together for so long. They understand each other's points of view and what they want. They know when to challenge each other's perspectives and to push and when to find that throughline for the whole story. As an actor, they like to push you to step out of your comfort zone. They certainly pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, which is what I like in a role.

Did you have a favorite standout scene with Jack as Tina and Lucid? Did you guys build some backstory we may not have seen on screen?

We talked about it a little bit. Gilman [Park] is such a wonderful space for gathering teenagers from all over the Bay. We built in the story that Tina is Oakland-born and raised, and Lucid, while from the Bay, is maybe from more of the other neighborhoods like Fresno or the outside areas of the East Bay and commutes in because he loves the music so much. Working with Jack was so lovely. He's such a kind, sweet soul, and it was easy to build chemistry with him. We didn't have to do that much work because there was a lot of natural chemistry.

Were you able to talk to any of your more seasoned co-stars like Pedro, Ben, or Tom? I know you and Jack shared a brief scene with Pedro.

Yeah, I never got to meet Tom Hanks tragically. I'm still so sad about that, and I just met Ben Mendelsohn last week [laughs]. We had a wonderful conversation when we met. He's a great guy and very funny. Pedro, because we had a scene together, we spent a couple of days on set with one another. He was very jealous of my wig, which is fair. I'm jealous of my wig, which I couldn't wear all the time, and then we just had some lovely chats. It's wonderful and such a privilege to see excellent actors working in person and see their process during and between takes. I'm just so grateful I got the chance to do it.

What was your fondest memory of working on the limited series 'Expats' with Lulu Wang?

My fondest memory was being able to be in Hong Kong for that long. We were in Hong Kong for six months, so I had never been in Asia for that long. It was my second time in Asia. It was such a beautiful and unique place, and I feel so lucky to have done a project of that scale and caliber in such a beautiful city.

Freaky Tales, which also stars Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Angus Cloud, and Too $hort, is in theaters.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!