EXCLUSIVE: Tim Kang chats The Mentalist!

Everyone who knows anything about me is aware of my obsession with all things The Mentalist. So put yourself in my shoes for a second and imagine having the opportunity to have a one-on-one phone conversation with one of the stars of the CBS hit!! Are you running around the room screaming while pulling at your hair? If you’re in my shoes, that’s EXACTLY what you are doing!

Once I calmed down a bit, I was able to have a very enjoyable chat with Tim Kang, who plays Agent Cho, one of our favorite CBI agents from The Mentalist, which airs on Thursdays at 10/9pm Central on CBS.

I had so many questions for him, and he was more than happy to answer all of them! We went well above and beyond the allotted time that was scheduled, which speaks to the appreciation Tim has for his fans, and the love he obviously has for the show he stars in. I thought that I was going to lose my mind when I first heard his voice on the line, but he was great at calming my nerves:

Tim: Hey Tami!
Tami: Hey there, Tim! How’s it going today?
Tim: Pretty well!
Tami: Good! Is it okay to call you Tim?
Tim: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, why wouldn’t it be?
Tami: (laughs) Okay, I just want to be sure.
Tim: I want you to call me Joe, actually, that would be good.
Tami: (laughs) Well, I want to let you know in advance that I’m a HUGE fan of The Mentalist, and I’m a little nervous, so please bear with me.
Tim: Aww! (laughter) That’s great! I’m so glad you like the show!

What a guy! So stop for a moment and picture Agent Cho in the CBI office being…Cho-ish. Got a visual? Okay, keep that in your mind while I explain to you right now that Tim Kang is NOTHING at all like Cho, in any way, shape, or form. He is so upbeat and friendly! We joked about the screwy phone/internet service that we have in common, and we even had a laugh as he was taking his trash out to the garbage collectors! This prompted me to ask Tim to explain to me the difference between him and his character on The Mentalist:

Tami: How is Tim Kang different from Agent Cho?
Tim: I like to crack a smile more than once every month.
Tami: (laughs)
Tim: You know what I mean? We only get to see Cho at work, but there was that one occasion where he was hanging out at this girlfriend’s house.
Tami: Yes!
Tim: I think that’s kind of the difference. He lives in that sort of focused, “get the job done” part of his life. That’s where he normally resides. Me, on the other hand, I like to laugh and joke. When the cameras aren’t rolling, there’s a lot of smiling and laughing going on. Certainly we take our job very seriously, but we try to keep it light. So, I think that’s a big difference between myself and Agent Cho.

We talked a lot about The Mentalist. We discussed whether or not he watches the broadcasts, how the current season is different from previous seasons, and got some new insight about upcoming episodes!

Tami: I’ve heard one of your cast mates say before that he never watches The Mentalist episodes on television. But, I really want to believe that on Thursday nights, you are sitting in front of the television, I don’t know, sipping a protein drink or something, watching along with the rest of us! Do you watch The Mentalist when it airs?
Tim: (laughs) If I can. You know, most weeks I’m at work, and actually SHOOTING The Mentalist. (laughs) when it is on, so, many times I actually miss the first airing of it.
Tami: I see.
Tim: But I try to!

Tami: Have you noticed anything in particular that’s been different this season as compared to prior seasons?
Tim: To be honest with you, not really. We’re still doing the same stuff that brought us to this point. A lot of times with things like this, you hope you’re doing something right, and if the viewers respond, then that’s a good thing! So, we’re just trying to keep doing what we’re doing. I think that we’re a little bit more comfortable now, in terms of the crew has worked together now for a number of years, the cast, etc…so, we have this shorthand way of communicating with each other that makes things a little more efficient, makes things a little more understandable when we have conversations. But, you know, from the get-go, we all enjoyed each other’s company, we all love working together,even when the cameras weren’t rolling.

For example, Owain and I hung out, on wrap, after Season 2, and went to car races.You would think that after 9 months of spending basically every day together, we’d be sick of each other at that point. That’s where that friendship kind of comes through, in the show, and I think ultimately leads to the success of the show. As of late, there’s been nothing like, “A new person came in!”, or a new way of writing the lines…no, nothing like that.

