Sherry Cola is a star shining before our eyes, and it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been paying attention or not. For many people who are unaware, the Good Trouble actress has been booked and busy, working tirelessly to bless our television and movie screens while simultaneously tugging on our heartstrings and making us laugh. Cola has starred in hit television shows (Good Trouble), will be joining the Pixar family come March 11th with the release of Pixar’s Turning Red, and has worked with some of the most prestigious creatives in the entertainment industry today in the legendary Sandra Oh and Domee Shi. But this dream didn’t happen overnight. Cola has been working vision since her mother came to America, determined to make a way for her daughter. “This is all I have ever wanted. To be able to say to the universe that I will become an actress and then to see myself do it,” stated Cola with infectious pride. “It’s such a great moment and I’m proud to represent my culture while doing this.”
Ahead of the season four premiere of Freeform’s Good Trouble, Sherry Cola sat down to discuss the importance of Asian Representation, her humble beginnings back in college, and what we can expect from her characters in both Good Trouble and Turning Red.
Marc: So, before we get into the very important heavy subjects around Good Trouble and Turning Red, I want to talk to you about your personal endeavors! You’re named on Entertainment Weekly’s “11 Asian American Comics Who Need To Be On Your Radar”, “One To Watch” by People Magazine, and dubbed a “Fresh Face” at the iconic Laugh Factory. You also have been a part of Character Media’s “Class of 2021 Stars on the Rise” featured alongside some legends. How has this journey been for you as an Asian American woman from Shanghai, raised in San Gabriel, who continues to break down barriers for people like both you and me, who are looking to you for inspiration?
Sherry: Damn! Okay, Marc—I see you with the research! First of all thank you for recognizing that a girl has been hustling for a minute (laughs). I was born in Shanghai and as an immigrant there are a lot of things that I carry, a lot of inspirations because I simply can not have my family come to this country for nothing. I can’t be ordinary. Since I was a kid, I had a passion for performing and entertaining and finally living that dream and being a part of that shift in Hollywood. There are more opportunities but there can be so much more. Asian representation in Hollywood is still very much behind and we still have a lot of catching up to do. And shoutout to Character Media as well for really doing a lot for the community. I’m on that cover for their December issue because I hosted their unforgettable Gala. Sandra Oh was there and John Cho followed me back on Instagram—c’mon! I’m really in the same room as my heroes and that’s not lost on me, the fact that getting to where they are wasn’t overnight so I do have to keep that in mind; we are constantly fighting to have a voice and for what we deserve in this industry and country. If I can use my voice and create some sort of ripple effect for someone else who is young, Asian, a woman, or even queer then I should do so.
I’m embracing all my identities and superpowers. I hope to keep inspiring and following the paths of these trailblazers while also leading the way in a sense as well.
M:When looking back at our lives and where we’re currently at, we can see the point in which we decided yeah, this is what I want to do. You attended California State University Fullerton where you majored in Entertainment and Tourism Studies, and worked for the campus radio station Titan Radio where you would discuss current events, celebrity news but most important of them all you would use this time to make people laugh.
S: It’s so funny because I was there for seven years! I truly didn’t have my s*** together and I completely exceeded my mom’s expectations because she was disappointed and confused for many years. But yeah, I went to Cal State Fullerton, I have a degree in Communications with an emphasis on Entertainment Studies and Tourism. When I started it was only Entertainment Studies—that’s how long I was there (they laugh). The major expanded into Tourism as well! While I was in college I found radio as well; I did three and a half years of radio for my college campus and that’s when I developed my love for that world. I was on the air at 97.1 FM here in LA and from there I started to realize that my dreams couldn’t be limited; I want to do stand up, act, and host on camera.
M: Was this the moment you decided that you wanted to be in the entertainment industry as your career as an actor and comedian or was there a different moment for you?
