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Good Trouble's Sherry Cola on why Margaret Cho is an icon

On CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast, actor, comedian and stand-up Cola discusses her Freeform show and her viral character, Lil' Tasty.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
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Patrick Holland
2 min read
Sherry Cola

Sherry Cola is an actor, comedian and stand-up, and more importantly, someone you should know.

Emma Mead

Sherry Cola is that rare gem of an artist who can be both funny and moving. Her talent can handle many roles, like actor, comic and stand-up. If you're not familiar with her, the two things you need to know are that she's funny and that you should get to know more about her. Cola was in the film Endings, Beginnings with Shailene Woodley, Jamie Dornan and Sebastian Stan. She's also been in shows like I Love Dick on Amazon Prime Video, Claws on Hulu and SafeWord on MTV. For the web series Luber, she created the character Lil' Tasty and became a viral sensation. The videos received more than 20 million views on Facebook.

For three seasons, Cola has starred as Alice in the Freeform series Good Trouble, which follows a diverse group of residents at a communal living space as they navigate their lives. The show hits on topics like work, love, friendship, social justice and queer rights. Alice manages the space while she pursues comedy. Cola was my guest on CNET's I'm So Obsessed, and she explained the appeal of her show.

"Good Trouble is a reflection of real life. Every single character is fighting for something big or small. Whether it be in the workplace, whether it be in a relationship, whether it be about social injustice and trying to change the wrongs in the world," said Cola. "There are so many layers in my character's journey, her struggle. She is a queer first-generation Chinese-American."

The spring finale of Good Trouble's 3rd season airs Wednesday, and Margaret Cho guest stars as a mentor for Alice's comedy program. Growing up, Cola's role model was Cho.

"Margaret Cho is the queen, the icon. Her sitcom back in the '90s was the very first sitcom about an Asian family on a broadcast network," said Cola. "I would watch her stand-up, and just think, 'Wow! This woman, this Asian woman, this queer Asian woman is so outspoken.' She's breaking the stereotype of what people think an Asian woman is. The stereotype is that we're quiet. We don't want to rock the boat. And Margaret completely broke that barrier."

You can listen to my entire conversation with Cola via the podcast player above, or on Apple Podcasts. She discusses stand-up, her love for Kobe Bryant, and what it's like to go viral.

New episodes of Good Trouble air Wednesday nights on Freeform. Previous episodes and seasons are available to watch on Hulu. You can subscribe to I'm So Obsessed on your favorite podcast app. In each episode, Connie Guglielmo or I catch up with an artist, actor or creator to learn about work, career and current obsessions.

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