One on One: Emily Kuroda

I Am all In.

Oh it's you.

I Am all In with Scott Patterson and iHeartRadio podcast.

Hey everybody, Scott Patterson, I Am all In Podcast one eleven productions, iHeart Radio, iHeartMedia, I Heart Podcast one on one interview with Lane Kim's mom, missus Kim. Emily Krota herself is here in the studio. We're very excited. Hello Emily, Thank you for joining us. How you doing good?

Happy to be here, Scott.

Good deal. You played And this is shocking to me. You played in forty three episodes of Gilmore Girls, and I could have sworn you were in just about all of them. It's not like, I mean, your presence is so powerful. I'm just amazed that it's only forty three, so that's not even a third of the episodes, and it seems like you were in most of them.

iHeart Podcasts.

Listen on the iHeartRadio app. Emily's best known for her roles Kim on obviously TV Gilmore Girls, which she had a long career on stage and screen as a veteran of the East West Players, Los Angeles Premier Asian American theater group, and she's performed all over the nation on stage and numerous theater groups, and she's a recipient of five count them, five Drama Logue Awards, a Garland Award for Outstanding Performance, an la Ovation Award nomination for Best

Yeah, that's right.

You can see her most recently in the Amazon Prime show The Power, and has had roles in The Good Doctor, Resident and All Rise, Welcome, One and All, the one and Only Emily Carrota. Hello, Emily. Take us back to being cast in the show. What was the Did you have to audition for this?

Oh? Yeah, yeah? And I went in and I had this kind of bad Korean accent and uh and then Amy goes, what are you doing? I said, well, she's from Korea, so I'm trying to Korean an accent. She goes, oh, stop doing that. Just just talk like a general. I said, oh, okay.

Look like a general.

That's why missus Kim talks that way.

Right there in the room. She gave you the whole character right there in the room.

That's it.

Yeah, do you remember who was in the room. Was Gavin Polone in the room?

Was Yah?

Was the director in the room to Leslie like a gladder? Was she in the room?

I don't remember, Leslie.

Yeah, you know. Leslie didn't say anything. She didn't say much.

But oh, they're right.

Gavin didn't really say anything either. So could you tell how many people that were auditioning for missus Kim were? There are a lot of actresses in the waiting room.

There weren't there. We're all friends, so there's just maybe five people I knew?

Oh really, so you knew everybody?

Yeah? Pretty much?

Oh my gosh, but we're all friends. I was fine, we're nervous at all? Oddly, No, yeah, neither one was. I was. It's weird, right, You don't why because I never thought I was going to get it. I thought the script was too good. Some they're going to offer it to big stars because the movie people were starting to get into TV at that time, you know, they were flooding TV at that time. I thought, what's to get nervous about it, don't have a shot any my eyes.

You know that was probably me too. It's like what the heck?

Right? Did you Did you get to the point where you were auditioning so often and nailing everything but weren't getting the offer. Was there a period of time in your career when that happened.

No, it's touch and go.

But uh right, yeah, do you get mostly everything you auditioned for?

I don't audition that much anymore, so, so it's been okay.

So you just do you just get offers.

For a stage, I get offers, and for TV I have to I have to put myself on tape and.

Yuck, gosh.

That's amazing, amazing, Such an iconic character in an iconic show and the business still won't just make offers. It's very strange, very strange. Can you explain that?

No, I gave up trying to understand this business. Scut it is what it is.

You know, Susan. What would you like to ask a question? What's on your mind?

Yeah?

So we just uh on the podcast, we just recapped your fire episode, which was the baby shower episode.

Oh yeah, do.

You what do you remember from that last day of filming?

I remember pushing that bed up the street. Oh my god, it was heavy and we had to do it over and over and over again. And that was one of the few times I was allowed to improv, so because that was a long way to push Yeah.

Right, Yeah, you get to talk to some cars and say your headlights on or what turn cirgnals had stopped? You didn't come to a full stop, and the whole great stuff. Great stuff. So this character of Missus Kim was based on the producer gilmour Amy's right hand and best friend, Helen pye H and her mom knowing was based on a real person's relationship. Did that feel all the more special to you to portray this character.

