The best Awkwafina movies and TV shows highlight the unique talents - especially when it comes to vocal delivery - that have ensured she’s cemented a legacy as an inimitable comedic talent. Born in New York in 1988, Awkwafina (real name Nora Lum) has been an active performer since 2005. She first began using the stage name Awkwafina at age 15, conceiving the alter-ego as a semi-parody of the way many brands adopt feminine slants on their name to appeal to female consumers.
While now known as an actor, Awkwafina originally made her big break as a rapper with the 2012 parody song “My Vag”, releasing her solo album Yellow Ranger two years later in 2014. Her music echoes the same comedic talent as her acting, so it’s no surprise she’d eventually find her feet as a comedian. After an appearance on MTV’s Girl Code between 2014-2016, Awkwafina got her big break in 2018 with a role in Ocean’s 8and - more importantly - the part of Goh Peik Lin in Crazy Rich Asians. The best Awkwafina movies and TV shows all celebrate her inimitable style, and reveal there’s no other actor quite like her currently working today.
10 The Little Mermaid (2023)
Awkwafina Plays Scuttle
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The Little Mermaid is a live-action remake in the same vein as many of Disney's others, like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, a young mermaid who desperately wants to see the world above the ocean.
Release Date
May 26, 2023
Runtime
135 Minutes
Director
Rob Marshall
The live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is inarguably the most controversial entry among the best Awkwafina movies and TV shows, for several reasons. However, even though the very concept of live-action Disney remakes, the 2023 movie itself, and the part the actor played have all proved divisive, Awkafina’s performance as the Scuttle is inarguably strong. This makes The Little Mermaid more than deserving of recognition among Awkwafina’s best movies, despite the significant level of debate around director Rob Marshall’s reimagining of the 1989 animated Disney classic.
Many fans were dubious about the decision to reimagine Scuttle as a female diving bird instead of a male seagull when The Little Mermaid live-action remake was announced. There are still those who aren’t sold on the change too, but this isn’t down to Awkwafina herself. Her performance as Scuttle was hilarious and incredibly strong, regardless of whether a viewer feels the character isn’t true to the animated original. It also serves as one of the best examples of Awkwafina’s skills as a voice-actor, making it more than worth watching for fans of the star.
9 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
Awkwafina Plays Katy
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: This film introduces Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Confronted by his past, he becomes entangled with the mysterious Ten Rings organization, which challenges his identity and abilities. Released in 2021, the movie explores themes of family and legacy.
2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, from director Destin Daniel Cretton, marked Awkwafina’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Her character, Katy, is the best friend of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, and provides an incredibly important role in the narrative - comic relief. While this may not seem significant at first, characters like Katy have held together many MCU movies. Whether it’s Jacob Batalon’s Ned in the Spider-Man movies or Kat Dennings’ Darcy in the Thor franchise, many Marvel superhero films would have been significantly worse were it not for the comedic companions of the central heroes.
Not only is Awkwafina’s Katy in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsno exception, she’s also perhaps the best example. Katy is hilarious in every scene she appears, providing much needed levity against the sometimes over-serious plot and tone of the rest of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While not the best MCU film, Legend of the Ten Rings still stands as one of the best Awkwafina movies thanks to her incredible performance - and the perfect example of how the actor’s presence can elevate an otherwise markedly average viewing experience.
8 Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
Awkwafina Plays Zhen
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Kung Fu Panda 4 is the fourth film in the animated martial arts adventure franchise. The film will see Po leave his home and enter the city to search for his future Dragon Warrior replacement while dealing with a dangerous shapeshifting foe known as The Chameleon.
Release Date
March 8, 2024
Runtime
94 Minutes
Director
Mike Mitchell
, Stephanie Stine
2024’s Kung Fu Panda 4 was met with skepticism by fans of the franchise when it was first announced since many cast members of the original trilogy weren’t set to return. However, thanks to the hilarious performance of Awkwafina as Zhen, the likes of Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, and Lucy Liu were barely noticeable. Not only did Awkwafina’s sneaky fox thief character help cement Kung Fu Panda 4 as a new chapter for the franchise, but she also stood out as the highlight of the new story.
Kung Fu Panda 4 saw Po (Jack Black) traveling further afield than previous Kung Fu Panda movies, leaving his status as the Dragon Warrior behind him. It’s when Po meets Zhen that he realizes he’s found a successor, and (should Kung Fu Panda 5 ever happen), it becomes clear that Awkwafina’s character is perfectly suited to be the next Dragon Warrior - which would mean Awkwafina herself will carry the franchise moving forward. Given just how strong her performance in Kung Fu Panda 4 was, it’s already obvious she’d be more than up to the task of taking over from legendary voice actor Jack Black.