S: I’ve always wanted to do this, being an entertainer was always on the vision board. When I was in high school I hosted talent shows, I made funny videos in film club but due to a lack of representation I felt like there wasn’t room for me. Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan exist but we were brainwashed into thinking that there wasn’t space for all of us. That was Hollywood not having enough representation; they put Asians in supporting character categories and we’d be lucky if it was in English. Also, a lot of the characters back then were problematic as well and it wasn’t an authentic portrayal of an Asian person most of the time on tv and film. I feel really lucky to be a part of the industry at this time where we are making waves and progress, fighting for what we believe in and what we deserve. We’re seeing these authentic stories and characters with actual intention and purpose. We see layers within these identities and intersectionalities but there is still so much to be done. I have always wanted this life, just never realized it was possible because I didn’t see myself on the screen.
M: Good Trouble Season 4 premiere is March 9th, the show is critically acclaimed, even boasting a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at one point, you been with the show from the jump playing Alice since 2019 and we have seen your character evolve, really play a vital role in moving the series’ story along and not just another caricature or parody of what some Asian-American folks are like and go through. I know you share a bit with Alice in real-life, so what goes into the process of playing a character that has similarities with you? Is it difficult to draw that line between fiction and reality at times?
S: It’s really interesting because when I first booked the role of Alice, she really did feel like me. She’s queer, Chinese, a woman, and she wants to be a stand up comedian—there were already so many parallels between us. But as I began to portray her and as the seasons progressed, I realized we are so different. Alice is more apologetic, where I’m more comfortable in my skin. While we do have differences I am constantly learning from Alice so it’s a lot of similarities and differences but what we go through is always aligned.
For example, in season four we do see Alice go through a traumatic experience and we see her process it, unpack and bottle it up. Alice breaks down in ways that we haven’t seen from her character before and its just the rawest form of emotion. She finds herself in the comedy world but what happens when there are challenges? What happens when something unexpected sets you back? And I think that Alice realizes that her new reality will be tough to swallow in season four.
And as someone who is balancing the ups and downs of life, to be able to portray Alice in such a dark place I am absolutely pulling from dark places that Sherry is going through and went through. Honestly, this is such a bizarre time in my life; it’s beautiful but there are days where I am not feeling too hot. I’ll be fine one day and then hopeless the next. I truly think that what Alice goes through in season four will touch a lot of people especially because Good Trouble’s messaging and tone always aligns with what is going on in the real world. So, a sliver of that through Alice as she shows a certain vulnerability, strength, and resilience that I have never seen a character that looks like her go through. Good Trouble is really doing this right. On that set, I’m not a token Asian person, which is great. We have Sumi, played by Kara Wang, and Sumi is Alice’s best friend/ex-girlfriend and you see them kind of go in and out of their relationship. We get to see them discover how they fit into each other’s lives romantically and not romantically, and be there for each other. We had our beautiful Lunar New Year episode where they share a kiss and I haven’t seen that in my life. Name one other tv show that portrays this kind of love between two Asian women. It’s so layered, nuanced, and I’m excited to continue that into season four as well. To be able to watch their love build and plateau in such a specific way because when there is history between two queer Asian women, its a lot to unpack, and I’m excited for audiences to see it.
M: That’s amazing, I can’t wait. And you brought up the Lunar New Years episode and, sis, that episode was fantastic. I love being exposed to new cultures so it was beautiful to have a whole episode based on an entirely different culture from my own. Truly beautiful to watch.
In the Lunar New Years episode of Good Trouble, Alice is trying her hardest to show her parents that she is an adult. That she can carry on the traditions of her culture in a way that would make them proud. At this moment, to me at least, it feels like there’s a litany of battles taking place. One quote that summarizes this for me was what your character said “I don’t want you to make jokes and cut me down—because that doesn’t make me feel good, you shouldn’t tear me down to build me up” I took that two ways—one in which she is talking to the tough love concept of her family of course and how that rarely results in the situation that they were trying to cultivate and two, a commentary on the state of being a minority in a predominately white country. Since both you and Alice are comedians, it brought up a very interesting question. In a time where certain comedians feel they can no longer be comedians because of the “politically correct” culture we’re in and the jokes that they would tell back in the day being no longer acceptable because we’re no longer taking it, how much of your personal life did you tap into for that striking episode and performance? Both in regards to the familial aspect and the state of comedy?
