Some of these people outgrew their funny phase, while others leveraged it into successful careers in sales.
What attracted you to the part of Tommy Tomas?
Honestly, the biggest part was the auspices involved.
Then they’re like, “And with Ted Danson, and Holly Hunter, and Bobby Moynihan.”
It’s like, “I would’ve agreed to play anything in the show.”
I feel very lucky in that.
I wanted to work with these people and they’re very nice to me.
How is the character of Tommy Tomas evolving in this upcoming season?
In Season 2, Tommy gets nicer.
He doesn’t have time for anyone else’s nonsense.
Now, in Season 2, he’s definitely growing in his friendships with everyone else.
He’s allied more often than not.
It’s a dream.
They’re both so generous with their time, and they’re great scene partners.
Acting with them is a masterclass.
It’s a bonus they’re both so humble.
They would cringe if they heard me say that.
I enjoy that it’s a smart comedy.
Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have this long resume of wonderful, great, smart comedies.
I like that I get to be funny in a way that is also engaging to me.
There are not that many parts for Asian guys in Hollywood.
How do you manage to navigate that?
Carefully, with the help of a therapist!
Yeah, it’s tough.
I had friends who auditioned for this who are black, who are Latinx.
They really went across the board and they were like, “Who feels right?”
I’m really grateful that this season I’m able to be proudly Filipino.
One day at a time is the short answer.
So what attracted you to making content for kids?
It’s a great group of people to be with.
It’s the part of you that wants to volunteer at an animal shelter or whatever.
This is nice because it feels like giving back in a way that I specifically can do.
This is the one thing where I feel like I’m actually giving back.
What is the most challenging thing about entertaining kids?
One of the foundational things about being a comedian is you never write down to your audience.
Improvisers say play to the top of your intelligence.
For some reason, a lot of people throw that out the window when it comes to kids.
They can handle complicated topics.
You shouldn’t be afraid of talking about anything with kids.
If you could do absolutely any project you wanted, what would you do?
Oh gosh, I want to write and direct a studio feature.
That’s such a blessing that so few people get, and most of them are white.
I could die happy.
Season 2 of “Mr. Mayor” premieres tonight on NBC, at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT.