Tami: Will there be anything for us to look forward to in Season 3 that gives us even more insight into who Cho really is and what makes him tick?
Tim: Oh yeah. We’re almost halfway through the season and it’s been fairly light, because we needed to take care of a few other storylines, and introduce a few new characters and this kind of thing. But there will be certainly be a little bit more, in the near future, meaning episodes 12, 13, and 14, in terms of reviewing a little more information about background. You know, just parceling it out a little bit, and then somewhere around Episode 15 or 16, there will be sort of an in-depth look at Cho’s previous military background.

Definitely during the second half of the season we will get a more insight on who this guy is, what makes him so focused on what he does…certainly that’s a part of his personality and he’d be that way regardless. But, there are events in his life, in his past. You know, we’re all damaged, to some degree. You, me, everybody, you know, and the same goes with the members of this unit.

We’ve obviously had a chance to look at Robin’s character a little bit, and we’ve had a chance to look at Owain’s character a little bit, and even Amanda’s character to a degree, and we ALL know that Patrick Jane is f***ed up. (laughs) So, we’re going to take a look at some of Cho’s problems as well, in the second half. And I’m looking forward to doing it, because those scenes are a lot of fun to do. When you get to do more than just, “The victim is 23 years old, multiple gunshots, blah, blah, blah.” You get to kind of sink your teeth into it a little bit more.

The cast and crew are currently in the middle of filming episode 11, which is entitled “Bloodsport”. Tim and I discussed how shooting is going so far, and what we can look forward to in this particular episode. I also got some insight on what’s to come for the remainder of the season and learned who Tim wishes Cho got more interaction with!

Tami: What can you tell me about “Bloodsport” the episode you’re currently filming?
Tim: We just started filming this episode, and it showcases the MMA fighting world. It surrounds the murder of a journalist who’s writing a book about the MMA, and we get a chance to meet two very colorful MMA fighters. And this one is more fun than previous episodes this season just by virtue of the fact that there are possibilites of multiple perpetrators. And we’re chasing a few different people around, and there’s a little bit more of a twist.

Certainly every week there’s a twist, but there’s a little bit more in this one.This one in particular has been quite fun to do. We’re only in the third day of shooting, but it should be good!

Tami: Are there any tidbits you can give us about something very dramatic that’s coming up this season? Something that will cause the fans to go crazy?
Tim: Actually, there will be some friction between Cho and Rigsby! And certainly we’re going to continue to see friction between Rigsby and Van Pelt and O’Loughlin, and again as I said, we’re going to have an episode dedicated much like last year to delving into Cho’s background, and certainly we will revisit Red John a couple more times before this season is over.

And in the brief conversations that I’ve had with the writers about the story arc for the season sounds really great. And I already know just judging from what we’ve seen that’s aired so far, that we’re going to have a great jumping off point to jump into the second half of this season.

I know that I’m being fairly cryptic, not very specific, but I don’t know, other than quiet little discussions that I’ve had with these guys. And a lot of times, they don’t know. So it’s difficult for them to answer my questions because they don’t know. And ultimately the only person who does know, who I think also think at times actually doesn’t know, is Bruno, the creator.

He sort of oversees the storyline, so we’re always scratching for a little bit more information, but sometimes we don’t get it. Again, your guess is as good as mine, but definitely we’re going to look into characters a little more. Certainly we love to watch Jane and watch how he manipulates people into admitting their wrongs, certainly that’s the crux of the show. But the details are more interesting, and we’re going to get a lot of those details.

I can guarantee it!

Tami: What is your opinion on the dynamic of the relationship between Cho and Patrick Jane? Even though, Cho gets frustrated with Jane, there seems to be an overall trust there, even when Jane uses unorthodox methods to handle situations. How would you describe their relationship overall?
Tim: I think there’s a mutual respect between Cho and Jane. I think that respect lies in the fact that we’re both about getting the job done. We’re both about the bottom line. Jane will certainly use his kooky methods to get there, and Cho will use whatever means necessary to get to where he is, short of breaking the law.