S: I love that! So, it’s complex. The relationship with our parents and our family members is so complex and then you add on being queer, Asian, a woman of color and immigrants into that it just becomes—its super complex. I mean, I’m still trying to figure it out in my own life. And it’s because of that generational, cultural gap due to me being more exposed to American culture than my parents were. My mother came to this country with me in her arms and all she wanted to do was work hard, put her head down and put food on the table. We talked about the heartbreaking things that are on the news and that was so in line with the time we shot this Lunar New Year episode, which was right after the spa shooting that happened in Atlanta where those Asian women were killed. And because of that and so many other ways this episode hits so close to home. Even after the lion dance where Alice makes a speech, that speech was a lot of my own words because the showrunner gave me the liberty to make it personal. And even with the recent happenings with Kristina who was pushed into the train. It’s devastating the way this country still views Asian women. Thinking of us as people who won’t fight back, submissive, silent and people who don’t deserve to be here. And that aligns with the Lunar New Year episode, the speech and how Alice navigates with her parents.
Also it applies to Alice in season four as well with the through line of trying to figure out how to use your voice in this country—whether that’s comedy or fitting in this country. With comedy, Asians have been the butt of so many jokes for so long; marginalized communities, queer people, the Black community, Latinx community—all marginzalized communities have been targets and you’re right, we’re no longer taking it. If we’re going to make fun, we’ll do it ( they both laugh).
M: Exactly, when we make jokes about ourselves it’s usually not from a place of malice or animosity.
S: Right, it comes from a place of authenticity as well. I can joke about this because I live it and experience this. You have not lived this so stay out of it. Period.
M: Dude this conversation is dope. I love having honest and much needed conversations like this. But, let’s shift gears a bit and enter into the happy happenings of Disney World and Pixar with Turning Red. First off congratulations on your role, we celebrate getting to a bigger bag in this household. I know your role is still undisclosed—
S: Thank you so much! Well, my role isn’t a big secret—and honey, I’m a small part in this phenomenon movie but I’m so thrilled to be in a Pixar movie. Like—are you kidding me?! So, look, I play one of the aunties of Mei, who is a thirteen year old girl who is struggling with her emotions. Whenever things get too angry, sad or intense she turns into a giant red panda —which is symbolism for puberty which is really dope to have that conversation. But yeah I play one of the aunties who comes in at one point during the film and it’s just a really fun squad. To be able to share the animation screen with Sandra Oh—twice! I’m Turning Red with her and then another animated film called The Tiger’s Apprentice, with her and also opposite Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh and that comes out in 2023. Listen, I grew up on Pixar and seeing the range of emotions through these Pixar movies—they taught me how to live. And I’m a part of the family now. I’m thrilled.
M: What was it about Turning Red that sold you on this film and made you want to get involved and become a part of it?
S: Well the director of Turning Red is Domee Shi—who won an Oscar for her Pixar short, Bao. So, that was already so exciting so it was so exciting that she wanted me to be in her next feature. Just in general the fact that Turning Red circles around Asian characters, circles around an Asian family, it’s mystical, it’s heartwarming, it’s everything that you would expect from a Pixar movie and it truly doesn’t disappoint. I’m just so happy for everyone involved.
M: Fantastic, I can’t wait to watch this with my fiancé!
S: Oh congrats on being “fianced” (they laugh).
M: Thank you so much! It’s been great (they laugh). But with all of your future endeavors and everything you got going on out here, Sherry, what can we expect from you in the coming months and the next two years? I’m sure you’re booked and busy.
S: In the next two years you definitely expect a comedy special—hopefully! I’m ready to show the world who Sherry Cola is. I also just wrapped this untitled Lionsgate comedy directed by Adele Lim who did Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon. It’s essentially your classic favorite box office comedy but with four Asian leads which has never been done—it’s the first of its kind. It has everything you need with heart, humor, sexiness, wild adventures, and Asian things. I can’t wait for the world to see it.
Catch Sherry Cola on the Good Trouble‘s Season 4 premiere on March 9th
