On May 22nd, Her Campus at UCLA had the opportunity to cover the premiere of Netflix’s new film, Always Be My Maybe at the Westwood Regency Village Theater. Always Be My Maybe tells the story of childhood friends, Sasha Tran (played by Ali Wong) and Marcus Kim (played by Randall Park), who had a falling out in the past and have not spoken to each other in years. Fast forward 16 years to the future, Sasha is now a celebrity chef working in her Los Angeles restaurant, and upon the opening of her new restaurant in San Francisco, she moves to the city and accidentally crosses path with Marcus. Although initially against the idea of reconnecting, the two become friends once again and maybe kindle a romantic flame.
In addition to the big elements of romance and comedy (aka “laugh till your stomach hurts” kind of hilarious), the movie highlights specific Asian-American experiences. The majority of the cast includes Asian-American actors and actresses. During the red carpet, or more specifically, the yellow carpet, we spoke to some of the stars and they shared with us some of their thoughts, stories and advice! When asked about some of the most important themes we can take away from this movie, James Saito, who acts as Marcus’ dad, shared with us the importance of identity, authenticity and family. He too was a UCLA student, and he highlighted the importance of studying and “learning the craft” for those who are interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. He reminded us to “believe in yourself and work hard.”
Charlyne Yi, who acts as Marcus’s bandmate, shared with us the importance of honesty: “All you have to offer is yourself, so be honest! Honesty is the foundation of everything. Humor comes from honesty, and that is the essence of every romantic comedy.”
Keanu Reeves, whose role in the movie we shall keep as a surprise, gave advice to college students who are aspiring to enter the acting industry. He said, “Perseverance is key” and shared the importance of consistently working on your craft.
Some of the cast of Fresh Off the Boat, Hudson Yang and Ian Chen came to show support for their on-screen dad, Randall Park! We also got to snap a photo with 13 Reasons Why, Riverdale and Shazam! star Ross Butler!
To end things on a sweet note, we even got to talk to Ali Wong and Randall Park. Though it was brief, we were able to invite these two UCLA alumni to do the Eight Clap with us after over 10 years! Go Bruins! The event was truly bleeding yellow and blue. All of the actors, actresses and producers that walked the yellow carpet at the Always Be My Maybe movie premiere shared their experiences and highlighted the importance of studying, persevering and mastering your craft—no matter what you do! This movie is a huge step forward in changing Hollywood’s representation of Asian-Americans. We cannot wait for even more movies to create better representations of underrepresented groups too. Thanks so much for inviting Her Campus at UCLA!