"Awkwafina"

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Hey, everybody.

This is Smartless.

It's a podcast with Jason Bateman,

Will Arnett,

and myself, Sean Hayes.

And we,

how the show works

is there's a person

that comes,

like a guest that comes out.

Well, one of us acts as the host. Slow down.
Slow down, man. I just feel like you got a lot of extra energy today and you're all over the map.
Okay, let me just finish then. Okay.
So there's somebody comes, one of us acts as like the host and brings on somebody that the other two don't know about.

Like something like that.

Yeah, that's great.

So it's a surprise.

It's a surprise.

Just say that, man.

Or just listen to another episode. I don't really care.
Hey, do you guys, you know, I'm doing my own laundry more often

and a lot of times I'll forget like it's in there

and Scott will be like, can you get the laundry?

And I'll forget it's in the dryer.

So I have to fluff it up for like 20 minutes, like a half hour.

So you can, so it's not so wrinkly,

but then I forget to get it again. So then I have to, the next day do it again.
Do you guys do that? You're becoming a fluffer is what you're saying. I think that's basically, that's the headline right there.
We got it. Um, it's better than leaving your wash in the washer because, uh, then it smells like mold and shit.
Yeah. And then you got to rewash it.
And that's a smell by the, by the way, hang on. This is perfect for you, Will, you dirty hockey rewash it and that's a smell by the by the way hang on this perfect for you will you dirty hockey playing canadian there's a smell to hockey gear that is like clothes left in a washing machine that for some reason you guys get used to how do you get used to that smell i had to come in the side door with my hockey bag and it had to go straight down to the basement to the boiler room where the heater was because it couldn't be my mom's it can't be in a room with anything else other than the fucking yeah but it doesn't bother you though it doesn't bother hockey players that smell how do you get used to that because it's a sense memory reminds you of the rink oh you're rotten it's reminds of the rank yeah it doesn't but it also it reminds me of camaraderie it reminds me of being part of a team Being part of something where I'm not just thinking about myself It smells like ass Okay Well let me also just say this I love listening to you two guys who don't do laundry on the reg Discussing how acquainted Oh and you're out there just pinning stuff up on the line, right? Fucking break.
Yeah. That's fair.
Did I mention the magic people? Yeah, you got a team of them. All right.
So let's get on with the show. We've probably got an impatient guest waiting.
So this girl that we have on today is extraordinary. She kind of came on the scene like a thunderbolt.
And she's the first Asian-American who won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. One of the funniest people out there today.
A brilliant, brilliant actor. Yeah, we're going to see.
It's Awkwafina, everybody. Oh, Awkwafina.
Awkwafina. Hi, guys.
Hi. What's up? Well, listen, Awkwafina, I wanted to have you on not only because I'm such a huge, huge, huge fan, but you're one of those people that- And so are we, Will.
Yes, we all are. He's so rude.
But you know the premise of the show, that each one one of us each episode acts as the host and we bring on a surprise guest so i wanted you on but we just all happen to be fans but um and you came on to the scene in such a huge way i mean your voice your comedy your attitude all this stuff that you do it's so fresh and nobody's really kind of you know you just it's just a breath of fresh air in the on the comedy scene and i'm like one of the many who are like who is this girl where does she come from she's brilliant but because from where i sit it all happened over overnight but we all know it took 12 years to become an overnight success but is that how it feels for you or were you like jesus god it's about time um yeah that's no that's exactly how it feels. It felt like it happened overnight.
And I think with that came a lot of other things, you know, like it's not lit, you know what I mean? Like, it's not, I think there's a lot of anxiety, a lot of self-doubt, you know, imposter syndrome, like there's so much. Yeah, because you're kind one of the you're a quintessential example of a youtube star yeah who got her her fame and and notice from youtube and then transferred over to this massive hollywood brilliant is that true so so that was your first sort of foray was through self-generated like stuff that you did yeah yeah I put out a video called My Veg when I was like back in 2011.
And it was an answer to my dick, right? My dick. Mickey Avalon's my dick.
Right. Yeah.
Can you give dum-dums like me a little refresher on- What YouTube is? Is that two words or is it one word? Oh, geez, that was so sweet. Jason, the light's on on your phone.
You keep switching the light on on your phone. He's so old.
So first of all, tell me about MyVag. And then also, what is a badge? Is that a car? What is a badge? Yeah.
Is it a pet?

