Brenda Song Discusses Working With Kate Hudson On "Running Point" And The Impact Of Her Disney Channel Days

If you grew up watching Disney Channel in the 2000s, then chances are you were obsessed with at least one Brenda Song character. Whether it's her iconic portrayal of London Tipton in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody or one of her many DCOMs like Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior or Stuck in the Suburbs, Brenda was a staple on Disney for so many people.

In recent years, she's continued to appear in comedy series like New Girl and Dollface, and this year, she starred in The Last Showgirl alongside Pamela Anderson. Brenda's talents have been beloved across generations, and now she's back in a brand-new Netflix comedy series from Mindy Kaling called Running Point, where she plays Kate Hudson's BFF.

So to celebrate Running Point, Brenda sat down with BuzzFeed to not only discuss this brand-new role — and how being in a comedy series about basketball felt tailor-made for her — but also look back at her memorable run on Disney Channel and how she helped pave the way for representation.

Here's everything we chatted about:

THEN: Have you ever taken anything from a set after filming wrapped? If so, what have you taken?

I am such a rule follower. I actually don't take a lot from set. But I will say the things that I did take from the set; I actually took a couple of things from Suite Life because, obviously, I grew up on that show. 

So the funny thing people probably laugh at is from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody — in London Tipton's suite — I have the life-size painting of London and Ivana, her dog. I took that home. So I have that huge portrait in our house. I know people are like, "Are you gonna hang it in your house?" I was like, "Of course not," but I have it, and it means so much to me.

And I took my suite number, like, door plate. I took that. So those are probably my favorites, just because they mean a lot.

NOW: How did you first get involved in Netflix's Running Point? And how was it working with Mindy Kaling?

I met with Mindy, Ike Barinholtz, and Dave Stassen, who are Mindy's co-creators and the showrunners of the show. We did a Zoom meeting a couple of months before we started filming, and I didn't really know much about the show. It was like an "Untitled Mindy Basketball Project." I was like, first of all, basketball, which I'm a huge Lakers fan, huge basketball fan. And Mindy Kaling. I was already like, Yes. Like, should I say yes before — wait, do they really want me?!

And within five minutes of sitting down in this Zoom with them, I was just like, I want to work with them. They are such incredible collaborators. They're so brilliant, so funny. And when I read this script, it was such a no-brainer. To be honest, I was like, Are you guys sure you want me to be a part of this project? Because this is such a dream project for me.

And it's such a stellar ensemble cast, too.

Being able to work with this cast is incredible. Walking on set every day was such a privilege to be working with people that I just love, like working with, like, Justin Theroux, who is such an incredible actor and incredible writer, who just really challenges you on a different level. Also, Drew Tarver and Scotty MacArthur, who have big backgrounds in improv and stand up, and it's so much fun. They just kept us on our toes. I never knew what was gonna come out of their mouths. 

Working in an environment where you felt really safe to play and to have fun. And, you know, Dave and Ike really gave us that creative freedom to really explore our characters and to just take it to the next level. They're like, "We'll pull you back if you need to, but just go for it." It's more rare than you think it is to be in a safe environment like that.

THEN: Obviously, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody has remained such a big part of your life, and London is a role people love. Looking back, do you think you realized how big being an Asian American lead was on Disney at the time?

Honestly, I say this all the time, I think being so young, you don't think about it. I mean, you wake up, you get to go do that thing that you dreamed of doing your entire life, and you get to make a show at 16; like, who gets to do that? And so, for me personally, I never thought about that. 

I don't think people really appreciate how ahead of the curve Disney was at sort of colorblind casting and allowing very young actors to tell their stories and allow them to be authentically themselves. I think people forget that and don't give them enough credit for allowing kids of all shapes, colors, sizes, backgrounds, and all these things to lead their own stories. It's really beautiful, and I feel really lucky to be able to be a part of that. 