I think that's why it was so real, because you know, I've played moms before, but it's always kind of that fake Hollywood mom, you know from career Japan or Vietnam or something. But this one was actually three dimensional. And then when I talked to Helen and met her parents, I'm like, well, no, wonder it's based on real people. Yeah, and her mom was just both her parents, but her

That's very cool, Yes, really great. We know Missus Kim was strict, but funny, also loving, very complex personality. What was it like to create that role?

It was really kind of It was easy because see, to me, in my mind, she was just the most loving, giving, caring mother in the world. And coming from an Asian background, that's how we do it. We're not hugging Feeley, we're not touching you know, I love you, I live. We do it by by protecting our children, by teaching them,

Right right, right, right, Yeah, the most touching moment. As I recall so far, we're almost done season seven. I haven't seen the series at all this I'm experiencing it for the first time. But the most touching moment was when when you sat her down and you had you each had a shot of uh yes, and very very moving when you told her that she'd become a woman now and that you know you're going to be responsible for your own life, and that your job was basically over.

Well, I didn't know that was gonna be it. I thought we were coming back.

Yeah we did. None of us knew, did we got?

So it was like, I have a good you know, summer, we'll see. Yeah. So I didn't know. The wait of it didn't hold extra weight because I just figured, oh, now it's our vacation. Yeah right.

I thought we'd be doing that show for fifteen years. That thing was never going to end. They so loyal and so strong and the number is still strong and everything. Yeah, that was quite a shock, wasn't it. Well, when you found out that it was over, We're worried. You remember where you shocked?

I think Keiko called me. I was like, what, Yeah, I said, it can't be over because you know you had your wedding yet. I figured they're not going to end the show without that wedding. You know they did.

They did. I'm not going to get a wedding. It's not happening. Act it's not gonna happen.

I still want it. I've had been kiting me as well.

Scott, all right, you take you take the mantle now, because I'm I'm exhausted from it. You know they want If they don't want a wedding, they're not gonna.

Yeah, the fans want that too, exactly. All the fans wanted. They waited seven years for it, you.

Know, I mean, it's bizarre. It was bizarre. So one of our favorite scenes was when Laine and missus Kim did shots together. We talked about that, Uh, do you have favorite moment with Keiko?

Maybe the wedding. Maybe the wedding, Yeah, because by that time, you know, we have been together, all of us have been together so much for over the years that it was I didn't have to act. I was like trying not to cry, you know, barely making it down the aisle. So that that was one of my favorite episodes. And I like the fact that we never talked about mister Kim and I know that we all had our ideas, but we never shared them. I thought that was pretty great.

That was actually going to be one of the questions that I had is where do you think mister Kim was for seven years?

I think he was on the road. I think it was a rock and roll star. Okay, so I got music in my blood and Keiko too.

Yeah.

You know, really that that Lane and Missus Kim dynamic was so powerful that it was almost like a show within a show. It's like, let's go back to the Let's go back to that show. You know. If anything ever dragged or it was always a delight to get back to that dynamic because it was just it just was on fire. That thing just sparkled. So watching your relationship evolve with with Lane throughout the series, Yeah, do you think that missus Kim is happy with the way Lane's life turned out?

No, not at all. I think she would want Lane to have gone back to the band and pursued her music and gone away from the store. I mean, I know she had to raise her kids, so I was thinking, Okay, you know, you always have your hopes and dreams for when we did the reboot, I thought, maybe the boys we have our own band now, and you know, we're going on the road pretty soon. But that didn't happen. I wouldn't know. I love that idea. I know she wouldn't.

Does anyone ask some questions?

Sure?

At what point in the in the series do you think was the turning point for missus Kim to let Lane go and be her own person.

Probably living with the boys. Even though it freaked her out, she didn't, she accepted it, you know.

Yeah.

There was a lot of concessions she made over the years that were surprising. So she wasn't a stagnant character. She was growing and learning from Lane. Yeah as much. Yeah, yeah, I agree, But Lane was the perfect little girl.

Lane is one of my favorite characters. I will say I love Lane more than I love Rory. And there I said it out loud.

Let's see.

Do you think that there was any part of missus Kim sacrificing herself? This kind of touches on what we're just saying, where missus Kim sacrifices herself to keep her daughter in her life.

Oh yeah, it's all for her daughter, everything for her daughter.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then when after the babies are born, for the kids, for the grandkids.

So missus Kim was a tough cookie, but it all came from love. Like you were saying, that's how you know, moms show instead of being touchy feely, they show it through their actions and being protective, et cetera. So did you relate to her or did you have someone in your life that was like her?

