Awkwafina

Awkwafina (birthname: Nora Lum) is already, in her early thirties, a trailblazer for Asian and Asian American performers and actors, first establishing herself as a rap artist (a genre in which Asian female performers in the U.S. are rare) and then as a serious, acclaimed actor ranging from comedies to dramas to animation. Awkwafina’s unprecedented profile has made her a deeply influential performer for young people especially young Asian Americans aspiring for a show business career. 

Awkwafina is a classically-trained musician and jazz trumpet player, Awkwafina launched her professional career as a rap artist and comic performer. Awkwafina broke into movies in small roles in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) and Warner Bros.’s animated feature, Storks (2016).

Awkwafina had her breakthrough year in 2018, with attention-getting turns in Ocean’s Eight (2018) and the mega-hit Crazy Rich Asians (2018) opposite Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, and Gemma Chan.

Akwafina accomplished an unexpected turn into affecting dramatic territory within the central role in Lulu Wang’s acclaimed Chinese family saga, The Farewell (2019). Awkwafina has exploited her strong and distinctive vocal skills for a prolific number of animated projects, including The Angry Birds 2 (2019), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020), Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon (2021):, DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys (2022) Illumination’s and Universal’s Migration (2023), DreamWorks Animation’s and Universal’s Kung Fu Panda (2024), and Laika’s stop-motion Wildwood (2025), as well as multiple voice roles in the live-action/animation fantasy comedy from director/writer/producer/co-star John Krasinski, If (2024).

Awkwafina’s live-action work has been similarly busy, including the Jumanji sequel, The Next Level (2019) with Dwayne Johnson “The Rock”, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart; Disney’s box-office hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021); Rob Marshall’s live-action remake for Disney of The Little Mermaid (2023); the Nicolas Cage-starring Renfield (2023), and director/producer Paul Feig’s action comedy, Grand Death Lotto (date to be announced), with Awkwafina starring opposite John Cena, Simu Liu, Seann William Scott, and Dolly de Leon.