Things I am called on the street, in descending order of commonality: Kumar, Harold, Sulu, MILF, that dude from LOST, John Cho. AMA.

How does it feel to be one of the guys to popularize the term MILF?

Um...apologetic. Listen, the acronym is - I don't know that we needed it in our cultural vocabulary, but it was there and I was the conduit at that moment in time. It's funny, and it started my comedy career inadvertently, but my joke answer is that I apologize for all the websites I've proliferated upon the world.

Does Simon Pegg bring cornettos to the Star Trek set?

No, but I'll request them. Primarily Simon Pegg brings good vibes.

Mr. Cho, I'm a huge fan! As a fellow Korean, I totally feel like Kenneth Park asking you for a rec letter lol

1) I grew up in a poor immigrant family, rarely having my parents at home because they were at work all the time. I vowed to do my best in life so that one day I can raise a family in which I could be a solid provider and a loving father. However, the problem is that my years of nerding away has made me cripplingly introverted and painfully single. Any advice on dating? After all, you were voted as one of the sexiest men alive, and I would give you my vote on that also. No homo.

2) Someone threatened to shoot you? What was the story behind this?

3) What (if any), is your guilty pleasure K-Pop song?

Thank you so much for doing this AMA, Live Long and Prosper! 감사합니다!

1) If this is a serious question - and I think it is - I would say this is the easiest thing you can do, and I think it's secretly incredibly useful and rather effective. And a lot of guys think it's important to be casual, or play it cool - I say go the other way, and be VERY nice. And see where that gets you. I think it might get this guy laid. Like, wash her car, open the door for her, compliment her shoes, and try to be fun and be nice, and we'll start there. I'm picking up from your comment that you are tall, great looking, intelligent, and sexy. Be confident in the vibe you are putting out in the world, because you seem foxy, son.

2) I was working at an ice cream / coffee / sandwich shop in college, and there was a car alarm right outside that was SO loud, and i put a note on the car - I don't know why, I was feeling sassy, it was just bothering me going for like 45 minutes - I put a note "You gotta come out and put out the alarm when you hear it!" I was like 19 or 20. And it belonged to a very angry employee at the movie theater next door, and he said "Who wrote this note?" and I said "I did" and he said "I'm gonna go home, get my gun, and then I'm going to come back here, and shoot you."

He did not keep his promise, thank god. I did believe him! Strangely enough, I finished out my shift.

3) Any recommendations?

Hi. Were you given any tips from George Takei prior to making first Star Trek?

You know, he was just very encouraging with me, because I was very very nervous, and he had put in a good word to JJ on my behalf. And I didn't know that. And it meant the world to me that he approved of my casting. When we had lunch together, I asked him to lunch after I got the role and before we started shooting, and he also - one thing he reminded me of was sort of the Gene Roddenberry's vision for a peaceful world, and what his goals were via the show, and it was good to be reminded of that from George.

How is JJ Abrams as a director?

The best. The most skilled. The most knowledgeable. The most enthusiastic. That's probably his best quality, is his curiosity and enthusiasm. And it's very, very infectious. Everyone I think wants to replicate his creative energy and so it makes for an amazing workplace.

How did you like kissing a picture of Stifler's Mom?

Edit: Also, how was it working on the set of HIMYM, were the people nice?

Um... So much so that I own that picture.

Yes. Yes. Jason Segal is a prince, whom I did my scenes with.

Was it fun working with Neil Patrick Harris?

What was your favorite project you've worked on to date?

Funniest moment you can recall while working on a project?

Yes. Although really, it wasn't so much fun for me as it was interesting to watch him work. He's very good as you might imagine. He's very precise, very dedicated, even in a goofy movie like Harold and Kumar. And he sweats his choices. He's thrilling to watch.

Favorite project... they're all like my friends, really. I think of each project, particularly big ones - like I've made 2 Star Trek movies, and 3 Harold and Kumars, and those feel like a real part of my life, because i keep returning to those people and those sets and those costumes, so they're like longtime friends. So it's hard to beat them.

Funniest moment... Bobby Lee spent a great deal of Harold and Kumar simulating sex on my thigh.

Hey John! Big Fat Liar was one of my favorite movies growing up and I can still quote the entire thing. What's your favorite memory from the set?