Or is it, how do you spell it? It's VAG. Uh-huh.
So that's an acronym for? Because it's a nickname. No, I know what a badge is.
So how, so is that a, was it a song? Was it a? It was a, yeah, it was a song. I started out as a rapper.
So I did that one and got fired from my job because she had asked what I did on my birthday. And I told her I made a music video.
And at that point,

she thought I was this very meek assistant, which I was.

What kind of job assistant for what?

It was for a...

A seminary. A book club.
A book club? Like a publisher. Yeah.
Okay. Yeah.
In New York? In New York. And she fired you.
Not a progressive publisher, I'm assuming. Yeah, I mean, they don't exist anymore, so like who cares? But I was also like a shitty assistant, you know, but I think it was the name of what it was called.
And she was like, be careful what you put on the internet. You're like, no worries.
I'm just putting out a video called My Vag. Yeah.
I'll be fine with visuals. Yeah.
Do you ever want to go back to being an assistant and just nail it? Yes and no. I still don't have closure from being back in my job.
I like it's like for real. No, but like you are, you're a very successful rapper.
Like you sell albums and your YouTube rapping videos like millions of people watch. I mean, it's crazy.
Yeah. God damn it, I feel old.
Again, sorry. The YouTube, this is a, is it a TV? The YouTube, yeah, it's kind of like a tv yeah with an a computer and um i gotta get i gotta get up on the rap yeah man damn it you gotta download it you went from nora lum which is your name to aquafina yes and i know you're sick of talking about it where the name come from blah blah and you hate people comparing it to bottled water because that's a dumb joke.
So Will will do that one later. He's working on it right now.
Wait, why have we designated me for that? I didn't even think about that old man. Again, you guys are so old.
I'm way too young and hip. Wait, so Nora from Queens.
Mm-hmm. That's the name of the show you're on.
Grew up in Queens? Grew up in Queens okay so gripping queens born in stony brook actually stony brook okay hey hey hey canada canada try not to bond don't bond with her over stony brook okay hey chill i lived in new york for over 20 years so i'm all right i'm okay so let me ask you this so did you go to performing arts high school in New York? Yes.

You did?

Yes.

I thought I heard that. I thought I heard that rumor.

Oh, cool.

And how was that experience?

It was good. I mean, I wasn't a good student.
I think, like, I played the trumpet, you know,

and I think I just didn't have the moxie for the trumpet, you know, like I was, you know, I just.

Was that the track that you were on? Was it a music?

The trumpet track? I don't even know what that track looks like.

I think that know why. I don't know what I was thinking.
A lot of world beaters come out of that program. I think when you take the trumpet, I think that first year you just learn and the second year they teach you how to be a junkie, don't they? Isn't that hard? Really? Yeah, like Chet Baker.
You just have to become a junkie. For sure.
And it's tough. Because I think that that's, you know, it's hard to imagine where one goes with that.
But that's what I loved. How did that, were you working at the publishing house during that or doing any other wrapping yet? At that time, like in high school? That was in high school.
Well, you know, I started working at 10. I apologize.
Yeah, I started working. Let me tell you something.
Jason was supporting a family of eight by the time he was six, okay? So he's not a good... They were like, Jason, go and act up on set so they have to go into overtime.
Yeah, you've seen Oliver Twist, yeah. Wait.
So Awkwafina and Nora Lum, which is, you know, it's fascinating that you created the name Awkwafina. For people who don't know, just explain where the name comes from.
I've always been very awkward. So it's kind of a play on that, but they're really, you know, there's no story.
I just thought it was, um. Awkwafina.
Rid. Yeah.
And then what's finer than being awkward. Right.
Right. There you go.
And what determines how you'll introduce yourself between Nora and Aquafina? Like, and when you're 95, will the nursing home call you? I'm going to make them all call me Aquafina. Uh, be like one of those situations.
Um, but, uh, I, I don't know. I think, um, you know, they're both obviously like a part of me.
It's a difficult situation. I think I'm not really at the point in my career where I can suddenly go by another name and people will kind of put that together.
Right. What does your best friend call you? I make them call me Awkwafina.
No, no. They call me Nora.
They do? Everyone calls me Nora, yeah. Oh, really? No one ever go Aqua for short? Yeah.
Or Q? Some people, yeah. Some people will just, you know, throw their own, not Q, but they'll throw their own pizzazz in there.
Right. You know.
It's good. When you were growing up, you had a restaurant, your dad or your mom, your dad's Chinese, your mom's Korean.
Right. And who was it that owned the restaurant, Lums? My great grandpa.
Oh, your great grandpa. Yeah.
And how cool was that? Like, there was a Lums in my hometown. I can't imagine that was the same one where glen ellen illinois yeah no yeah chicago yeah okay so we can cut that part out did you enjoy no no we'll keep it in yeah good question did you enjoy it sean we never had the money to go it was like a fancy restaurant here we go again buckle up everybody um violin.
You play horn, I'll play violin.

