Brenda Song is opening up about a significant career opportunity she was content to turn down. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of her new Netflix comedy series Running Point on Thursday, February 13, the actress, 36, revealed that she was once offered a musical project, similar to many of her fellow former Disney stars. “But I’m not a singer,” Song says, explaining why she passed on the opportunity. “My last name may be Song, but God is fair—you do not want to hear me sing!” Jokingly recalling her reaction to the idea of making music, she adds, “I was like, ‘Are you sure about that? You haven’t heard me sing!’ I never say never, but I don’t think anybody wants to hear that.”
Song, who began acting at a very young age and appeared in several Disney projects including The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, also took a moment to reflect on her start as a child star. This early experience has led to the busy and fulfilling career she enjoys now. “Honestly, of course I feel proud. Without any of that, I wouldn’t be here. I worked so hard to be the woman I am today, and it’s because of all of that. So I’m so incredibly proud,” she says. “I just look back on everything with such a fond smile because it’s such a beautiful time in my life,” Song adds. “And it’s so crazy that I’ve been doing this for so long and I still love it so much.”
Song expressed her gratitude for the opportunities she currently has while noting the evolution she’s experienced both as an actress and a woman. “I have two really beautiful projects that I’m so proud of, and I feel like they’re so different for me,” she says, referring to Running Point and The Last Showgirl. “But it embodies who I am today, and I think for the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve changed so much and I’ve evolved into the woman that I’ve worked so hard to be. Like I feel like finally for the first time, at 36, it’s like this is the new me. It’s almost a reintroduction to the world in a weird way, even though I’ve been here the whole time.”
“I think that’s what it feels like for me, especially with these projects,” Song continues. “I mean, the pedigree and the people that I get to work with feel so unreal. I just feel incredibly grateful that I get to wake up and continuously do what I’ve loved to do my entire life, but doing it with people I admire so much and respect.”
In Running Point, Song stars alongside Kate Hudson, who plays Isla Gordon, a reformed party girl unexpectedly appointed president of the professional basketball team her family owns. She must navigate the challenges of a male-dominated sports industry. Song’s character, Ali Lee, is Isla’s best friend and the team’s chief of staff. The 10-episode series, created by Mindy Kaling, also features Max Greenfield, Chet Hanks, and Drew Tarver. Running Point is set to premiere on February 27 on Netflix.
