Wendell & Wild Star James Hong Details Bringing His Complex Character to Life (Exclusive)

Having earned literally hundreds of screen credits since his career started back in the ’50s, actor James Hong shows no signs of slowing, with this year seeing him star in the acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All at Once and Pixar’s Turning Red, as well as having earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To call his career illustrious would be a bit of an understatement. Additionally, currently in select theaters and then landing on Netflix is his latest film, Wendell & Wild, in which Hong lends his voice to Father Bests, a figure who hopes to keep his boarding school for troubled teens open, despite a greedy corporation attempting to buy him out. Wendell & Wild debuts on Netflix on October 28th.

From the delightfully wicked minds of Henry Selick and producer Jordan Peele, comes Wendell & Wild, an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele) — who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot — a tough teen with a load of guilt — to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.

ComicBook.com caught up with Hong to talk the new film, what drew him to the project, and his thoughts on the rumored sequel to Big Trouble in Little China from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

ComicBook.com: You’ve played so many characters, worked with so many filmmakers, what do you look for in new projects? Is it the filmmaker, is it the character, is it the story? Is it doing something you’ve never done before? What really appeals to you?

James Hong: Well, to go back to what you said, the first feature I made was with Clark Gable. I’m probably the only living character that has ever worked with Clark Gable and Groucho Marx. It’s gone from that point to now and doing wonderful animation like Wendell & Wild and working with Henry and Jordan Peele. What can you say? That’s so fulfilling in life to work with the best in the industry. Not some guy down there in the low, low, low, low budget, but to work with the class players, people with great imagination. In the sense that, when I walk into that studio, I know I’m in for a treat. I know I’m working with the best in the industry.

I’m not saying that, you have to judge for yourself when you see, when they watch this movie, it is different. The animation is outstanding, this stop-motion. I don’t even know how they create it. I’ll have to sit in on their editing one day on their next movie, hopefully, I’m in it. But to see how stop-motion works, because it does create a different atmosphere. The film is just not an animation film. It is something else. It’s a creation by all the creators from the animation people, from the music score, [which is] outstanding, because it integrates the young-people audience with this modern rap music to the modern mood music. I enjoy that part of it. 

Everybody, the animation, the people who draw, the music, it creates this wonderful Wendell & Wild. I’m so, so happy to be part of it. I hope they make a sequel and I’m in it again, or a TV series. Don’t you think so? For your fans, it would be wonderful. 

Absolutely. I can’t wait to see what your character would get up to in a sequel or a TV series. 

Why don’t you write in that you want a TV series about Father Bests and his school, how he is involved with all his students, and crazy dead people or whatever?

There’s absolutely potential to see all the other types of characters that have come through that school. For you, for your character, do you remember what your reaction was the first time you saw what your character was going to look like in the movie?

Well, to start with, Kat Elliot, with these little, what do you call them, little [hair] buns? With this crazy teenager, great animation. I was led into the first part by Kat, and Wendell and Wild, who looks like themselves in a way, right? Then finally into me, like you say, I was shocked at what Father Bests looked like. It resembled me. I hope they pay for that.

But anyway, it was a great experience to see myself in this role because it does come alive. It shocks me in a sense to see me come up from death and be what I am. I can do my James Hong best when you give me that innovation, that character, you know?

Your character undergoes a bit of a change from the first half of the movie to the second half of the movie, you could say. Was there a conscious choice on your part of how to differentiate Father Bests from the first half of the movie to the second half of the movie? Other than the script, the actual performance of voicing the character?

Well, as you just said, the difference, as an actor, I have to see what the character goes through from the first part to the last part and give it that change, which you saw. I’m glad, because it is never easy to change from one aspect to another, because you created that first part and then somehow you have to do the second part. 

It’s like David Lo-Pan in Big Trouble in Little China. It’s from that old man to that Mandarin Lo-Pan. It’s totally different. In a sense, I was educated to do that by other films where I change from one character to another, or stages of the character. It takes a lot of studying and, thank goodness, I have the talent and training to do that. I love it when a character has that change. It’s a big challenge.

Well, you actually just brought it up, I don’t know if you could even tell that I’m wearing a Big Trouble in Little China shirt … I think we are both big fans of Big Trouble in Little China.

I would think so.

You seem to really love that character. I know “The Rock,” this Dwayne Johnson, I know he’s been trying to get a new Big Trouble in Little China to happen.

Without Lo-Pan? How dare he.

That’s what I want to know. That is such an incredible, unique movie. Do you think they should not touch it and let your original stand for what it is or would you like to maybe even come back yourself to pass the torch to a new generation?

Well, I think they should leave the classic alone. However, I’d like to reappear in the new one and do something spiritually … Or like Star Wars where the characters come back and do a reprieve of some kind, obviously. Because, let’s admit it, Lo-Pan is a huge part of that first one, so how can you forget him? 

I know. Why don’t you and I make the sequel to Big Trouble and feature Lo-Pan? You want to?

Absolutely. Am I going to be one of the new storms or am I more of a Jack Burton character?

Well, you’re going to be more than that. You’re going to be the financier, the backer. 

No, you can be exactly what you are: sort of a dumb, stupid character with a mustache.

A dumb, stupid character with a mustache? James, I’m not sure, we might have some creative conflicts here.

Really? Well, you write the script then, okay? Please. You can write your own character the way you feel.

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Wendell & Wild lands on Netflix on October 28th.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter.