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TL;DR:

  • Randall Park plays a struggling business owner in Netflix’s Blockbuster.
  • The actor recently revealed what he misses most about Blockbuster.
  • Park worked in video rental back when he was in high school.
Randall Park as Timmy in 'Blockbuster' on Netflix. He's wearing a Blockbuster uniform, standing in front of video displays, and he's holding a clipboard.
Randall Park in ‘Blockbuster’ | Netflix

Blockbuster has made its debut on Netflix, and the show is dredging up all kinds of nostalgia when it comes to video rental. Set in the last remaining Blockbuster, the series sees its struggling manager trying to save his store. That Blockbuster character — Timmy — is played by Randall Park. The actor recently reflected on his own experience with video stores and what he misses most about the Blockbuster chain.

Randall Park plays a struggling manager in ‘Blockbuster’ on Netflix

That’s right, Randall Park takes the lead in Netflix’s Blockbuster, where he plays the role of Timmy Yoon. The show opens with Timmy receiving a call from corporate, informing him that his location is the last remaining Blockbuster. And with corporate dissolving, Timmy will need to find a way to pay his rent and employees if he hopes to keep the video store up and running.

Thus begins a series of attempts to raise money and save the video store, which faced a similar situation in real life. All but one Blockbuster closed, with the company declaring bankruptcy back in 2010. And like many who frequented the store, Park misses certain things about it.

The actor revealed what he misses most about Blockbuster

During an interview with PopSugar, Blockbuster star Randall Park revealed that he frequented the store back when it was still a major chain. He recalled renting “the classics” as a child, and he pinpointed what he misses most about the retailer:

“I do long for the simplicity of those times, and as Timmy says, the human interaction that comes with that. Talking to the clerk at the store, getting recommendations, giving recommendations, all of those things, in real time. I think it’s fun. And it’s something that we don’t have anymore, unfortunately.”

The transition to streaming has certainly decreased the face-to-face interactions associated with retail, and shows like Blockbuster make that more obvious than ever. As Park told PopSugar, there’s a “convenience” to streaming — but it doesn’t necessarily make up for the lack of connection.

And Park knows all about the human connection that comes from video stores, as he worked at one prior to becoming an actor.

Randall Park worked at a video store before he started acting

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It’s no wonder that Randall Park misses the human aspect of Blockbuster. After all, he worked at a video rental store when he was a teenager.

Speaking to Inverse, Park recalled, “It was a regular part of my life. I worked video rental while in high school for several summers. I saw the downfall of the stores and the shifting of the tides. We all kind of lived it.”

It was certainly an interesting time to be alive, and it’s hard to reckon with just how much has changed since. Fortunately, we can revisit the old days through series like Blockbuster. And just like in the show, there is still one Blockbuster store standing! (It’s in Bend, Ore.)

Blockbuster is now streaming on Netflix.

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