Is 'Nora from Queens' Based on Awkwafina's Real Life?
It’s only the start of the decade and Awkwafina is already slaying 2020. The scene-stealing actress, who made everyone LOL as Peik Lin in Crazy Rich Asians, recently made history with her Golden Globe win for her performance in The Farewell. And now, her new series, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, is premiering on Comedy Central.
The story follows Nora (Awkwafina’s real name is Nora Lum, btw) as she goes about her day-to-day life in New York City, trying to figure out adulthood as an unemployed 27-year-old living in a house in Queens with her grandmother and father. And yes, the show is loosely based on Awkwafina’s pre–Hollywood stardom life.
Although not all the wild shenanigans TV Nora gets into in the semi-autobiographical comedy may be exactly 100 percent accurate, she and the real Nora have a whole lot in common. Here are some facts about Awkwafina that are also true for her semi-autobiographical alter ego.
Comedy Central
1. Awkwafina grew up in a multigenerational home in Queens.
Like her character, Awkwafina lived with her grandmother and parents in a house in Forest Hills. But IRL, the comedian moved into her own place after college and at 27 was already starring in MTV’s Girl Code.
2. She is half Korean, half Chinese.
In the pilot episode of Nora From Queens, Nora is shocked when SoundCloud artist Rat Lung (Peter Mark Kendall) is immediately able to guess that she’s half Korean, half Chinese. Awkwafina was also born to a Chinese American dad and Korean American mom.
3. Her grandma is basically her BFF.
Since the passing of her mother at a young age, Awkwafina became especially close with her grandma. In interviews, the actress always speaks fondly about their relationship. And it’s obvious that they’re close because she was the first person the actress called when she won her 2020 Golden Globe. Back in 2016, “Grandmafina” also starred in a food review video with The Farewell star, which you definitely need to see.
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4. She knows how to play the trumpet.
Before becoming a rapper turned actress, Awkwafina was an aspiring concert trumpeter. She went to school at Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and has always been passionate about music. She loved playing the instrument so much that she got it tattooed on her arm.
5. She goes viral because of *her vag*.
On the pilot episode, Nora’s queefing goes viral thanks to Rat Lung sampling the sound for his new track on SoundCloud. Awkwafina also went viral because of a vagina-related song. Her 2012 track “My Vag”—a parodical response to Mickey Avalon’s “My Dick”—was a hit and put the Yellow Ranger rapper on everyone’s radar.
6. She did some preeetty sketchy odd jobs.
In an interview with USA Today, Awkwafina confirms that the events in the show reflect events in her own life—although it wasn’t originally conceptualized to be that way. “The biggest change was how much more grounded in reality and my experiences the show became,” the performer said. “I really did focus groups for money; I really did work in a shady real estate agency. I felt that the best way to tell a story without making it seem like it’s trying too hard, especially with comedy, was to just tell it the way it happened.”
Comedy Central
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