'So much happens so quickly' on 5th season of Kim's Convenience, Andrew Phung says

Get ready, KimBits: Season 5 of Kim's Convenience premieres on Tuesday night.

And according to Calgary actor Andrew Phung — known and loved for his character Kimchee — a lot is about to happen on the series, and quickly.

Since premiering in 2016, the show about the loveable Kim family and their downtown convenience store has earned high ratings, critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Canadian Screen Award for best comedy series and best lead actor in a comedy.

Phung told the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday that from medical diagnoses to evolving relationships, the new season of Kim's Convenience is poised to answer questions from Season 4 and develop its characters — while maintaining a lot of the heartfelt levity audiences look forward to.

"This show has so much heart and love and comedy," Phung told host David Gray.

"We're really excited about Season 5, because I think this is the show that people need right now. It's an escape from the world we're kind of living in."

Phung also spoke to the experience of filming under COVID-19 restrictions, what's behind the show's enduring success, and why he'll always identify as a Calgarian.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: You were a long time Calgarian, and you made your name in this city. But I have to assume that you are now a Torontonian. Is this true? 

A: I live in Toronto now, but I'm always a Calgary kid, born and raised … to the point where I have friends from high school write me, and they're just like, 'We get it Phung, you're from the northeast of Calgary, [it's in] every single piece of press.'

That's just who I am, and I love it. I love that I get to rep the city across the country.

Q: Tell me about the show, and going into the fifth season. Is it going new directions? Are you still excited about doing it? Do you still get along with your cast members?

A: I love my cast members from the bottom of my heart. They are some of my best friends, and you see that on the screen, and you see that in our work. And I love playing this character because he is funny, and he has heart, and he has growth. And we've seen this character grow over five seasons.

This season in particular, so much happens so quickly. We deal with Umma's medical diagnosis we learned about in Season 4. We learn about Kimchee dealing with stuff from his dad and his past, his relationship with Appa, his girlfriend that lives with him now, and possibly an old flame comes back into the picture.

Q: You talked about your friends in Calgary, in the business. Does your heart go out to them? Is it hard for you to see what's happening in the creative community right now? 

A: It breaks my heart, but not only in the creative community — in a lot of communities. A lot of industries are struggling right now, and it'll take a lot of time for them to get back on their feet.

I think, at the end of the day … we've got to show love and compassion to supporting those in all industries. And just giving what we can. 

But I know, the city of Calgary, we've heard the terms before: Mavericks, underdogs. When this clears out and the world settles down, the Calgary arts community will come back in full force. We're seeing that with some of the virtual work right now.

But I know this city will come back and I know the city also, the audiences, will come back, and they want to be entertained. 

Q: You shot this during the pandemic. What was that like? 

A: It was a whole new set of protocols. It was hundreds and hundreds of tests. I got so used to testing. In between scenes … I would walk out the back trailer, get a test, come back and continue shooting the scene. At the end of day, everyone stepped up. We had zero cases, zero shut down.

And I think the main cast, I know for sure, we knew how important the show was. So we didn't take any risks. And we put everything into our work. I think it's reflected in the season. I have a newfound appreciation for the crew and everything you have to go through to put up a season like this. 

Q: You have literally legions of fans. I know that because I've seen how many people show up for the premieres back when you could hold them in public places. What do you think it is? 

A: I think at the end of the day, diversity gets you a Season 1. You know, it might get you the opportunity to tell your story. But being good gets you to five seasons and more.

What I love is that people stop me in the street and they say the show is funny. They yell "Kimchee!" from their windows because the show is funny, the characters are relatable, they're not perfect. It's a story about a small business trying to make it in Toronto.

And I think it's something that everyone can get behind, because who doesn't have a convenience store they remember most of their childhood?

The fifth season of Kim's Convenience will be available to stream on Gem starting Jan. 19.

With files from Vicky Qiao and the Calgary Eyeopener.