The Viewfinder Podcast with Chris Hadley
Arts:Visual Arts
Episode 044 - Actor/Filmmaker Judy Jean Kwon - MILFriend
Some of the best comedies, or for that matter, some of the best movies and TV shows we watch are those that explore real-life problems from the viewpoints of characters whose stories are fictionalized yet real enough to relate to. One such show is the new web series MILFriend (or "mother I’d like to friend"), created by and starring my guest on this week's Viewfinder Podcast: actor and filmmaker Judy Jean Kwon.
Kwon leads MILFriend as Pepper, a brash, outspoken and oft-unemployed young Asian-American woman who's facing not just the consequences of her sudden pregnancy, but also the encroaching gentrification that's turning her otherwise diverse neighborhood of Venice Beach, California into another haven for White, upper-middle-class families - and families to be.
As Pepper befriends the new moms whose company she will soon join, she gets a memorable crash course in the intricacies of parenting, while begrudgingly learning how to respect her peers - specifically, kids and women.
In addition to starring in and writing the series, Kwon also co-directed MILFriend with her husband, Richard Henkels. With MILFriend a project of their production company, Commonwealth Creative, the series is part of Kwon and Henkels' shared mission of creating content that spotlights and encourages diversity in both storytelling and the broader entertainment industry.
Kwon and I discuss not just that mission, but also her journey to creative independence and MILFriend's fascinating road from script to screen now on this week's show.
Watch all episodes of MILFriend (airing Thursdays) on Kwon's YouTube channel, YoMamaRice:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoJbyK_6OELdfWhaajlr3TQ
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Music by Audionautix.com
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