My favorite memory is being cast, because i had been auditioning for another part, the Limo Driver (I think) and there was a mixup, he wanted me to play this OTHER role of a Hong Kong film director - and the role had a very heavy accent, and I went in and auditioned, and said - and this is early in my career - I went in and auditioned, but I quietly thought to myself "I don't want to do this role in a kid's comedy, with an accent, because I don't want young people laughing at an accent inadvertently." I know they weren't intending to make fun of the accent, but I didn't want to risk it. So I was offered the role after the audition and I politely declined, and they asked why, and I told them. And I heard word that the director said "Well, we'll get rid of the accent then. Come in and we'll develop a different character." So I went back in with Shawn Levy, and we developed a new take on the character, he pitched it to the studio, and so I had no business doing anything at that point in my career, but he and I are friends - I bumped into him recently, and for him he says it was his first feature, and it was really awesome from HIS perspective that it was a good reminder that actors need to feel invested and the importance of collaboration, but for ME it was important that someone understood where I was coming from politically as far as representation of Asian-Americans.

So it was a huge deal for me. And I will always be grateful to Shawn Levy for that.

If you were given the chance to work with Marvel or DC in a film role would you and what part would you want to be up for?

Also love you as Sulu and on Sleepy Hollow and still sad over the loss of your character on Go On.

I want a shot at playing Batman!

Ben Affleck's doing it next right? After Ben retires, I call next.

A serious Asian tech billionaire maybe? Who moonlights as a caped crusader? I'll buy it!

Hey John, big fan! Great to see a successful Asian American actor out there.

1. How much fun do you and Karen have on set on "Selfie"? Any funny stories so far? Love the show.

2. Do you and Kal stay in touch? Any plans on another Harold and Kumar? Funniest story on set?

1) It's been genuinely fun. It's a small, talented, super-funny cast. It's funny, Karen is on Twitter and pretty good about tweeting. I am less of a tweeter, but have become more so as a result of the show.

2) We are friends. We DO stay in touch. I wish - Kal is bi-coastal, so we don't see each other as much as I would like. The things that pop to my mind - he got really pissed off at me once. Twice. As close as we are. I had this habit of slapping his ass right before "Action!" was called, and he tolerated it for a LONG time. It just got me pumped, I don't know why, I just liked to slap his ass before a take. And he also got really mad at me, because we did a lot of driving around in a car, since it was a road trip movie, and on occasion, I thought "it's a road trip comedy buddy movie - farting in a car with the windows closed is the right thing to do in that situation." And he took exception to that.

Those are the 2 times Kal got really angry at me.

Well, you know, when the doors were opened and we cleared the air, he forgave me.

And the ass slapping, I just had to cease & desist.

Did you experience any racism growing up? How did it affect you?

Yes... I did. And I don't know - it's hard to answer that question, because, in a way, I'm not sure what it has NOT affected. Because in some way it has colored my worldview. Not to say I carry it around, but it's part of who I am at this point. I experienced racism, and in my professional life, I try to take roles (and have always tried to take roles) that don't fall within the parameters of any Asian stereotype. And so to me, hopefully, that's a positive thing I can put into popular culture and so maybe in some bizarrely tiny way that helps people not think of Asians in one particular way.

How often do you eat White Castle?

We don't have White Castles out on the West Coast. So the last time I ate one - I really think it was on the set of Harold & Kumar 3. Haha!

If you weren't in acting, what would you be doing? No offense, but you play an asshole boss really well.

Thank you! It comes from a very genuine place. ;)

First of all, thanks for doing this AMA!

In Karen Gillan's ice bucket challenge, you were all wearing the best Power Rangers suits I've ever seen. Did you just have them lying around? Are you all campaigning to get into the new Power Rangers film? (You totally should.)

That is a GREAT IDEA. And if I am cast in the New Power Rangers film, I owe this person 10%...

We happened to be wearing those suits for a bit on the show. And Karen said "I want to do this ice bucket challenge" and we said "Do you need this suits back? Because wouldn't it be funny to do them in the outfits."

So that happened.

What's your favorite vacation/trip you've taken?

When I want to take a vacation, I have to force myself - Florence is probably the most beautiful. I'm hard pressed to think of a place more beautiful than Florence, Italy. But my favorite vacation is one where I forced myself to stay very still, and Hawaii is where we do that. And maybe the most interesting place I've ever visited - along with the Star Trek cast, we visited a military base in Kuwait, and we flew in a black hawk helicopter with the doors open, and looking down at the sand, just miles and miles and miles of sand... you know, I don't even know what I'm going to say. To see where our military was, and the environment in which they had to do an extraordinarily difficult task, and also this is the Middle East, it's where all these Biblical stories took place, it was overwhelming. It's difficult to imagine life out there, but you would see an encampment, and then miles later, another encampment... it was fascinating to see where humanity can flourish. It's like a little blade of grass in the middle of a sidewalk.

