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'Genius' star Seth Gabel & Jimmy O. Yang of 'Silicon Valley'

Larry King NowMay 26 '17

'Salem' and 'Fringe' star Seth Gabel discusses the intricacies of his newest role in National Geographic's 'Genius,' and the career lessons he's learned from his famous father-in-law Ron Howard. Then, the hysterical Jimmy O. Yang on the evolution of his fan favorite 'Silicon Valley' character Jian-Yang, and life off set with his fellow co-stars! 

Larry King begins by interviewing Seth Gabel, an actor known for his roles in ‘Fringe,’ ‘Salem,’ and ‘American Horror Story.’ Gabel currently has a role in National Geographic’s first scripted series, ‘Genius,’ which tells the story of Albert Einstein. Larry asks how Gabel got the role of Michele Besso, one of Einstein’s best friends and a physicist/engineer. Gabel admits his father-in-law, Ron Howard, is producing the show, but says he was recommended for the acting part by a show writer who also worked on ‘Salem.’ Gabel praises being able to learn about Einstein and scientific ideas while working on the show.

Larry asks if Gabel has ever worked with his wife, actress Bryce Dallas Howard, and Gabel says he’s only worked with her in a ‘Funny or Die’ video. In response to how he feels about working with his father-in-law, Gabel says it’s fun being part of the same project and being able to talk about ‘Genius’ together. Larry asks Gabel what Einstein’s genius was, aside from his intelligence, and Gabel talks about how Einstein used his imagination and worked with other people. Larry asks about Gabel’s work prior to ‘Genius’ and if he likes darker roles. Gabel admits he tends to get them, and speculates that the dark roles are catharsis since he tries to keep it together as an actor and father. However, his ‘Genius’ role is pure fun, and he’s looking for other projects that are also good.

Next, Larry interviews Jimmy O. Yang, a stand-up comedian and actor who stars as Jian Yang on the HBO comedy series ‘Silicon Valley.’ Yang was also in the film ‘Patriots Day,’ alongside Mark Wahlberg. Larry mentions Jian Yang has become a fan favorite and asks if Yang is stealing scenes. Yang says he’s been trying to from the beginning, since his character only started out with a few lines. Larry asks why Yang has been elevated or if he’s done it himself, and Yang acknowledges it’s a bit of both, and talks about the process of Jian Yang’s character development and being written in more.

Larry asks about Jian Yang’s seafood app on ‘Silicon Valley.’ Yang talks about creating an app on the show that identifies hot dogs (“See Food,” a play on “seafood”), and how the app was actually created and released in real life by people associated with the show. When asked if he’s recognized more for his role in ‘Silicon Valley,’ Yang talks about people approaching him more but with caution, since they want to make sure it’s him and not a random Asian guy. He talks about moving from Hong Kong to Los Angeles as a teenager and how creative arts are not considered a career in Asian families, but nevertheless Yang did stand-up comedy and transitioned to acting. Currently, Yang is writing some projects and looking forward to more opportunities. Larry asks about Yang’s opportunity to work with Wahlberg on ‘Patriots Day,’ and Yang praises Wahlberg’s great intensity and focus.

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