7 Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
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Jumanji: The Next Level is the third installment in the adventure franchise spawned by the Robin Williams-led 1995 classic. Following the events of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the sequel features Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan reprising their roles as the four playable characters in the video game version of the board game, which has changed its rules once again.
The modern-day Jumanji reboots are, in many ways, better than they have any right being given just how good the 1995 original was. However, the reimagining of the concept with a Tron-like spin of having the characters transported into a videogame worked, both for 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and the 2019 sequel Jumanji: The Next Level. When it comes to the best Awkwafina movies, her franchise debut in 2019’s The Next Levelis an inarguable career highlight.
In Jumanji: The Next Level, Awkwafina plays Ming Fleetfoot, one of the avatars that players of Jumanji inhabit. Awkwafina’s performance when Ming first appears is strong, but it’s when the players swap characters and Ming is inhabited by Danny DeVito’s Eddie that the role is elevated from good to one of Awkwafina’s career-best. Awkwafina channeling Danny DeVito (an equally distinctive on-screen presence) is laugh-out-loud hilarious with every line. It’s this which not only cemented Jumanji: The Next Level as one of the best Awkwafina movies, but also that ensured she stood out even in a cast that included megastars like Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillen, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black.
6 The Bad Guys (2022)
Awkwafina Plays Ms. Tarantula
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The Bad Guys is a DreamWorks animated movie based on Aaron Blabey's children's book series. Starring Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, and Anthony Ramos, the 2022 film follows a group of animal villains, including a wolf, a snake, a shark, and a piranha, who decide to turn good guys and save the world.
Release Date
April 22, 2022
Runtime
100minutes
Director
Pierre Perifel
Due to her unique vocal delivery and mannerisms, many of the best Awkwafina movies are those in which she uses her skills as a voice actor. What’s more, thanks to how distinctive she can be, many of these are those in which she’s part of an ensemble cast rather than in a lead role. The best example of an animated Awkwafina feature in which she steals the show as a single member of a wider star-studded cast is, inarguably, 2020’s The Bad Guys.
Directed by Pierre Perifel, The Bad Guys Stars Awkwafina alongside Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, and Anthony Ramos as members of a team of master thieves and criminals known as The Bad Guys (which the movie hilarious uses to spoof both the heist genre and specific movies like the Oceans franchise and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs). Awkwafina’s Ms. Tarantula is the hacker of the team, and thanks to her hilarious voice work, the tech-savvy spider the rest of the gang calls Webs is easily the most memorable member of the group.
5 Raya And The Last Dragon (2021)
Awkwafina Plays Sisu
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Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon follows Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), the warrior princess of the Heart tribe, as she seeks to restore peace to the nation of Kumandra. After the evil Druun - mindless spirits who turn living things to stone - divide Kumandra into five warring tribes, Raya believes that if she can find the last dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina), she can reunite the five tribes.
Not only is Raya and the Last Dragon a thoroughly underrated animated Disney film, it’s also the best Awkwafina movie when it comes to her work as a voice actor. It’s also perhaps her highest-profile casting in a blockbuster movie so far, since she co-leads the cast of Raya and the Last Dragonas the titular last dragon. Directed by Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada, Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in a fictional fantasy realm that’s a well-researched mesh of various Asian cultures.
This land, named Kumandra, has been in chaos for decades thanks to the disappearance of the dragons that previously kept the various nations in harmony. As the title suggests, heroine Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) finds the last dragon, Awkwafina’s Sisu. The role of Sisu is perfect for Awkwafina, and the actor’s unique delivery brings a distinctive goofy, zany quality that spiritually echoes classic animated Disney characters like Eddie Murphy’s Mushu in Mulan or Robin William’s performance as The Genie in Aladdin.
4 Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens (2020-Present)
Awkwafina Plays Nora Lin
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Awkwafina stars as herself in Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, a comedy series created for Comedy Central. The show follows Nora as she traverses adulthood in New York City, with a strong support structure from her father, grandmother, and cousin. From relationships to career opportunities and keeping with family traditions, Nora attempts to juggle it all the best she can.
Release Date
January 20, 2020
Seasons
3
When it comes to the best Awkwafina TV shows, few come close to Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, which was created by the star herself alongside collaborator Teres Hsiaso. As the title suggests, Awkwafina plays Nora in the Comedy Central sitcom. Nora is a semi-fictionalized version of Awkwafina herself, allowing the actor to draw from many of her real-life experiences growing up in New York in the 1990s.