So Awkwafina, sweet Nora.

It's my daughter's middle name.

I do love that name.

Oh, that's good.

Yeah, not a lot of Noras.

I have a deeper question.

Uh-oh, here we go.

They're already snoring.

My dad left when I was about five, and your mom left in a different way.

She passed away when you were four.

Yeah.

So a question I get a lot, which I like, is how has that informed you or your relationships or your work?

Do you think that's informed you or affected you in what way?

Yeah.

There's a softball.

Yeah, yeah.

We're starting to use you a bit.

Probably a short answer to this.

Nice, Sean.

And a great transition too, Sean.

Yeah, I'll give you guys a cliff notes version.

But see, I'm asking those things I want to know.

Yeah.

Because it affected me.

No, I mean, it's a legit question. I think, um, I think it's, uh, taught me things like humility, embarrassment, the feeling of being embarrassed for like adults, which is, is like a kind of a weird feeling, uh, to feel as a kid, almost protecting adults for their own sorrow.
Um, so like learning that, but then I think that, uh, it teaches you something about just kind of like cruel realism about life. This is kind of like the cruelty of, of an objectiveness of life.
It's not, it just teaches you those lessons really young. And I think as a result, you know, you can say that some develop humor out of it.
But for me, I think it's the ability to, you know, in those times, see humor also, because I mean, how bad, how bad worse could it get? Right. And strength too, probably, right? A thicker skin.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's what I was going to say. Did it give you that sort of that ability of like, fuck it.
I mean, I've already been through so much. I can handle anything.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, sure. I think it makes you tough.
But I think for others, I think that there could be kind of not really good coping mechanisms. You know, we kind of, uh, swallow it down.
So it comes up later in life, you know? Um, but I, I think kids are a lot better at dealing with trauma than adults. I think they have a easier way of just shutting it off.
But, you know, I, I also, I do believe that the best comedians do go through some kind of, through something, you know? I mean, how do you think it shaped you, Sean? Almost exactly the same way. It made me, well, you know, my dad, you know, left when I was about five and my mom raised all of us, but she was never around.
So it forced us to parent ourselves. How many siblings did you have? Five.
I have three older brothers and an older sister. And so, but it, yeah, it made me, it's fight or flight kind of feeling, you know? And when you choose to fight, it's sometimes your best quality and sometimes your worst quality.
Yeah. And so both come out even to this day, you know, Jason can attest to that.
About the coming out out no about about the uh because that's what it sounded like you were saying okay sure i'm not ready to make an announcement on the podcast um so it's not his place yeah yeah yeah yeah i get that you know one time when i was a kid oh boy and i haven't shared this oh shit here we go a little of a music change, get the audience ready to laugh. One time we were supposed to go to St.
Bart's for spring break. And there was no more room in first class.
You guys had to fly in business. Oh, jeez.
Oh, man. Yeah, that sucks.
It's tough. How did that affect you? And I've always been able to look back on that and reach for that.
Sure. Yeah.
You know, every time. That's so beautiful.
Every time I'm booking a flight. No, no, not in my career.
I'm just saying every time I book a flight, I always think about that. Book an extra seat.
So in case. What did you think I was? This is insane.
Sorry. No, I'm with you now.
But I will say, so Aquafina, I don't know about your experience, but Sean, you do talk a lot about your family and your origin and all of that and your upbringing. It is such a huge part of, obviously, of who you've become.
And all of us do. Jason, you talk about it, too.
We laugh about you being a child. And we all do have our own experiences.
And you're younger than we are. Can you feel it like you're in it right now and can you feel yourself drawing on those experiences as it's happening? Because I feel like I reflect now more, I guess because I'm getting older.
Well, you also got those two boys, three boys. Wait, four.
Four total, yeah. Four boys running around.
Three boys and a stepson. Yeah, I know.
So that's a mirror in front of you all the time. And Sean and Awkwafina, do you guys, having sort of a challenging upbringing or an atypical upbringing, does it make you more or less want to be a parent? I was going to ask the same thing.
Especially with the loss of your mom at such a young age, does it make you want to be a mom? I mean, I, it, it gives me more trepidations about what that experience might be like. I think.
Yeah. That's fair.
Yeah. I think like the funny thing about success and like doing what you're able to do, like that, you, that seems like a gift because like what we do is we're so lucky to be able to do what we do.
And I think when you enter that, you forget a lot about your childhood and the things that you grew up kind of missing or being resentful over. And then I think, you know, you, you convince yourself, it's all good.
You know, it's I'm, I'm successful. This is great, but then it will come back and it'll be for me.
It's, it's like now at a point where it's, I don't want don't want it to be um crippling you know what I mean like so it's like you think things things come back for sure yeah this is gonna sound like a crazy question but because I don't want to have kids and from the answer you just gave it kind of sounds like you're more leaning towards that so then are you an animal person like do you dogs cats and, cats and all that or no? Yeah, I have a cat in that house. Yeah.
Okay. Take care.
Yeah. Oh, you don't like cats? No, I'm kidding.
It's just like, no, I like cats. I'm a huge, huge, huge dog.
Oh. Yeah.
But I like cats. Do you get to travel with them? No, they don't.
They don't want to come with me. Yeah.
But you'll travel with your cat, I'm hearing. Yeah.
Once. Yeah.
And we had given him like cat Xanax, but he's like 35 pounds. So do you have any left over? No, it's long gone.
Okay. You've got a mountain lion at 35 pounds.
He's a big boy. He's very, very large.
And so we gave him the cat Xanax.

