‘When the AAPI community is seen as then people will know that we’re here, you know?’
She means it’s different from playing the role of The Funny Sidekick (see:
Crazy Rich Asians). Or maybe she means The Funny Dragon Sidekick
(Raya And The Last Dragon). Or The Funny Slacker-With-Big-Dreams-WhoYou-Wish-Were-Your-Real-Life-Sidekick
(Nora From Queens). And breaking out of that pigeonhole has been like pulling off a magic trick itself. She talks about the results of the monthslong stunt training that challenged her to become ambidextrous,‘Now I pick up the paper with my right hand instead of my left.’
This is part of her magic, of course: the work is there, very much so, but you can barely see it because you’re so distracted by her charm. By how she appears so effortlessly human and warm while also driving a speeding, sideways bus in a Marvel movie.
And then there’s her impact. That Golden Globe? Nora is the first Asian American performer to win in the lead actress category for a film. And it’s hard to overstate the cultural significance of Shang-Chi, the first Marvel film to star an Asian superhero. To have that – and the thrill of celebrating Asian cultures and peoples – happen this year, after the brutal wrongs the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community has faced… ‘these movies make me so proud, just as a watcher, because they contribute to visibility, which I do think has real-life effects,’ says Nora.‘When the AAPI community is seen as not ancillary characters, it’s almost like, then people will know that we’re here, you know?’
That said, it’s all a lot of pressure – especially when, despite your newfound Marvel status, you’re still known for being the hilarious person everyone wants to be friends with. And then the more well-known you become, the more it can feel like, wait, you expect me to be funny all the time? But sometimes I am napping? I wonder out loud about the message so many comedians get, that they’re valuable only when making people laugh. ‘Yeah,’ says Nora. ‘There’s always going to be the immediate want that is, “OK, well, I’m going to do this because I want you to feel joy right now.” But ultimately, a lot of comedy is grounded in really long periods of solitude and really crazy contemplation.’
That’s the thing about ‘being funny’: it actually, often, comes from struggle and trauma – from being doubted, being told you’re too much, being told you’re too little. It comes from people assuming that because you’re funny, you can take a punch that really didn’t need to be thrown.
nora: There’s something that happens when you’re criticised, or someone calls you ugly… lane: Yeah–
nora: You don’t listen to them, whatever, and you come home, and you look in the mirror and you’re like, am I ugly?
Sure, yes, success can be a good – a very good – thing. Nora now has a bigger fan base. More people are listening to what she has to say. She can pay her bills on time. But it’s come with a side of intense criticism and aggressive focus on Awkwafina, the person Nora presents to the world. It’s a
complicated duality, really, and one she’s intent on continuing to navigate. (‘The sacrifices I make,’ she says,‘I make because I love it so much. And I want it so much.’) But she’s stopped looking for validation in tweets or YouTube comments or reviews, turning instead to ‘actual people I love and respect, to myself and my own achievements.’ Maybe it’s maturity, she muses, or maybe it’s just the natural armour you grow when you’re a celebrity who’s had her breakthrough moment and survived to tell the tale.
Not that she’s done trying hard or stressing hard.‘I don’t think I’ll ever get to that point,’ she says.‘Before, I’d do anything because I was waiting, being lost, knowing that things could change tomorrow, or they might never. I didn’t know that it would work, and when it started to, I realised this is something that could actually happen. It’s like when you step into Oz and you start to see one magical thing and you’re like, how does that even exist? But then it numbs you to crazier, more magical things.’ Which is maybe why, at this point, it seems like second nature for Nora to surprise us with something we never saw coming.
nora: I’m going to get absolutely f*cking— lane: ...railed by the magic community.
nora: But it’s literally a game of improvisation and red herrings and thinking on your feet and misdirection and… can I show you one more? Shirt and trousers, both Phillip Lim. Shoes, Manolo Blahnik. Necklaces and rings, all Anita Ko Hair Kylee Heath at A-Frame Agency using R+Co. Make-up Kara Yoshimoto Bua at A-Frame Agency using Chanel. Nails Thuy Nguyen at A-Frame Agency. Fashion assistant Kate Collins. Production Crawford & Co Productions