I was raised like that, so it was normal to me.

Okay, if you could change any element of the Lane Missus Kim storyline or dynamic, what change would you make.

I don't think I would have changed anything. I think by not over talking, you know, it says more. Yeah, yeah, our relationship. So I liked it. I think that Amy and Dann are just phenomenal writers. Yeah, and they did a great job.

Yeah.

I think it was good because it's basically at its core, it's a mother daughter show, and so I think that they did a good job of portraying the whole spectrum of all the mother daughter relationships in the show. So I agree with you there. And see, I'm gonna skip this next question because I really want to ask between Missus Kim, Emily Gilmore, and or ale I who was the best mother and who was the worst mother?

Of course I was the best mother, the worst mother? I don't know, there was no worst mothers. I don't think everybody. Everybody makes mistakes, even Missus Kim. Yeah, that's what was wonderful about the series, right, Nobody was two dimensional. Everybody was three dimensional. Everybody had faults.

Yeah, everybody's just doing their best.

Everybody's doing their best right in regardless.

Yeah, it doesn't always turn out right, but yeah, neither is life, you know.

Yeah.

Okay, Emily, what did it mean to you as an Asian American to portray a mother daughter relationship on a network TV show like this? Was it a huge did you feel like it was a huge responsibility.

I didn't feel the responsibility that some people feel. I just thought, wow, this is really cool because I couldn't think of any relationship in the history of TV till that point. Well, I did a series called Gung Host where we kind of had a family, but it's very rare and that only ran for a season. But this one ran for seven seasons, and it really explored this dynamic of a mother and daughter relationship that was real and I hadn't seen anything like that ever on TV

What reaction did the Asian American community have at the time the show was airing.

Yeah, you know, Kik and I thought, oh, because we're both of Japanese American Japanese ancestry, so we thought we'd get flat. But at least for me, I didn't. I didn't get any. I got a lot of good feedback from Asian Americans of all, regardless of where their families came from, because it was kind of a universal relationship that they could relate to. So I was very lucky. All the feedback that I heard was very positive, very positive.

And how were you recognized by Were you showered with awards from that community for portraying this character?

Oh heck no, no, nothing, no, but I'm acknowledged so that's good. I like to be acknowledged.

Yeah, in portraying somebody like missus Kim, what did you learn about yourself as an actor that you.

Didn't I think, because you know, I have a stepson, but I never had children of my own, And the depth of love and maybe it's probably it's way more than that, but that I over the seven years that I had for Lane was kind of shocking to me. Sometimes it was like, oh my god, my heart can't get any bigger. How I couldn't possibly love this creature anymore than I do. So it was a it was

Are you recognized all the time when you go.

Out pretty much? Yeah?

Still right? Right? Do you find that the people are getting younger all the time? Yeah? Weird, it's quite quite wild.

Well, sometimes I see all three generations, the grandmother and the mother and their daughter, and all three of them are Gilmore Girls fans. So it's it's wonderful. It's still good.

It's just great. Auntie's experience is great. With these fans, Yeah, they love the show so much. God.

It definitely has a multi generational appeal. Like there's so many fans that are just devoted fans that weren't even born when the show aired, and actually here they are.

Like their whole world is Gilmore Girls.

It just speaks to everyone.

They weren't some of them weren't even born when the Netflix episodes aired. They're that young, they like I do these conventions and personal appearances sometimes and and the age, the age of these kids, I mean they're so young and they know the show. Yeah. Yeah, there's their mother, their grandmother sometimes their great grandmother and all the fellas. I mean they're all there. And oh, you know, she

I'm watching TV and their lines are like I find out what show. It was some some new sitcom you know that. What do you think this is Gilmore Girls? I mean it's because a lot of times they refer to the Gilmore Girls in today's sitcoms, right, you know episodics, and it's like, oh my god, yeah, it's wonderful.

It is, it's it's Uh. I remember getting a residual check and I didn't know what the hell it was for. And I saw on it it said Euphoria And you know that show that Sydney Sweeney was on that launched and Zendaia Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney and launched all these big careers. And uh, I'd never seen it and I didn't remember being on it. And I was like, so I So I called the manager and I said, was like, did I do an episode of like in a comotos state or something? Did did I do an episode of

What one of my one of the things that I will always remember how Amy would not have fake flowers on the set, so we'd always have real flowers. So, you know, we had a lot of big events with lots of flowers and they were all real. So when you walked walked on set, it was just glorious. And then then they always let me take some home if at the end of the day, so that was even met.