Because now seeing, like, my niece, being able to go back and watch shows like that, is really important, and I think, more important than ever, to allow this next generation to know that, like, anything is possible. Especially in today's world, everyone's always trying to tell you that you can't do this. We hear so many "no's" all the time. So, any place where you can inspire a little bit of hope and change is monumental.

NOW: You get to play Kate Hudson's best friend in Running Point. How was it working with her, too?

I mean, to be able to play Kate's bestie is, I mean, it's iconic. I never thought that I would be able to say those words. I can't tell you how many Kate movies live rent free in my head. I've admired her for so long. I've loved her for so long. You know, they always tell you, like, "Never meet your heroes." And I was so nervous to meet her. But everything that you think of Kate, she's that, and more. She's the best. And has made this experience, like, beyond. 

I think Ali and Isla's friendship is such a beautiful representation of womanhood and girlhood. We can easily, effortlessly slide from, like, talking about clothing to work to boys and all of that. That's what I think they captured so well on this show, was the ease of the friendship, but the working relationship as well. At the end of the day, Ali is Isla's number one fan and her biggest believer, even when she doesn't believe in herself. Ali will push her to believe in herself because Ali knows that she's capable. And we all have friends like that, and I always say I aspire to be that friend. So I think that's what was really fun about this, was being able to really explore that aspect in a workplace environment.

I love the moment in the pilot when Ali tells Isla that she can't mess up because she's a woman.

I remember when I read that scene. That's the thing that Mindy Kaling does so well in a lot of her projects is she does such a beautiful, authentic representation of women. Like, we can still be funny and poke fun at ourselves and say the things that people are only thinking in a fun way. When I read that, I was like, It's so true because that's how I feel. I always feel like, Oh my gosh, this is my one shot. I cannot fuck up. If I fuck up, this is it. And the fact that she's sort of just, like, addressed the elephant in the room — the thing that we want to say — and the fact that she made Ali that character to say it was doubly fun for me.

THEN: When you think back on your time starring on Disney Channel, is there a core memory from that part of your life that comes to mind?

I just felt so lucky that I got to literally play my dream character at 15 years old, and I got to grow with her, and I got to be in a place where I got to grow up in a safe environment on a show that I really loved. I had a lot of fun and grew up with people that are like my second family. 

I had such a beautiful time on Suite Life. I mean, it was hard, and, like, as with everything, there are ups and downs, but that show is so special. I mean, I obviously wouldn't be here without that show or without London Tipton, so I look back with nothing but happy nostalgia and smiles.

NOW: With Running Point, you get to really return to your comedy roots after Suite Life, Dollface, and more. How was it getting to star in a comedy series again?

It's like a warm blanket. It's my happy place. I love comedy. I love making people laugh. That's what I'm drawn to. And I think that's the interesting thing and what's so fun about what we do as actors is that, one day you can do comedy and the next do drama. Literally, I wrapped The Last Showgirl and, eight days later, had the first table read for Running Point. It was such a shift. But I was like, This is the best. Like, I literally went from being a showgirl to now being the chief of staff. Who gets to do that? 

I will say, with this show in particular, I hadn't been really scared walking onto a set in a really long time, especially when it came to comedy, and it was simply because I felt like the pedigree of this show was so incredible. I just wanted to keep up with these incredible, talented people. Not even just on camera, but behind the scenes, too. I look up to Mindy so much, and I love her so much, and to be able to work with her has been such a dream. It's been incredible.

THEN: Is there a London Tipton moment that you've been surprised to find out has stuck with fans of Suite Life over the years?

It's so funny because, like, especially now when people will be like, "Oh my god, I love the PRNDL." It's so funny the things that people take from shows or people find them later on. 

Like, I have a 6-year-old niece who just started watching The Suite Life, and it's so bizarre because she doesn't quite understand that I'm her auntie, who is also in the show. I was trying to explain it to her, and it's just so wild to think how much of this show could stick with her.

