Krista Marie Yu Talks ‘Dr. Ken’ [Exclusive Interview]

Krista Marie Yu has always loved to perform.

The actress, who has appeared on such shows as Cougar Town, The Middle, Switched at Birth, and Agent Carter currently stars the witty teenage daughter on ABC’s hit comedy, Dr. Ken.

I recently had the chance to chat with Yu about her character, the show, and how a unique college experience helped her get her start.

Yu grew up dancing and performing, and when it was time to go to college, she wanted to go somewhere that would allow her to focus on acting.

“My mom just kind of grabbed us this guide and looked up strong academic schools that also had theater, and one of them was Carnegie Mellon,” Yu said. What she didn’t realize at first was that she was auditioning for a conservatory program, but that turned out to be the perfect fit.

“I still consider all of my classmates my brothers and sisters. There’s just a very special bond that you have with people who you take classes with literally 24/7 — and grow not just as artists but as people.”

“There’s just a trust that really develops, and I’m grateful for the support system I had through my classmates,” Yu continued. “I’m able to trust myself more as an artist because I had them supporting me through all of those artistic risks we were taking at school.”

Yu said she’s also grateful for the encouragement she had growing up. “I feel very blessed and fortunate for all the people who believed in me and supported me and encouraged me to be where I am today.”

When it came to joining the cast of Dr. Ken, there was a key moment that made Yu really want to be a part of the show.

“I think the moment [I knew] I really wanted to be a part of the show was my first callback. I had total of three call backs, but the first one, after the initial audition, Ken [Jeong] was there. And when I saw how passionate he was about this project, and how caring he was in finding the right Molly for this project, I just immediately fell in love with the way he worked,” Yu recalled.

“Ken is really known for The Hangover and for characters [that are] kind of crazy and out there, and Ken does bring that amazing aspect into this show that he’s known well for. But what I really appreciate about him and what he gets to share in this show is that he has a very genuine, caring, deep side,” Yu continued.

She also credited Jeong for creating such a positive work environment.

“Ken is one of the hardest working people I know. He’s also one of the most generous and caring people I know. He really looks out for every single person in the Dr. Ken family. I’m not just talking about the actors. I’m talking about the background artists. I’m talking about the lighting crew the catering services. He really understands that we’re all a team, and he just doesn’t take anybody for granted.”

And because Jeong is a doctor in real life, not just on screen, Yu said the medical references were always accurate, and many of the cases were inspired from his work.

“He really brought in some very interesting stories that are based on cases that he knows of,” Yu said. “The episode that we’re working on right now is based on his experience with his wife, Tran, who had breast cancer.”

Yu also talked about a recent episode that dealt with Marfan syndrome.

“I feel like there are a lot of illnesses in this world that people struggle with that there’s no awareness for, and I think it’s great that Ken was able to bring in a story about Marfan syndrome to bring awareness for people who probably struggle with it.”

In addition to that work environment, Yu is really happy playing her character.

“I really love playing Molly,” she boasted. “She’s just so much fun to play. I think she’s a little but more snarky than I am, but other than that, I really appreciate her thoughts. [She’s] pretty quick-witted, and her fashion’s really fun.”

Yu can also relate to one particular struggle Molly has coming up. “Not only is Molly excited, but I’m personally excited to find out where [she gets] into college as well, because I remember that time being very stressful.”

Dr. Ken is one example of a move toward more diversity on television, and that’s something else Yu appreciates.

“That’s why I love Molly so much. She’s just your average girl who just happens to be Asian,” she said. “Our episodes deal with everyday life as it would be for anybody, regardless of what skin color they have.”

When she has the time, Yu watches many different kinds of television shows. “I really enjoyed watching Stranger Things. I enjoyed Westworld. I also really enjoy watching Chopped. It inspires me to try to cook as well. I tried it once on a twenty-minute limit, and it was very difficult. The last ten seconds just get so high stakes. I don’t know how they all finish their meals,” Yu laughed.

“I love Blackish. I love Fresh Off the Boat. It’s always exciting to see TV because it’s just constantly giving me something new,” she continued.

“I really love Speechless. Jonathan Slavin who is also on Dr. Ken has a part on Speechless and I just think the message and the show itself is an original and phenomenal show.”

Be sure to catch Krista Marie Yu on Dr. Ken, airing Fridays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.

*Featured image credit: Shanna Fisher

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