When was the first time you were recognized in public as an actor? Is there a good story?

The first time I really remember it is I had shot American Pie, it was just a little bit role, i didn't think anyone would know what the movie was - I was out of the country, shooting another movie, and had missed the release of American Pie, and was unaware it was a really big hit. So I came back to America, and kids were chanting "MILF! MILF!" at me on the street. And I was really confused, and it took me a while to understand what was happening actually.

What was the overall experience like working on American Pie?

It felt innocent. All those actors were young, I didn't know anyone, they were all starting out, I didn't know anything about the business, and Chris and Paul (the director and producer) were great - sort of the perfect pair to tell this story because they have such a great feel for what it feels like to be young and that movie could have really been remembered - it could have been a forgettable gross out movie, but what carried the day was its earnestness and its characters, even though admittedly there's a sexual pie, a man has sex with a pie, but I think there's a lot of imitators and they were never able to quite capture the spirit of that movie, because what that movie did was effectively capture and remember what it felt like to be that age.

What do you enjoy more? Comedy? Scifi? Etc?

When I'm doing a drama, I want to do comedy next. When I'm doing a comedy, I want to do a drama next. So in short, I'm an impatient dilettante who likes to jump from one thing to another.

I'm a huge Off Centre fan--in fact, I'm the moderator and only subscriber to the /r/offcentre subreddit.

Kind of a geeky question, but did they actually shoot Scary Sitcom and Chau's Hard Iced Tea episodes? I have a script for the former and still searching for the latter.

Have you ever heard anything about a DVD release at some point? The show is seriously underrated, and was ahead of its time in many ways.

Thanks for being awesome. Chau rules!

Unfortunately I don't know if there are any DVD release plans, but I look upon that year of my life as one of the happiest years of my life because i was young, and was making a silly show with my friends, and partying, and working every day on making my friends laugh. And that was a pretty good way to spend a year of your life when you're in your 20's.

Do you know anything about STAR TREK 3. And What do you think of Bob Orci directing?

I'm absolutely confident in Bob. No one knows these characters better than Bob. And no one knows the Star Trek universe better than Bob. I think he's going to blow people away.

And I don't know anything about Star Trek 3.

I'm guessing I'm in it? I just went in for a costume fitting.

When can we expect the next Harold and Kumar movie?

There's nothing in the works, but I'm increasingly getting interested in making one happen. But I'm really open to doing one. Especially one with an older Harold and Kumar. But we are working on an animated series as well.

Of your Star Trek castmates, what has been your favourite project that each has worked on?

i.e. Benedict - Sherlock Simon - Hot Fuzz etc.

Chris Pine in Bottle Shock (because of his wig)

Zoe Saldana - How about the Avatar? I like watching Zoe in as many dimensions as possible.

Zachary Quinto - I saw him in a play, Angels in America, and he was ASTOUNDING. And it changed - every once in a while you see somebody, and you ask yourself "what are you doing with your life?" That was one of those moments.

Benedict - I was a BIG fan of Sherlock, and I'm not sure that I've met anyone who handles work better than Benedict. He just is amongst 100 things that he does well, one of them is he completely masters sentences. I think of him often, and Sherlock is a great example of that.

And Simon? Oh man. Simon... on the subject of taking things from friends: Simon's greatest thing, what I love about Simon, is his exuberance and soul is really visible. It's always visible. You can't help but - it's like you have an X-ray machine that can see joy. And his is always visible.

Hey, John! Thanks for doing this AMA. Do you have any stories from shooting FlashForward? Also, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

Here's the funny thing from FlashForward: Joseph Feinnes, who was the lead on that show, he owns lots of cars - i believe he's a car buff. But for some reason on the show, whenever he would exit a vehicle, he would forget to put it in park. And as soon as he would get out, with his FBI aviators on, just about to take his gun out of his shoulder holster, the car would start moving, and he would have to jump back in, panicking - you'd see outtakes of stuntmen jumping into the shot, trying to stop the car.

Playing and listening to music tops the list. Reading fiction. This is probably my favorite thing to do: I used to have dogs, and walking with dogs is the best thing for my head and soul. We would go on long, long walks, and I do miss it. That was probably my favorite thing to do, was to go aimlessly with the dogs, walking without purpose.