Awkwafina is both hilarious and authentic as Nora in Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. Of all the best movies and TV shows featuring the actor, the Comedy Central sitcom to which she lends her name is easily the most personal, and gives the greatest insight into Awkwafina both as an individual and as a performer. She is also able to draw on many friends and famous faces to appear as guest-stars too, such as Simu Liu, Stephanie Hsu, Natasha Lyonne, Ming-Na Wen, and many more.
3 Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Awkwafina Plays Goh Peik Lin
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Based on the global best-selling series Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy that follows New York Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's family. However, she soon discovers her significant other is hiding a secret - his family is one of the wealthiest families in Singapore - and her mother already disapproves of her and her origins. Rachel will attempt to find her place in the madness and prove her own worth to a family of unflinching prejudice.
Release Date
August 15, 2018
Runtime
121 Minutes
Director
Jon M. Chu
Crazy Rich Asians arrived several years into Akwafina’s career, and she wasn’t cast in the lead, but this didn’t stop the 2018 rom-com from director Jon M. Chu become a defining role for the star. What’s more, her performance was arguably scene-stealing, and her scenes as Goh Peik Lin were considered highlights of Crazy Rich Asians by many viewers and critics alike.
Based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians is set in Singapore and draws much of its comedy from the culture clash experienced by Rachel (Constance Wu) when she realizes how wealthy the family of her boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding) truly is. However, even more hilarious than the various comic moments created by the premise is Awkwafina’s performance as Peik Lin. The role allows for all the unique mannerisms and traits nobody but Awkwafina possesses, and in many ways, Crazy Rich Asians could be considered the essential viewing experience for anyone wanting to understand why the distinctive actor is so celebrated.
2 Quiz Lady (2023)
Awkwafina Plays Anne Yum
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Quiz Lady is a comedy film directed by Jessica Yu and created for Hulu. Anne, a bright young woman with a gameshow obsession, must team up with her wildcard older sister Jenny to save her kidnapped dog and pay off their mother's gambling debts. The stakes are hilariously raised further when Anne's dog is kidnapped, forcing the two to dash across the country to win as many gameshow competitions as possible.
Release Date
November 3, 2023
Director
Jessica Yu
2023’s Quiz Lady saw Awkwafina starring alongside a cast of comedy and drama heavyweights that includes such names as Sandrah Oh, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, and the inimitable Will Ferrell. The Primetime Emmy Award-winning TV movie from director Jessica Yu, which is a Hulu original, immediately became a highlight of Awkwafina’s career and one of her best movies - and brought her several accolades, including a Satellite award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.
Akwafina leads the cast of Quiz Lady alongside Sandrah Oh. The pair have incredible chemistry as Anne and Jenny Yum, two sisters brought together over a love of the game-show Can’t Stop the Quiz, which helped Anne through the breakdown of their dysfunctional family during childhood. What’s more, Quiz Lady stands out because Awkwafina plays the more grounded of the two leads, providing a more understated counterbalance to Sandrah Oh’s bombastic Jenny, which prevents a reversal of many of the cast dynamics that have defined the actor’s career so far.
1 The Farewell (2019)
Awkwafina Plays Billi Wang
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The Farewell was written and directed by Lulu Wang and stars Awkwafina and Tzi Ma. The 2019 release sees a family that discovers their loved one is dying and plans to hold a family gathering without telling her she is passing.
Release Date
July 12, 2019
Runtime
98 minutes
Cast
X Mayo
, Gil Perez-Abraham
, Aoi Mizuhara
, Awkwafina
, Jim Liu
, Zhao Shuzhen
, Tzi Ma
, Ines Laimins
, Yongbo Jiang
, Shuzhen Zhou
, Diana Lin
, Han Chen
Director
Lulu Wang
The best Awkwafina movie is 2019’s The Farewell, from director Lulu Wang. Not only is the movie itself critically acclaimed (as evidenced by its 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes), but The Farewell is also the source of the majority of Awkwafina’s many accolades. Among the awards Awkwafina has received for The Farewell is the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, which more-or-less cements its status as the best performance of her career so far.
In the comedy-drama The Farewell, Akwafina plays Billi Wang, a young Chinese American woman caught up in a family wedding deliberately scheduled to take place shortly before the death of the family matriarch and her grandmother, Nai Nai. The dialogue is a mix of both English and Mandarin Chinese, and it’s a truly emotional story that’s as much about cultural divides as it is about the importance of family. What’s more, The Farewell has more depth than the majority of the actor's projects, making it incredibly unique among the best Awkwafina movies and TV shows (as well as being the top entry).
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