Stephen Park interview: 'The French Dispatch's' secret weapon

Stephen Park knows how to keep a secret. As one of the many talented actors in the new Wes Anderson film “The French Dispatch,” he knows the secretive director prefers to surprise audiences with his films, so Park is happy to oblige. But after working in film and television for over thirty years, keeping things quiet comes easy to him.

Best known for his brief but memorable appearances in Coen brothers (“Fargo”) and Spike Lee (“Do the Right Thing”) movies, Park leads one of the main segments of “The French Dispatch” as Nescaffier, a silent but deadly chef. The prolific actor recently traveled to San Francisco to promote “The French Dispatch” and spoke to us about the film, working with Wes Anderson and how he overcame his own internalized racism. The following is a transcription of that conversation.

Q: I’ve read that when Wes is shooting a movie he likes to bring his cast and crew together by renting a hotel and having everyone live under the same roof. How was that experience for you during the “French Dispatch” shoot?

Stephen Park: It was great. Wes rented a hotel in Angouleme, France, where the entire cast stayed in. After “The Life Aquatic,” he learned he wanted to start working in a particular way. So now whenever he makes a movie he rents out a hotel for his cast and crew that’s close enough to the set, where you can walk to or even drive a golf cart to the set. That way we can all live together and get to know each other. He creates a family atmosphere.

Q: It’s easy access.

Park: Absolutely easy access. It can be anxiety-inducing to work with someone of his caliber but you get used to it if you’re living with him and his crew. It’s a nice introduction to Wes world.

Q: Since you’re only featured in one of the three main stories of “The French Dispatch,” did you stay in the hotel just for your shooting days or did you take in the full experience even when you weren’t filming?

Park: I was only there for a little under a month, so only for my scenes. That hotel had a rotating cast of characters. During my stay, Edward Norton was there, Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright and many others. Bill Murray came by when I was there but I never really knew what everyone else was shooting. Whoever runs the scheduling for Wes’ films does a great job.

Q: You’re back in Wes world for his next one, right?

Park: Yeah, I just came back. I finished my scenes.

Q: When I heard about this it sounded like a joke but with Bill Murray you never know, is the new film called “Asteroid City?”

Park: (laughs) I think so, things could change but that’s what Bill said. I know Wes likes surprising people so they’re done a great job keeping things mysterious with this movie so they’ll probably do that with the next one too.

Q: “The French Dispatch” was supposed to come out last year but Covid obviously changed things. Did you find it difficult to keep your involvement and character surprises under wraps for an extra year?

Park: Not really. Just dealing with Covid took up enough of my headspace. My only thought was for them to not release it on Netflix. I love the fact that they stuck to their guns and are releasing it cinematically.

Q: One of the unique things about your character in this film is that he does so much with so little. His facial expressions tend to tell you so much about him and what’s going on.

Park: With Nescaffier, he’s someone who’s very alert and very present. I have my own process but in a way I felt like I was channeling Wes Anderson as well. I was the master of my domain and what I was doing.

Q: Did you mention that to Wes while you were shooting?

Park: (laughs) I might have.

Q: You make a strong impression with Nescaffier and it reminds me of your work with the Coen brothers in “Fargo” and “A Serious Man.” In those movies you’re also playing characters with limited scenes who make a strong impression. Those are obviously different directors with different working environments but does your process stay the same when you’re bringing your characters to life?

Park: Thank you. I’m always doing everything I possibly can to throw myself into a role. My process is to ask how can I make the most with what I’m doing. It’s just trying to flesh out as much as I can to make this character real.

Q: Your first film was “Do the Right Thing” where you played a Korean grocery store owner who is part of the vibrant neighborhood. As an actor, what are some of the most valuable things you’ve learned since then?

Park: That was a really hard role for me to do because I was born in Brooklyn, dealt with racism, and always tried to distance myself from the F.O.B. kind of thing. To have to put on a dialect, to have to a play a character who was seen as a foreigner, that was really challenging for me. I had to overcome my own emotional blocks against my own prejudices with other Asian people who had dialects. I had to overcome my own internalized racism. But that’s where I was at that time so I’m not sure I would’ve done anything differently. Spike Lee allowed me to improvise and it was important that my character was also enraged by the racism in the movie and the murder of Radio Raheem because he was part of the community too.

Q: Did you have the same issue with your character’s dialect in “A Serious Man?”

Park: No, because I had more hang ups with it at the time I made “Do the Right Thing.” I’ve done a lot of dialects over my career and I don’t have a problem with it. I know a lot of Asian American actors don’t want to do dialects but I don’t have a problem with it if the character is interesting.

Q: I know you’re limited with what you can say about your role in the next Wes Anderson movie, but is there anything you can say about the film, which may or may not be called “Asteroid City?”

Park: It’s packed with even more actors than “The French Dispatch,” if that’s possible. It takes place in the 50’s. I’m so reluctant to say anything more.

Q: I understand and don’t want to get you in trouble.

Park: (laughs) I don’t want to confirm or deny anything but I love the mystery of it and keeping that going.

“The French Dispatch” is now playing in theaters.