What's the best concert you've ever been to? Which musicians are on your must-see list?

That's a tough one. My first concert was Echo & the Bunnymen at the Universal Ampitheatre. One of the most exciting concerts - last concert I went to was Paul McCartney. That was unbelievably fun. I remember seeing Death Cab for Cutie, that was a great show. PRINCE! OH SHIT, that dude puts on a show! Those are some of the ones that come to mind.

OH! U2 when they did the "Achtung, Baby" tour. That was a great live show. And the Pixies at the Warfield. Oh yeah.

Do you think you can say "oh, my" convincingly enough?

I can...

No, I can't say it convincingly enough. Only one man can.

I find George to be fascinating. First of all, I know George and have been familiar with him for all my life. I also find it amazing that he has moved past being an actor and has become an American cultural icon. It's pretty crazy. But people who've never seen Star Trek know who George Takei is, and if you say "Oh, my" you know it's the dude from Star Trek.

Ok, be real with me for a second... is Kobe Lobster a real thing? And if so, is it the culinary nirvana that I imagine it is?

It damn well better be. Because I just paid $950 for a dinner for two.

I know sometimes a lot can be made about your race, but I do want to thank you for being a positive Asian American role model that plays against the stereotype we've all come to expect in the media. Thank you!

Better Luck Tomorrow came out when I was in high school and it made a huge impact on my friends and me. We had never seen Asian Americans represented with our stories on the forefront. It truly was something utterly unique, needed and incredibly validating. I don't think it receives enough credit, it's kind of faded into an asterisk in Justin Lin's back catalog.

That being said, can you share your thoughts and experiences working on the set? Did you feel that the movie was something unique and special? What was it like working with majority other Asian American actors? And then, how come you feel nothing similar to BLT has come out to commercial success since then?

We did feel that we were making something special. And that was part and parcel of a great movement in independent cinema that came out of the 1990s, but it came out of this great fervor and I'm not sure - I do feel like, we said this recently, it felt like we were pushing against a membrane and never really broke through, but I was really proud to be a part of the pushing. And maybe nothing really similar has come along, partially because the business has changed to be less about independent cinema and more about television, that's where the interesting content is going and movies are more franchise and tentpoles, so there isn't room for that type of independent cinema right now. And thanks for appreciating that movie. It was very special to me.

How is it working with Karen Gillan? :)

Karen is - she's an amazing actress, and a cool person to boot. It's been a real privilege to work alongside her. You know what I find amazing? Because people at the UK are typically good at American accents, since they grow up with them? But what's unusual about her is that she can pop in and out - she doesn't speak American english between takes. As soon as we yell "cut" it's "Alright!". It's bizarre. She's particularly good at it.

What do you think was your first really big project?

My first - I got my SAG card in a movie called "Wag the Dog" with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. And I was barely more than an extra in that movie, and I'm not sure if my face is on-camera, but I'm pretty sure my shirt makes an appearance, but that was my first job. And I can still - the moment I saw Robert De Niro's enormous head, that's still frozen in my memory. It's like the most powerful image I had seen until that point in my life.

What is it like to be involved in the Star Trek franchise?

It's... I would say first and foremost it's a real pleasure to be working with JJ and that particular cast, and everybody involved in that production is pretty much at the top, they are among the best at what they do, so it's a pleasure that way, but further, it's an honor to be a part of one of the best things American pop culture has ever created.

It's positive, it's hopeful, and it's a real great vision of what the world can be at peace. It's an honor to be a part of this American cultural masterpiece.

How is Kumar in real life compared to his character in the movies??

Kumar or Kal is a very serious silver man who is an egghead. And we always thought it was hilarious that i was much more like Kumar and he was much more like Harold. But he's handsome, just like Kumar.

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I would get some sort of seafood hot pot. And send the bill over to me. Have her expense it.

What's the coolest thing you've collected while on the set of a movie/tv show?

I don't have a phaser. I tried and they socked it out of my hand.

I like to collect blueprints and then frame them. Those are my souvenirs. Blueprints of the set.

It's also a way to not make your office cluttered and look like a toy store. No offense to toy stores.

Were you a trekkie as a child? Did you have a model of Enterprise above your childbed?

I had the Millennium Falcon. I really loved what they were doing, what they were saying with Star Trek, and as an Asian kid in America, was always so excited to see Takei was on the bridge. It was unfailingly thrilling. When they came out with ST: TNG with Patrick Stewart, I thought that show was cool and dug what it was trying to do.