It also smelled good. I remember the smell of those sets.

Yeah, we had many shows where it just smelled. It was wonderful, right.

Right, right, Well, that is a perfect note to transition into rapid Fire. It's a little segment we called rapid fire. Okay, there is no pressure to answer the questions quickly though. All right, so here we go. How do you like your coffee with cream?

Your coffee is so good? Scott?

Oh? Thank you? Do you do you get my coffee?

Yeah, Scott, the best coffee.

And I it's really good.

It's so good.

Which blends do you enjoy.

The highly caffeinated one?

Oh?

The two? Mother Mom's favorite?

So good?

Yeah, it's it really is. I taste tested hundreds of coffees before I chose that these particular coffees. It's just wonderful stuff. Thank you for the plug. By the way, are your team Logan, Team Jess or Team Deem? Did you know that we have Gilmour coffees too. We made a deal with Warner Brothers. They're offering a stars Hollow Blend, Luke's Diner Blend and a dragonfly in blend. Yeah.

Yes, check it out.

You gotta check it out. It's like an eight eight eight number. Go all my socials and eight eight eight numbers all over the place. Who your team Logan, Team Jess or Team Dean, Team Jess, Team Jess.

I loved it when you pushed him into the that was one of my favorite moments. I don't know. He's just such a nice young man.

Who's your favorite Gilmore girls couple? Luke and Lorelei or Emily and Richard?

Oh, Emily and Richard?

Yeah?

Yeah, weren't they great together?

They were terrific?

Yeah. Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk?

Kirk?

Why?

You know?

Because I want to know which character who can show up as right?

Could be anybody you never.

Know, could be anybody surprise me.

Kirk and you never know what he's gonna do within that role, right, What would you order it, Luke Steiner?

Oh, Emily would order a burger. I don't think missus Kim would go to Luke Stanner.

Sorry, that's actually accurate. Yes, she probably wouldn't. Would you rather hang out with Paris or Lane?

Oh? Paris? Don't tell Keko, I won't.

I won't, I won't.

Paris is just so goofy.

Yeah, that's a good way to describe it. Yeah, Harvard or Yale? Or would you drop out and live in the poolhouse?

Uh?

Yale?

I just did a show there like two years ago and I like it.

So that's at the at the university. You were shooting at the university? What show? What show were you doing it?

It was a stage show.

Oh so at Yale? Rep your yelling at ye Oh that's great. Yeah. Would you rather attend a dar event with Emily or a town meeting with Taylor?

Town meeting? I was so pissed off because I never got one town meeting.

Missus Kim never went to the town meeting.

Never such a missed opportunity.

That could be awesome.

Let me tell you something. You were lucky that you didn't have to do the Town means you know why, because you'd have been in there all day in one hundred and twenty degrees and all night, and you would have said, you would have said, Amy, please, no more. Count me. Gilmore character that you would want as a roommate.

Maybe laurel I.

Oh why Laurelai, because.

We're so different. I think she would introduce me to new things in life.

Interesting, something in your life that you are all in.

On right now. Yes, Stard Valley.

It's a game, Stard Valley.

Okay, it's an internet game. That's mine. Okay, that's my guilty pleasure right now.

Okay, all right, Emily Kroota a pleasure to revisit with you some of your finer memories from your experience on the iconic Gilmore Girls. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Scott.

You're very very welcome. It's a pleasure catching up with you. And good luck with everything. Any anything you're doing right now you want to you want to talk about any plays or upcoming work.

Yeah, I'm going to Seattle rep to do as a skin of our teeth. So if you're there in September October, come visit me.

Got me a line.

We'll go have coffee, all right, everybody get up there. Seattle Rep. Emily Krooda starring in say again sorry, Skin of Our Teeth, Skin of Our Teeth. Thanks again, Emily, Thanks you, Susan. That's gonna wrap us up. Thank you, everybody, one on one interview. And remember we and I am all In stay safe.

Everyone, Thanks Emily, take care, good good luck with the play all right.

Thank you.

Everybody, and don't again. Follow us on Instagram at I Am All In podcast and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com