NOW: Your partner, Macaulay Culkin, makes a cameo in Running Point Episode 9 as a fan at an LA Waves game. How did his appearance come about?

It honestly just happened because, like with everyone's partners or family or friends, they come and visit the set. We were shooting this stuff, and Mack was goofing around and yelling things at me, and they were like, "Oh, you could be a heckler." And he was like, "Okay!" And they're like, "What?" 

So he literally threw on a sweatshirt and jumped into the scene. So it was very impromptu and very last minute, and he wanted to just make it very silly. At first, he actually didn't want to say anything. He actually originally just wanted to be in the stands, like behind us while we were talking, and they're like, "Well, you have to say...you have to do something." 

Then they just made the bit bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. And it was meant to originally be him sitting in the background in the audience as, like, a little Easter egg for us. But, you know Mack, he can't help himself.

THEN: When fans run into you, what's the most surprising role they recognize you for and/or want to talk to you about?

Wendy Wu has been a big [one], and I feel like it's more now. Besides London, I feel like it's Wendy Wu and, of course, New Girl because everyone — like me — loved that show. 

I feel like, between New Girl and lately, Wendy Wu, a whole lot of Wendy Wu, which is crazy. And again, I feel so grateful because that was, like, my first titular role in anything. I felt really lucky at the time. I'm like, Really?! But you know, that movie was so much fun. 

NOW: Aside from Ali and Isla's relationship in Running Point, I also loved Ali and Jackie's. How was it working with Fabrizio Guido in the series?

Fab is one of my favorite humans, period. They started writing more for Fab and me when they realized, Oh, this is a great contrast to each other. And that's what's beautiful when you work with writers and showrunners who recognize strengths in relationships and on-camera chemistry. Working with Fab was just easy. I feel like we would do, like, a few takes of everything. It was so easy. People we'd always, like, do scenes, we were like, Are we done? Oh, I guess that's it. Just effortless. 

He's just so talented. He also is a stand-up comedian. He's one of those actors that you never know what's gonna come out of his mouth. And that was really fun because it kept me on my toes. I was like, I don't know what's gonna come next. Like the scene in the conference room, he would just throw crazy things at me. And I was like, I was like, I have to be ready, and I have to be in character. It was really fun.

I don't think I had ever seen him in anything else, and he just blew me away. He was so funny.

I found out as we were filming that he's the little boy in World War Z with Brad Pitt. He's also a child actor. Fab has worked so much, but he really transforms with every character that he plays. He didn't do a lot of comedy before this, but I was like, "Fab, you are so funny!"

THEN: You mentioned Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior as an experience you treasure from your Disney Channel days. Do you have a favorite memory from filming that DCOM?

Again, I feel very fortunate. I've had really lovely experiences that have all really helped shape who I am today. So I just look back on everything with such a smile and such a sense of, like, beautiful nostalgia because I feel like not everyone gets their childhood, like, captured on film in that sort of way. 

So it's really funny because I have some, like, black holes in my memory, just because you're a kid, and you're like, Oh, that was a tough time. I was going through a lot, but I also got to do this really fun thing. I got to go to New Zealand for six weeks and shoot this really fun movie, and do martial arts and hang on wires and stuff.

And finally, NOW: You're a huge sports fan, so how was it getting to film a project like Running Point where sports are the main focus?

It was such a dream to pretend that I got to be a part of this world and be able to chat with, like, Jeanie Buss [controlling owner and president of the LA Lakers], who obviously the show is loosely based on, and Linda Rambis [executive director of the LA Lakers], who my character is loosely based off of, and get an insight on what it's like to be a woman in this very male-driven world, was so eye-opening. It was also very, very inspiring. And it was also just fun because we got to really go in there because we're just shining a light on what these women do every day. 

People are like, Oh, this is such a fun twist. Like, this is not a twist. This is based on what they're doing every single day. So I think it was just such a privilege to play such badass women, and hopefully, we do them proud.