Happy face
Since she starred on our December cover last year, Awkwafina – or Nora Lum, has gone from strength to strength, becoming a favourite of the house of Gucci, and this month joining the Marvel universe as a superhero sidekick. Hannah-Rose Yee catches up with
Awkwafina – or Nora Lum, has gone from strength to strength, this month joining the Marvel universe as a superhero sidekick.
VOGUE AUSTRALIA: Hey, Nora! How are you?
NORA LUM: “Hey, Hannah! It’s been a minute! I’m doing all right. I just got back to Los Angeles yesterday.”
VA: I was going to ask where in the world you are, because you’ve been all over since we last spoke in Sydney for your cover interview.
NL: “Yeah, after we spoke I went to Vancouver and did another quarantine there. I shot this movie with Mahershala Ali called Swan Song. And then, after that, I went to New York and filmed my show for four months. Then I went to London for work. I really liked London! It’s been crazy, but I’m going back to London, basically … I’m just going to go have a little break.”
VA: When was the last time you took a holiday?
NL: “Well, I had a month off during lockdown. And then, I went to Hawaii, maybe three years ago? So, I don’t take a lot of breaks.”
VA: Do you like being busy?
NL: “Yeah, I think I crave it … My grandma was this very tireless workaholic; I definitely have an aspect of that. It’s a weird industry; when you’re not working, you don’t really know what you’re doing, you’re just floating around. I definitely love working. It’s more how to sit with myself when I’m not, you know?”
VA: I always think it takes a few days on holiday before you actually feel relaxed.
NL: “No, no, exactly. It’s like the stages of grief. I think the first couple of days, you’re just like, ‘tequila!’ And then just sad, you know? And then it takes a while for you to realise, like, oh, maybe I should, I don’t know, do a couple of push-ups or something. I definitely have that stir-crazy, don’t-know-what-to-do kind of thing.”
VA: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
NL: “Honestly, I really like making music. I do that a lot, it’s very therapeutic. And then I like to write down ideas and stories and things. I feel like I watch TV a lot when I’m decompressing from work. When I have all this time on my hands, I always want to pick up a new hobby. Over quarantine, I picked up magic. Card tricks … I’m not even good at the execution, is what I found. But I love picking up hobbies that I’ll never be that good at.”
VA: So, last year, you were living in Sydney making the film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
NL: “I miss Sydney every day. It’s pretty far, is the only thing.”
VA: I know you ate a lot of Ho Jiak when you were here. What were some other memorable meals?
NL: “Oh man, there was this Korean barbecue place I loved in Haymarket, [Chinatown]. I would go to King Tea. I remember Simu [Liu, star of Shang-Chi] took me to this Taiwanese restaurant in a strip mall. I went to the Opera House, I went to Bennelong. I wore jeans. I was like: ‘I’m so sorry, I’m wearing jeans’ … Oh, Mr Wong! God, I miss Mr Wong.”
VA: We’re on the eve of Shang-Chi’s slated release on September 2. What can you say about the film?
NL: “It really is a movie about identity, and I think a lot of people can relate … There’s a lot of action. And I can’t say that I’m good at martial arts at all. I can’t say that I’m good at really anything! But I had a lot of fun being very amazed at our stunt team and what can happen in that world, which is like, sky’s the limit.”
VA: Do you remember how you felt when you were first approached by Marvel?
NL: “I met up with Destin [Daniel Cretton, the director], in what I thought would be a short meeting, but it went on for hours. We talked so much about the origins of Shang-Chi and what this movie will represent, but also just his love of movies. I could see how passionate he was about creating this character, how much it meant to him. I walked out of that meeting being like, I am going to do this movie, because I love that guy. And working with him was amazing, because it is a big, big movie, but Destin always takes the time to sit with you in those little moments of finding out what’s really going on. And in that way, it didn’t feel big, it felt very close. So, yeah, I’m really glad I said yes.”
VA: Superhero movies also mean toys. Have you seen yours yet?
NL: “Simu actually bought me my toy. And it looks like me! It has my body! It’s crazy. I don’t know what to do with my own toy. Do I play with myself? Or do I leave it in the box? I mean, it’s still kind of trippy. I haven’t seen them in the stores yet, but I can’t wait to freak out a Target check-out lady, when I’m just like: ‘You know who this is?’”
VA: As a face of Gucci, is it raining Gucci at your house?
NL: “I mean, yes. And the weather’s welcome, let’s say! It’s always cool when you get to partner up with brands that you genuinely like and fangirl over. That was very fun. And actually, that whole experience with Vogue Australia was one of the best shoots in my life … I really like that video about how much
I knew about Australia. I was like: ‘I’m going to anger an entire nation!’”
VA: You did well though!
NL: “I did pretty good! I knew what an Akubra was. That was kinda tight.”
VA: Outside of Vogue editorials, what’s your usual style?
NL: “Oh man. One sock. A pair of boxers. Things like that. I do feel like an imposter sometimes, because I wear some really awesome stuff in shoots, but then in my real life, it’s like – I’m wearing a shirt that says ‘Meowdy’. And it has a cat with a cowboy hat on it. But I’m learning. I think I have a different relationship with fashion now than I did before.”
VA: Do you have a personal favourite red-carpet look?
NL: “I think the way that you feel in the outfit is going to dictate how much you love it, or how fondly you think of it later. And when I say ‘feel’, it’s not just: I feel beautiful, but also, like, I can run if I want to. I can fully run. I can stand and talk to someone without my knees shaking because of the shoes. So my favourite outfits were ones that were really comfortable.”
“I want to find the next level of peace, or whatever that means. I think if I’m going to continue becoming an adult, I hope I reach a level where the growing is good”
VA: You were a noughties teen, so I imagine you’ll have a good answer to this question: any fashion regrets?
NL: “I used to love shirts that said your zodiac sign, but in bedazzled jewels that would fall off. So then you wouldn’t even have a complete design. I also wore these really useless, gigantic belts. They weren’t doing anything. Like, wide, they couldn’t fit through a [belt loop], they just kind of sat there. Bedazzled zodiac sign shirts and belts that served no purpose.”
VA: What are your hopes for the future?
NL: “I want to make sure my family is good. And I want to find the next level of peace, or whatever that means. I think if I’m going to continue becoming an adult, I hope I reach a level where it’s good; the growing is good.”
VA: Do you feel like you’re becoming more grown up?
NL: “No, it’s funny, I don’t think you ever really feel like a grown-up. I think that all the people you thought were grown-ups probably felt the same way. They were just thrust into grown-up things that you have to arrive at. I feel like that journey is still beginning. I want to find out more about myself. I want to find out what’s going to make me happy in the next phase of my life.”