And on the flight, his eyes were, like, wide open.

And then, like, I was like, oh, is he sleeping now?

Wide open.

And then he had shat.

And it was miserable.

It was a miserable flight.

Wait, wait.

He shat in his cage?

He had shat in his carrier because we didn't give him food so the xanax would hit harder but then we gave it the xanax to him in a treat and when we did all of his treats came out so he basically ate all of his treats and then pooped on the plane when they come out they're not treats i will say that just at that point it's just normal feces. I had an ex-girlfriend once.
We traveled with the cat. Same thing happened.
And I'd swap seats with somebody else. You'd just give up at some point.
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All. All right.
So then Awkwafina, between music and acting and comedy, stand-up and all that. So would you ideally like to continue sort of a blend of all those things? Or would you like to transition to kind of have one dominate your career? I never really had a plan.
I mean, music is something that I do all the time. And that's like my, what's what I like doing is making beats, making music and stuff.
So that'll never leave. But I think I don't really have a, I don't really know about the other stuff.
You know, it's not. I feel like you were about to say music's my passion and you backed off it and said, it's what I like to do.
Is that true? Yeah, it is true. Because then I like heard myself then and I thought about the tattoo that I have.
Passion is a tough word coming out, yeah. Believe me, I know that feeling.
I'd say it all the time because Jason always describes himself as an artist and I'm always like, gross, dude. Gross.
Guys, I just like to tell stories, you know, just a storyteller. He has a big comedy tragedy mask on his back tattooed.
He can't tell the difference between them, apparently. I had a director tell me one time, and he'll probably listen to this and know it's him, but he's never hired me anyway, so what the hell do I care? And he said, you know, and I decided, somebody said to me, you're a storyteller.
You need to be telling stories. And I'm like, excuse me, one second.
I'm going to barf everything i've ever eaten in my life there's always a friend that tells you that when they've given up on advice to give you and that's like how that's how they'll they'll end it right you're a storyteller you just tell stories okay i gotta get it but so but but but it's fair to say that music is you are passionate about your music music. That's okay.
I am because I had to like really learn like music and spend a lot of hours like getting better at it. And I guess it should be the same for acting.
But, you know, that it just, with comedy stuff, it's like I didn't have to, you know, study that. Right.
It just kind of is what it is. And so acting is obviously, what I'm getting is you kind of just fell into acting.
You didn't really pursue it, kind of pursued you. I mean, is that? I mean, it was a mutual, I think, you know.
But I mean, did you actively wake up ambitiously pursuing an acting career? No, no, not at all. I think I woke up ambitiously pursuing anything that would like pay rent, you know, just, uh, where are you finding most of your opportunities now? Is it, is it acting or is it music? Um, I mean, I haven't, I haven't made music in a minute.
I think I'm still kind of, I have to find out like who I am now as an artist. I think that's a, it's been put on hold because I've, uh, I've been doing a lot.
A lot of it is in, is in movies and stuff right now. Yeah.
And are you happy with that? Is that, is that, is that where you want to keep it pointed? You said that you didn't, didn't really have a plan. Do you have a plan now or do you kind of like not having a plan and, and, and things seem to be working out great, not having a plan or being overly strategic or anything like that? There's something to be said for that.
For sure. I think, I think it's, you know, it's a little bit of both.
I really enjoy that. I enjoy, I enjoy making movies.
I, you know, it's, it's what I love doing. And, you know, and it's cool because it'll, it affords me time to like do music and, and to, you know, have that also.
So. And so do you feel like being what what you know politicians like to call a minority and and a woman and and all of those things that you do you feel like you have to approach everything like from a place of you know i'll show you or or are you like fuck it and i'm just gonna enjoy enjoy it and that fight doesn't run that deep for you you know what i mean? Um, you's not a lot of people like me that you know i grew up with that and that's not even you know to say that to idolize or but literally to see like how what happened with them and i think in that way whatever we're doing right now you know in the beginning there was like you meet a person like me and you don't understand what kind of person that is, you know? And I think, uh, or what to do with that person.
Yeah. What to do with that person.
And as that person, if you don't have like a roadmap of what has happened with other people, you don't know. And so like, uh, in, in a lot of ways, a lot of this generation of Asian American and other minorities that are coming out right now, they're pioneering something and they're going to get all of that to make it easier for the next generations.
And so do you feel like you have to be self-generating then? You have to create your own projects because they're not coming to you or? Well, I think that's all. Every person should have a self-generating aspect to their work.
You don't want to be the person that's like sitting around waiting for a call. You want to be able to do that.
And you don't want to lose that. But yeah, I think as a minority, you just don't know what box you would fit into either.
Right, right. So then tell us about your, to the extent you're comfortable or interested, about your experience being a minority in a place like New York City.
Did you find it, did you feel fortunate that you were in a city that is as much of a melting pot as New York is? I mean, I imagine you didn't have anything to compare it to, but I would imagine it would be easier there than some other sort of, you know, less progressive place in the, in the United States. Yeah.
The thing about New York city is you don't feel like the minority there because like I had trouble grasping xenophobia and certain kinds of things like that when I was a kid, because how is that possible when the world looks like the way that it does? And I also think that there is something about New York that forces you to grow up a little quicker, you know? Yeah. So do you then feel that you were exposed to sort of that prejudice and that racism there? Did you feel that xenophobia was present there or not present? Was that what you were saying? Xenophobia was definitely present through my childhood in terms of like, I mean, I think there was this Asian American writer that said Asian Americans are kind of united by the discrimination that they went through growing up.
Like a lot of Asian Americans are the ching chong and like the eyes things. And I grew up with that.
But I also know that I would also like prove people wrong in a sense that I am not going to be the Asian girl that you think I am when I open my mouth, when I start talking. And so like, you know, when I have road rage, for instance, and they think they just, you know, I roll down my window and like start screaming and they're just like a look of horror.
And I think in that moment, they're changed. I love that.
It's just always, uh, yeah. I do.
Do you feel pressure from the Asian American community then to be like a spokesperson for them? And, you know, is that something you embraced or you do you feel more like that it's an obligation or none of those things? I think when artists first start out, they want to be themselves. You know, they want to be the artist,

