Randall Park Recalls Road Trip That Ended With Viral Meningitis Diagnosis

Actor Randall Park says one of the most memorable trips of his life turned into a medical emergency.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Fresh Off the Boat star recalled taking a road trip from Los Angeles to Indiana after high school to visit his girlfriend, who was attending Indiana University. During the drive, Park became seriously ill around Wyoming.

By the time he reached Chicago, he was hospitalized and diagnosed with viral meningitis. He was too sick to continue the trip and had to fly back home without seeing his girlfriend.

“I remember just thinking, ‘I have to get to Indiana to see her,’” Park said.

The couple stayed together for about another year before breaking up. Park said he sometimes wonders how things might have turned out if he had completed the trip.