Awkwafina has made a name for herself as a rapper and comedian, cracking jokes on Girl Code and popping up in series such as Hulu’s Future Man, but she’s just getting started. There’s plenty more in store for the performer in 2018, including roles in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians. And it’s reassuring to know that when it comes to paving the way for other women and Asian-Americans in Hollywood, it’s no laughing matter — she’s been on the front lines of an industry reluctant to change.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun while chipping away at the way things used to be.
“If we're going to be telling stories about women, with female leads, why can't we have a female director?” she tells Teen Vogue at the Young Hollywood shoot while discussing the Time’s Up initiative. “There are female directors; these people exist. So you can't say limited availability.”
Beyond calling for more equality both in front of the camera and behind it, Awkwafina stands staunchly against stereotypical roles for Asians. She won’t do auditions that call for accents, and she’s turned down roles for big franchise movies because she knows the depictions are not good for her community. For her, it’s a responsibility that comes with being a creator. But she also acknowledges that not every aspiring actor has the luxury of making this kind of call.
“Turning down roles, I think, is a thing of privilege, in the same way as speaking up against violence that you've experienced in the industry,” she says. “A lot of people who don't speak up on it, or waited, it's because they have too much to lose.”
And while she’s still getting used to being in the spotlight, Awkwafina is able to reflect on her journey and take responsibility for decisions that maybe don’t sit well with her now. As she began to act more, she took a step back and looked at how she fit into the landscape of music. She became deliberate about not perpetuating cultural appropriation — specifically of hip-hop artists — in her work and decided to stop making music until she found a more authentic voice.
While discussing identity politics, she opens up about what it’s like to navigate through a world that’s created by how others see you. Born to a first-generation Chinese-American father and a South Korean immigrant mother, she says her Asian identity is nuanced.
“For me, it's easy, I could blend in to either/or, you know? No one really knows how Korean or how Chinese I am,” she says. “But I hope as people understand identity and race more, in this country...I think that we'll be able to have more conversations about that, but right now we're just one group, pretty much.”
Awkwafina is slated to be part of the all-Asian cast of the much-anticipated Crazy Rich Asians, adapted from the best-selling novel. She plays Peik Lin, a college friend of one of the main characters, Rachel Chu, portrayed by Constance Wu of Fresh off the Boat fame. She’s also currently working on a music project and should have a single coming out soon.
Fans will get to see more of Awkwafina in the upcoming Ocean’s 8 (an all-female reboot of the heist films), also starring the likes of Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Rihanna, among other celebrity powerhouses. She had waking nightmares before meeting some of her castmates and was worried she would say something weird to Sandra. Of course, it ended up being what she calls one of the coolest things she thinks she’ll do in her entire life, especially thanks to the “very warm environment,” where she felt like an equal with the other celebs.
Unfortunately, not everyone in Hollywood is so welcoming. On set, Awkwafina revealed that she recently had a run-in with another legendary artist: the dog who played Air Bud. Apparently he wasn’t very nice.
But despite the nasty manners of Hollywood’s canines, she is hopeful about the future.
“I think I'm seeing a general shift in Hollywood, and even since I've started acting, like two or three years ago,” Awkwafina says. “I think whatever we're in right now, we're moving in the right direction.”
Don’t worry about the future of Hollywood — it’s happening right now. Teen Vogue selected eight rising actors breaking barriers, advocating for equality, and fighting for better representation in the era of Time’s Up. Presenting our Young Hollywood class of 2018. Check out the rest of the group here.