the storyteller, you know?

But you owe something to your community regardless because you are representing them.

Like I've said this,

I will be on my deathbed

and my dying breath will be,

I didn't want to represent Asians

and I would still be representing them in that moment,

you know?

Right.

So it's like, it's a responsibility

that I take seriously. And they're like, what's that, Nora? And you're like, call me Aquafina.
Or like, it's Aquafina, bitch. By the way, going back to the rap thing, because I think people who don't know you from that but know you from your movies, and by the way, I think I've seen every movie you've ever been in.
Oh. Yeah just think you're and the farewell you were just no wonder you won that golden globe is you're that was unbelievable incredible performance yeah just amazing but um going back to the rapping thing because a lot of people who see you know you from movies like wait she was a rapper like and what were your influences what made you want to get into rap like what was the person or the situation or the thing that you were like, yeah, that's really cool.
I'm really drawn to that. Um, I mean, I, I grew up in Queens listening to that and, you know, I, I had a love affair with it when I was growing up.
I worshiped, uh, DJ Herc, uh, Cool Herc, you know, DJ Rashad. Um, I, I loved producers, Jay Dilla.
I was really into the old MPCs, the Akai's, into that. And when I was in high school, and I think I was mentally depressed, hip hop was a music that I loved and that spoke to me.
I listened to People Under the Stairs, Tribe Called Quest. And it was a genre that I loved.

And I think in terms of when it became, like, my vag and stuff, I—

She said with a straight face.

Yeah, yeah.

I was making beats, and, you know, I wanted to do a response to my dick.

