| [HA for DROKU] PK: From Stage To Screen | ||||
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“When I first saw Eddie Murphy do his thing, I knew that was what I wanted to do,” says comedian Paul Kim, who goes by PK. A preacher’s kid, Kim was born and raised in Burbank, California, as the youngest of five kids in a religious and strict household. Despite his conservative upbringing, Kim’s experience over the years has taught him to be more liberal and open-minded, especially when it comes to the world of entertainment. In fact, Kim believes that the best voice given to Asians is through entertainment because, he says, nobody hates music. “If it’s good, no matter what race you are, it empowers the community,” says Kim. Eventually, he decided what the Asian community needed was an ignition -- a platform for empowerment through entertainment. With that in mind, Kim founded Kollaboration, an Asian American talent show, to provide a stage for Asians to showcase their talent. With his driving energy, Kollaboration branched out from Los Angeles and is now being held annually in 11 different states all over the US with more states to be added to the growing list. The success of Kollaboration, however, also meant that he spent a lot of time flying all over the US for shows. Now married and with a two-year-old at home, Kim decided he wanted something more stable. “I don’t need to be rich, I just want a backyard for Solomon to play in,” he says. Leaving Kollaboration was one of the hardest things Kim has had to do, but he felt it was a necessary step toward reaching his ultimate goal. How, he asked himself, could he encourage the Kollaboration staff to pursue their dreams if he “chickened out” and didn’t pursue his own? “A good organization is going to grow stronger when you leave it,” his dad told him. With that piece of wisdom, Kim left Kollaboration in the capable hands of his partner Roy Choi and went on to become an emcee at The Laugh Factory as well as the host of MNET America’s new show “Beats Per MNET.” Julie Choi, the Vice President of MNET, scouted Kim herself after watching him do stand up comedy and invited him to join her new channel, which will be offered on basic cable. The show has already reached 8 million homes, and is projected to reach 20 million homes by September. Kim is hosting alongside Yvonne Lu, a model and former Chinatown Pageant winner. “Beats Per MNET” features special guests like musicians David Choi and Joseph Vincent, actor and comedian Bobby Lee, MyNinja’s Peter Hong and many more. “Beats Per MNET,” Kim feels, is another step in following his dreams and also a step in promoting Asian entertainment. Kim, who has always been active in the movement for finding new outlets for Asian American entertainers, is thankful for the opportunity to do just that with his work at MNET America and the Laugh Factory. “This is the hardest job I’ve ever had. I work 14 hour days all through the week, but I’m living my dreams of doing stand up comedy,” Kim says. Be sure to subscribe to his YOUTUBE channel, follow PK on TWITTER and also like his FACEBOOK.
Interview By: Michelle Nakaji
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