Although as you mentioned, we saw in Episode 14 of last season, Cho is not afraid to to bend the law a little bit, if need be. So that’s not beyond him, and that’s part of the reason why he can go along with some of Jane’s crazy shenanigans. Now, I think aside from that mutual respect, there’s some things that Cho can learn from Jane in order to become a better investigator. The “detective work” that Jane does certainly, invariably, week after week brings out dividends as far as getting the crime solved, and Cho certainly sees the value of that.

But at the same time, a lot of Jane’s antics really aren’t going to get by Cho. Certainly he can fool Van Pelt at times, you know, he definitely fools Rigsby all of the time! But I think that Cho as well as Lisbon have a sharper eye toward Jane’s behavior. At the same time, that respect never goes away.

Now, this third season what I’ve been hoping for is a little more banter between Cho and Jane, but thus far it’s been a little thin for whatever reason, I don’t know what that is. But I’m hoping that the second half of this season there will be more interaction between Cho and Jane. That’s what I’m hoping for.

Toward the end of our conversation, we moved away from the questions specifically about the show itself, and I was able to gain a little more insight about what goes on behind the scenes, and got a little personal info on Tim himself that I found very interesting!

Tami: Do any of you on the cast play pranks on one another during filming? What’s the best prank so far?
Tim: Actually it’s a pretty tame set! Every once in a while, certainly there are jokes played and pranks played, and Owain is the one that loves playing the most pranks on people! They’re not really pranks, they’re more, well, I guess they are pranks. (laughs) I’m trying to remember one of the last ones he did…gosh, what was it? Um…something that would be…appropriate. They’re more like ribbing, like giving each other s**t, you know, and certainly Owain and I do that more than anybody else. It’s not like Mel Gibson playing pranks on people all of the time on set. I’ve heard that he is quite the prankster, it’s not like that.

Tami: What type of music are you into/who are your favorite music artists?
Tim: I grew up on a lot of the West Coast grunge metal, so that’s mostly what I’m still into.
Tami: Okay, seriously, I did not expect you to say that.
Tim: (laughter) Metal! Yep, I love metal music. (laughs) If I ever have time to go on a date or anything, I’ve got to tell you, my dates enjoy listening to “Slayer” all the way to dinner. You know, real romantic stuff, like Slayer. It’s a treat for them, I’m sure.

You heard it here first! Want a chance with Tim? Get some Slayer on your iPod and start learning all of the words STAT!

Tonight, Episode 8 airs which is entitled “Ball of Fire”. Someone who Patrick Jane had put away in jail will kidnap Jane! The team goes through logs and logs of files to try to determine who it could be. It looks like a race against time to save Jane! I asked Tim what it was like shooting “Ball of Fire” and if he has had a chance to watch an advanced copy yet.

Tami: The episode looks extremely thrilling and I’m anticipating some pretty harrowing scenes from the previews. Tell us what it was like shooting this one!
Tim: It was a lot of fun, in the sense that there was this quiet intensity about that particular episode. And I think it was because as soon as the cameras were rolling, our characters were talking about one of our very good friends, somebody that’s become very near and dear to us. It became personal. And I found that while we were shooting it, there was a little bit more of a focus and an intensity on finding our friend.

And you’re absolutely right, from what you saw in trailers or previews, or whatever, that it is a lot of fun. I actually had a chance very recently to look at a cut of it, and it kind of keeps you on the edge on your seat, even more so than usual, and I think it’s going to be a good one.

This interview was like a dream come true. I was so thankful for the opportunity to interview the man behind one of my favorite characters on television. The fact that he was so happy to take some time early in the morning on his day off, to talk with me and share some info about the show makes my love for the show (and Tim) soar into the stratosphere! (Look out Simon Baker!)

Photo Credit: Michael Desmond/CBS

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