I mean, you know, to this day, I still make beats.

That's what I love. I love that.
I love that. Yeah.
What a sentence. Yeah.
When it's read back in court, it's going to be incredible. I know.
Jeez. What did she say? The stenographer is like, my badge, my dick.
So the fact that you are an Asian American raised by your grandmother, who you've called your best friend, which I love because I loved my grandmother so much, and taking the journey from America to China. And then you get a script handed to you about that exact same thing called the Farewell.
And you were amazing.

Do you ever feel like, oh, shit,

like, well, that relationship between a girl and a grandmother

is just a slice of who I am,

but I wonder if Hollywood is, like, done with me now

because that's the thing they see as my life offering.

You know, do you feel like you now have to create

your own things going forward?

And not just that, but when you read that, were you prepped? Did you know what you were getting into? Or did you read it and go, were you like, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit as you went? Yeah. I mean, Sean, you just brought up a really interesting point.
I never thought of it like that. For me, it felt like really auspicious that I couldn't believe that this even exists.
Right. And I definitely felt unprepared for it.
I knew that I've never done this before. I just started acting.
Right. But I felt a connection to it and this kind of preconceived notion that I could do this, even though I don't think I have the skills right now,

I could because I feel it.

Right.

You know, and it was one of those really rare things

that's like, you know, the two connections.

It's like.

Right, because the thing that Hollywood loves to do

is the second they find,

especially if you're a minority,

gay, Asian, Latin, African-American, whatever it is,

and you find that thing, they go, oh, they did that great. Let's find somebody else now.
Because they check that box for life for them, you know? A lot of people who do their like, you know, their film of their life story. Okay, well, you can't top that.
So then, and then the artist is left going like, oh, well, how do I figure this out again in Hollywood?

Like, how do I figure out my new place now to move forward with other roles?

Because a lot of those people will just see me as that one thing.

Yeah. Yeah.

Well, do you like that part about acting?

The whole sort of concept of pretending to be different people?

Is that what excites you about acting?

Kind of morphing into different kinds of characters? Yeah, yeah, I like that about it, all of it. And I think for the stuff that, the farewell, the kind of the heavier stuff, it's a different, it really is a trend.
I'm not going to sound like one of those assholes, but it is a transformative experience experience like it's like deeply emotional it does have to do with like your past a lot of those things are present in something that normally uh in my what i was doing was just you know straight comedy um so there's an aspect of fun but there's not kind of like that you know your insides are involved in it and and so that was an interesting thing and and there is something that's like, holy shit, is this, am I going to, is this really bad? Like, is this horrible? You know, and all of those doubts and those fears, which I think you need, you know, it helps it. Yeah.
And you, you know, you just have accomplished so much so fast, it seems like.

You're just a massively successful, talented actor, rapper, writer, producer.

What do you want to do?

What's left that you're like, I still haven't conquered blank?

Yeah, where would you love to be in five years if you could write it out?

I think photography, you know? Really? No no i have no idea we were ready oh you guys are so dumb i did not for the record i did not say really my eyebrows well why did you say really that's so horrible but i will say this so like you and sean's right i mean you have done it's. It almost kind of makes your head spin how much you've done in such a short amount of time in so many different areas of the arts.
Nora from Queens, you made that a couple, did you make that a couple years ago? Five years ago. Five years ago.
Is when we first, yeah. When you first did it.
And is that over now? Or are you continuing? We're going into season two, yeah. You are? You're going to make more? Yep, we're going to make more.
Yeah. And do you like that experience, making that show? I do.
It's interesting. It's my life.
And, you know, it was one of my first executive producer jobs. So there's, you know, there's a lot involved with that, obviously.
But yeah, it's my own, so it feels different.

So you're going into season two, and it's your own, and it feels very personal.

And is that something you would want to keep making?

Do you see that five years that you're doing season five of Nora from Queens?

I'm not counting that out. I think everything has a natural course, you know?

