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‘Fresh Off the Boat’ star Randall Park to be 2023 UCLA commencement speaker

April 12, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Actor, comedian and writer Randall Park will deliver the keynote address at all three UCLA College commencement ceremonies on June 16, the school announced Wednesday.

“As a proud Bruin, I am deeply honored to be delivering the keynote address for the class of 2023,” Park — best known as Louis Huang, the father in the former ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” — said in a statement released by the school.

In a likely tipoff to the tone he’ll take when he addresses the graduates, the comedian went on to say, “In my humble opinion, there is no one better to connect with these young minds than me: a 49-year-old man who is not on social media and still listens to Wham!

“My hope is to inspire, uplift, encourage, stimulate and other synonyms for the word ‘inspire.’”

The commencements are scheduled for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 16 at Pauley Pavilion.

Park was born in Los Angeles to Korean immigrant parents. His mother worked as an accountant on the UCLA campus, and Park earned a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Asian American studies, from the school in 1997. He got his master’s degree in Asian American studies in 1999.

As an undergraduate, Park was a co-founder of Lapu, the Coyote that Cares Theatre Company — an Asian American troupe that carries on to this day. In 2019, he also started Imminent Collision, “dedicated to developing comedy-forward stories from Asian American perspectives for all audiences.”

Besides “Fresh Off the Boat,” Park’s numerous credits include appearances on such TV shows as “The Office,” “Veep” and the mini-series “WandaVision.”

On the big screen, he has appeared in the “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Aquaman” franchises, along with “The Interview,” playing North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

He made his directorial debut with the film “Shortcomings,” which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival.

The June 16 keynote speeches will not be Park’s first return to UCLA since his student days. He has been an alumni volunteer at UCLA UniCamp — earning the 2016 Edward A. Dickson Alumnus of the Year award — and also was keynote speaker at the 2017 English department commencement.

“Through his artistry and activism, Randall Park has opened countless doors for others and advocated for a more just and equal world,” said Miguel García-Garibay, senior dean of the UCLA College and dean of physical sciences.

“He is a true Bruin in every sense, and we know his wit and wisdom will inspire our graduating seniors to blaze their own trails and create a better future.”

California News |

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‘Fresh Off the Boat’ star Randall Park to be 2023 UCLA commencement speaker

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