Everything Everywhere All At Once star James Hong recently appeared on The Katie Phang Show to discuss his hit movie’s big awards season sweep. But the two shared an emotional moment when Hong got personal, telling Phang that her late father “would be very proud” of her.
After looking back on the actor’s decades-long career, Phang asked Hong about his family of three daughters and several grandchildren.
“I know that they must be really proud of you,” Phang said. “I lost my father going on four years this June, and so I know that they’re really proud of you. I’m so glad that you’re still going. Thanks for all of the stuff that you’ve done for our community, and that you’re continuing to do.”
Hong replied, “Did your father see you as you are now, as the moderator, the only Asian, with her own name on a program?”
Phang began to get emotional as she explained that her father died in 2019 from Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. “He never got to see me do this. But I know he was proud of me,” she said.
“You are doing a great job,” Hong told Phang. “I’m sure your father — and I, being a father — would be very proud of our children stepping forward, you know? Carrying our name forward.”
Hong won his first SAG Award this February alongside his Everything Everywhere All At Once co-stars for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. The cast used their speech to honor the prolific actor, noting, “There is one of us who has been supporting ensembles for longer than any of us has been alive… It’s been 69 years in the making, to get him to this stage.”
Michelle Yeoh’s impassioned tribute for Hong was met with a resounding standing ovation from the audience.
“Back in those days, I have to tell you this, the leading roles were played by these guys with their eyes taped up. And the producer said that Asians were not good enough, and they are not box office. But, look at us now, huh?” Hong said when he took the mic.
The sci-fi epic later went on to secure seven more awards at the Oscars in March.
Prior to that, IGN estimated that Everything Everywhere All At Once had beat out The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to become the most awarded movie of all time.