I'm not going to force people to watch something that no one wants to watch, if that's the case. I will.
I will. I'll totally do that.
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So, Aquafina, are you an introvert like me where you've got your PJs on at four o'clock in the afternoon? Or do you like to – like what did you do today? Do you go out a lot or do you stay in and do a bunch of writing and a bunch of thinking and reading? And what type of person are you? Are you in or out? I mean, well, today I actually went to the Grove and I hit Venice Beach, went to a buffet. Come on.
No. No.
None of those things are allowed. No.
You know, I'm an extrovert and introvert. I felt I definitely went crazy a little bit in this thing.
I realized I probably am not the person that I'd want to be quarantined with, you know? You don't like being inside all the time. You like to get out and socialize.
Yeah, because that's what essentially it is. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I like to stay at home and, you know, snow pod and watch movies and stuff.
Oh, I like that. I actually just saw one.
You remember Love Stinks, Jason? Oh, God, what are you doing? What is that? This is, we do need things to cut out. This is good.
Keep going. Okay.
Okay. Yeah.
No, this part can go. Oh, man.
This is, we're going to keep it. I know a lot of weird facts about that movie because I owned it growing up and I had the director's cut.
So I actually literally listened to Bridget Wilson and the director do the director's cut, talking about all the little gaffes. Like there was like this bottle of liquor that was always there.
I know weird things about that movie. I've seen that movie thousands of times.
Are you kidding me? Yeah. French Stewart, man.
Chris, I love that movie. Come on.
A little. It's a little.
It doesn't age well, for sure. And I had this big, stupid, long sheep hurt her hair.
Dude,, it was lit. You were awesome.
You were awesome. With a Hawaiian shirt or something.
Guys, it's a real treat to take a look at. It's really.
I'll check that out. Jason shines.
It should be known that I have, Jason knows this, I have a pristine copy of Teen Wolf 2 on DVD at my house. And for some reason, I've showed you a picture.
Were you the Teen Wolf 2? I was. Teen Wolf 2.
But it's Teen Wolf T-O-O. It's Teen Wolf Also.
Oh. Okay.
It's not a sequel, goddammit. No.
Wow. He's a Teen Wolf 2.
So I have this copy. As well.
It's on my dresser. And for some reason, it's on my dresser.

So I look at it every day.

Why?

I see this.

I don't know.

Why don't you change your dresser?

Move stuff around, for Christ's sake.

Awkwafina, you've not seen Teen Wolf 2?

She's not aware.

You've seen Teen Wolf 1.

She's very young.

Awkwafina, we used to play in a card game.

And Sean used to play in it, too.

The three of us used to. We're going back a while now, at least 15 years.
We used to play Tuesday nights at this guy Kyle Gass' house. Oh, she knows, well, you know Tenacious, do you? Yeah, Tenacious.
Oh, you know, you know Kyle. It's Kyle Gass and Jack Black's group, yeah.
Yeah, so Sean, actually, Sean, if you remember, Sean came in the first night and did really well, like won. Like just like, oh, man, he just kept going.
Dumb luck. And he won.
And then he never won again. Like the worst thing you could do.
Or he didn't really come back that often, did he? After that, he just took his winnings. Once he started losing, he was like, I'm just losing.
What's the game? Texas holding his poker. And so this is like 15 years ago.
So then, but Kyle gave Jason the name of T-Dub as in Teen Wolf and he would just go and every time the bet was to Jason Kyle would go T-Dub you in? I miss playing cards so much I know that was fun let about the weed. So, you like to smoke joints, smoke bongs, chew on gummies, or a little combination of each.
Sorry, one second. Before you answer that, Aquafina, just know, Jason, nobody's smoking bongs anymore.
This isn't a 1979. It's not Fast Times on Ridgemont High.
You guys aren't ripping bongs? Wait a second. Now, in my youth, there was a real ceremony buying a new bong about every three weeks.
Me and the fellas, we'd go. Every three weeks? Oh, yeah.
It was so fun. Those big, huge, like, $100 bongs with five chambers and let's chop up some ice.
Yeah. Are you you are you ripping bongs aquafina no you have a bong in that house right now i guarantee you you do there's a bong in the house yeah see will stupid will now are you using that bong i've been using a volcano see that's a whole new level what is that what is that go ahead it's uh it's made by this like german brand and it's called stores and bickle this brand and it's in a volcano and then you take this basically a plastic bag and it vaporizes all of the things and then you put the plastic bag over your head like yeah think about your life a little bit exactly cry Put the bag over your head.
Yeah. So wait, so the bag expands with smoke.
Yeah. And then you throw your face inside the bag, or do you make a little hole? There's like an actual, like a little, it looks like the top of a water bottle.
Sure. And it's, what they call it is, it's weed on tap.
Sure. So you just keep, yeah.
So when the volcano is not available, your next best stop is? You like to roll your own joints. You consider yourself a good joint roller? Tinctures, usually.
Tinctures? Oh. Like a droplet.
That's like an oil, guys. Yeah, that's insane.
Yeah, what is a tincture? It's just a little droplet of... It's like an oil.
It's like, yeah, like a little dropper. It's like a little...
Put it under your tongue, right? I wish it didn't rhyme with sphincter. It's a terrible name.
Jason is fascinated with how people consume their weed, and he always asks, first of all, bongs, and secondly, he wants to know if people are rolling... Does he open with the bong? Well, I want to know...
He always has the bong, and then he wants to know who's rolling their own joints. Well, that's something I used to love.
I used to love to roll. I consider myself a very good joint roller.
And I do enjoy a bong. I think the bongs are pretty amazing.
Now, they will get kicked over by the guy who smoked a little too much. So you got to put it up on the table, okay? Don't put it on the floor.
You're a great parent, by the way.