Hi John.

Do you know if any North Koreans know about you, especially your role in Star Trek?

Um, I don't know. It would be amazing if they did. My father was born in what is now North Korea. I saw a Frontline documentary on North Korea, and one of the most -there are people who are risking their lives to smuggle in DVDS with Western pop culture movies and TV shows. And they consider it, it is considered a way to fight the regime by spreading images of Western Pop culture to show that what they've been saying about the West is untrue.

It would be really amazing if they were aware of a person of Korean descent who was part of that popular culture and output.

When people ask me what kind of stoner I am, I always refer to you!

Has playing an avid stoner in Harold and Kumar made it more difficult to get other, more serious roles?

First, I'm honored.

And no, I'm not aware of anything Harold and Kumar has prevented me from getting, I'm only aware of all the doors it has opened and all the love it has brought into my life.

How pissed are you that Obama picked Kal Penn over you?

I think Obama made the right decision.

What are some movies or TV shows you wish you were cast on?

I think if there was an Asian The Office, you would fit the Jim role pretty well.

Oh, that's funny because I auditioned for the role of Jim in The Office! It's on YouTube, you can see my audition - or they recently released it on the DVD of The Office.

I want to up my swordplay and be on Game of Thrones.

John, what are your favorite pizza toppings?

Sausage. Jalapeños. Sausage and jalapeños.

Sorry to everyone from New York.

You kinda remind me of Joey Santiago from The Pixies, ever see them live?

Yes. Joey Santiago is a deity. I saw them at the Warfields in San Francisco, I wonder if it's still there?

What moment in your career made your family most excited? Also ^{go Stanford!}

That's easy: Sesame Street.

The greatest thing is I took my son, and we did the show, and Elmo was there, and Grover was there, and you know - what I found with myself and with my kid was even though you see the person who is talking, you see the puppeteer, you can't help but talk to the puppet. It's a great lesson in suspending disbelief. It was one of the top 5 days of my life!

Dude, I'm a huge fan. What drew you to selfie? It looks like it has potential, but not my cup of tea. What would you tell me to get me to watch it?

Thanks for doing this!

What drew me in was the opportunity to play a character that I'm not typically asked to play. And if it's not your cup of tea, I would say taste this tea and give it a try. I play a guy on the show, for whom on the show this would not be his cup of tea. So there's a skeptic IN the show. And I just really think it has something to say, and the relationships are genuine, and I think it's a very unique show on the tube right now. It's got a very fun tone, and I can't overstate this - Karen Gillan as the lead is fantastic.

Hi John, can you tell us something we don't know about you, and something we'd be surprised to find out? :)

The thing that I own the most of is shoes. I have a shoe problem. Yes, really.

I don't know why. I basically wear Birkenstocks around all day.

The thing I do most onset is probably sing, make up songs about people. That's how I pass the time on any given filming day, is that I make up songs about the people I work with.

Can you speak Korean?

I can only speak the basics. But I'm told my accent is decent.

Hi John, thanks for doing this Q&A. Here's my question, are you like Henry in any way? Great show btw!

I am pretty curmudgeonly about social media. I don't have Facebook and I'm on Twitter, but I go through periods where I'm scared of it, and resent it. Haha! And I don't like how addictive it is, so I have to put it down. So I am cautious with social media, just like Henry. Henry has a better wardrobe, though.

Would you rather:

1. Have fingers as long as your legs or legs as long as your fingers?

2. Have a dragon or be a dragon?

3. Stand barefoot on an iceblock for 20 min or be tickled on your bare feet for 20 min?

Why for each? :P

1) Fingers as long as my legs. Then I could finally be a Laker.

2) Be a dragon. I've had dogs, and picking up dog's poo is disgusting enough.

3) Tickled. Laughing is therapeutic. It might be a little torturous, but I bet you would feel better at the end of it.

What kind of socks are you currently wearing?

Zero. None.

As I told you with the Birkenstocks, I don't like to keep the feet covered. Again, why do I have so many pairs of shoes?

I'm barefoot as much as possible.

Mr. Cho, love your work! Caught the premiere of Selfie and was greatly entertained.

One thing has been bugging me, though. Is Karen wearing a wig???

Also, do you have any fun stories about being the patient of the week on House? What was it like to be yelled at until you had a stroke?

Yes.

Haha! It's my dream to do another job laying in a bed. So that was a pleasure, and it's a good show. Good people. If we could all earn paychecks laying in bed, that'd be the life.