“I did feel pressure,” John Cho reveals to SW Newsmagazine, of his role as Sulu in the 2009 Paramount Pictures release of director J.J. Abrams’ $150M budgeted action film, “Star Trek.”
“You’re doing a role that another actor did, and you certainly don’t want to dishonor that. And I felt pressure to honor the Star Trekkers, the fans, to do right by them. They’re very passionate about this mythology and you don’t want to mess with that,” Cho says.
A “Star Trek” sequel is now in the works, with Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley tapped to write, direct and produce. Goldstein and Daley are known for their work on the screenplay, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” and for writing and directing the critically acclaimed, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” Their trademark is their ability to take beloved, established brands, and inject them with humor, and a fun, lighthearted approach, that appeals to both fans and general audiences alike.
Reviving the dormant “Star Trek” movie franchise is a top priority for Paramount’s new leadership under David Ellison’s, Skydance, who took control of the studio in August 2025. However, the film will be quite a shock to loyal fans, as this project is intended to be a complete departure from the “Kelvin Timeline.” As of early 2026, the film is in the early stages of development. There is no official release date.
Cho speaks candidly with SW Newsmagazine about playing the role of Sulu as a Korean-American, working with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto and what’s next for the rising star.
At first, Cho was concerned that some Japanese-Americans might take issue with the fact that now Sulu was being played by a Korean-American as opposed to a Japanese-American. So he brought his concern to George Takei, the actor who portrayed Sulu in Star Trek, the original TV series, that ran from September 8, 1966 to June 3, 1969, and who has become a gay-rights activist.
“He informed me that Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, actually meant for Sulu to represent multiple Asian countries. The Sulu Sea is what his character is named after. And it touches many Asian countries. He didn’t want Sulu to be Japanese-American, he wanted him to represent a part of the world that he wanted on the bridge of the Enterprise.”
Of working with director J.J. Abrams, co-creator of the hit ABC series Lost, Cho says, “J.J.’s a great guy. He’s maybe the most knowledgeable filmmaker I’ve ever worked with. He just sort of knows everything about every department, and so his sets run very fast, because he’s able to make decisions very rapidly. He has multiple cameras running all the time, and so you are forced not to play an angle. You really have to be in the moment, and it’s also a fun set. He’s a jokester like myself, so it worked for me.”
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” star spoke about the preparation for his first action movie. Cho tells us, “A couple months before filming, we started training every day. And I had some action in the movie that I had to train for, specifically a sword fight. So, it was great! I really enjoyed it. I got into shape and it felt like we went through “Starfleet Academy” together, because it was me, and Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, and Chris Pine who plays Kirk. So the three of us went through this training together and it created a bond between us.”
Having only “fancifully thought of other professions,” Cho muses that he should stick with acting, because at this point, he is “very undertrained.”
He explains that one of his biggest goals in Hollywood is to help make Asians more visible in major roles. Part of that mission is being accomplished through his work on “Star Trek.”
He explains, “Star Trek” is a classic Western. Going westward, looking for new territory. But without the restrictions of race. So “Star Trek” is a dream role because it’s fulfilling one of my wishes as a kid.”
With the success of the film “Crazy Rich Asians,” Asian visibility in Hollywood seemed to shift. Its success paved the way for films like “Searching, The Farewell,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which feature varied Asian and Asian-American narratives, from working-class experiences to queer identities. Michelle Yeoh won the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on March 12, 2023, for her leading role as Evelyn Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She made history as the first Asian woman to win in that category.
“Crazy Rich Asians” showed that Asian men could be romantic leads and that Asian stories could be commercially successful blockbusters, moving beyond stereotypes of martial arts or nerdy characters.
However, since then, there’s been a significant backslide in Asian representation. According to a USC Annenberg Report, data shows a drop in speaking roles for Asian characters from 18.4% in 2023 to 13.5% in 2024, while white characters increased, according to a late 2025 report.
Actors like Simu Liu (“Barbie”) have publicly called the recent downturn “appalling,” suggesting studios are retreating from diverse casting.
The actor shared his thoughts on Threads, responding to a post asking for Hollywood to put more Asian men in romantic lead roles.
“Put some Asians in literally anything right now,” Liu responded. “The amount of backslide in our representation onscreen is f**king appalling. studios think we’re risky.”
However, there are several Asian-led films just released or coming out in early-2026, spanning anime, like, “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle,” Bollywood features, such as, “Ikkis and The Raja Saab,” Ghibli re-releases, and international projects like Shu Qi’s directorial debut, “Girl.” Not to mention, the new hit sci-fi thriller, The Copenhagen Test, that streams on Peacock, starring Simu Liu and Melissa Barrera.
So, there is hope.
So, what’s next for one of People Magazine’s ‘Sexiest Men Alive’? Feature film, “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,” co-starring Giancarlo Esposito, of the cult classic, Breaking Bad.
John Cho moved to the United States from Korea with his family at age six and realized he wanted to be an actor during college. A graduate of UC Berkeley, who got his start with guest and recurring roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty, the married, father of two, is optimistic for the future of Asian visibility in TV and film.
I think that “Star Trek’…represents a very optimistic vision of America. Different races and cultures and colors coming together for a peaceful mission. It’s a very hopeful version of America, and I think that’s one of the keys to its success.”
This interview originally appeared in Hollywood Today and was updated with the latest news.
Main image: John Cho, Courtesy of Charlie Nguyen, Source
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