You're a great parent. Is that what you warned us?

Put that on the table now.

Yeah, exactly.

Wait, but the benefit of a bong, because I think I did one once a long time ago,

is you just need one hit, and you're good.

You're good to go for a long time, right?

Well, the water cools the smoke, so it's smoother.

I think you can inhale a lot.

Hang on, what's that, doctor?

Excuse us. Everybody, quiet in the back.
The scientist is here. Hey, Aquafina, what I need you to do, I think what needs to happen is you need to go and smoke weed with Sean.
You need to teach Sean because Sean is like a one-hit wonder. What does that mean? He takes half a hit of weed and he is...
Calls his mom immediately. Oh, that's all right.
She's been dead for years. Oh.
Great. Dead mom jokes, Will.
That's awesome. Did you listen to the beginning of the podcast? I stole his joke.
Fuck. I stole his joke from him.
Read the room. Yeah.
That's Joan's joke. All right, listen, Apofina, there's never been a better topic to end on than weed.
Yes, for sure. So, but listen.
I'm down. Let's do it, Sean.
You don't have to ask me twice. Let's do it.
I'm so down for that. And by the way, perfect way to kill quarantine time.
But I'm so happy and we are so happy to finally meet you. I've been a fan for so, so, so long.
Thanks. Same, Sean.
Thank you. Thank you for, and you know what?

Thank you for representing an underserved

and overlooked minority in this country.

And doing it in such a beautiful, thoughtful,

funny, talented way.

So you're just brilliant.

Thanks, Sean.

Yeah.

Really nice to meet you guys.

I want to get a little too high

and watch Love Stinks with you

and get a little paranoid and insecure. Love Stinks with you.
Do it.

Do it.

Paranoid and insecure.

We can rip a bong.

Oh, look at that.

That's nice.

I love watching young people be nice to a boomer.

It's great.

You're really fun.

It's great to meet you, Aquafina.

And thank you for saying yes to sitting and talking with us.

Nice to meet you guys.

Big fan.

Bye, honey.

Bye.

See you later.

Bye, guys.

You guys embarrassed me. You guys embarrassed me.

You guys embarrassed me.

What a nice, charming...

Yeah, and funny.

Quick.

Funny and kind.

Yeah, no, she's great.

I mean, and by the way,

unless I got it wrong,

we'll fact check it,

but I think to be the first

Asian-American lead actress to ever win a Golden Globe? Ever? Yeah. I mean, that's crazy.
It's pretty red. And to have, like, so quickly have her star rise and to watch it.
I feel like I'm watching it myself. She's got this big show.
She's got all this stuff going on. And I follow her on Instagram and she's constantly, constantly working.
And you'd think watching a film like Love Stinks would have torpedoed any sort of creative instinct she had going forward. But she's so strong, she can watch stuff like that and a performance by me like that and still carry on and deliver Golden Globe quality work.
You know? What year was Love Stinks? I don't remember. I poured cement over the whole thing.
No. It was, I think it was maybe early 90s.
I got to check. Anyway, it was fun.
It's fun to look at, you know, like any old pictures, you know? Yeah. And when I say pictures, I don't mean films.
I mean like photos. Do you refer to films? You will not refer to films as pictures? No.
I do. if you ever hear me say i did a wonderful picture with well that reminds me hard in the face we were working on a picture uh and i'm going a ways back now what about like when you say uh uh oh we did a wonderful i wrote a wonderful piece or we performed it in a great space or Or the other way, sometimes when you hear

there are certain affected American actors who go,

well, and of course, for me, the cinema is,

hey, man, you lived in Paris for 18 months?

Fuck off.

Yeah.

Hey, what kind of science classes did you guys take in high school?

Did anybody take, like, chemistry or?

Well, hang on a second.

I've got to put my neck in traction. Biology.
Biology. Smart.
Yes. Smart.
Yes. Hey, friends.
Jason here. We're so excited.
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