Tonight, August 18th, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens returns to Comedy Central for Season 2. The first chapter of the series introduced viewers to the titular Nora, her surrounding cast of loved ones, and the sometimes surreal world in which she lives.
For those who haven’t yet caught up on the first season, the title of the show says it all: The comedy follows a fictionalized version of Awkwafina, whose real name is Nora Lum. The dramatized, sometimes exaggerated tales of her life in Queens have an undercurrent of familial love, especially when it comes to scene-stealer Lori Tan Chinn, who plays Nora’s quirky, beloved grandma.
BD Wong, who portrays Nora’s father, Wally, describes Season 2 as holding “more of a personal feeling.” Wong sat down with Consequence alongside cast mate Bowen Yang (who plays Nora’s cousin, Edmund) for a conversation over Zoom, and the pair shared details about the on-set dynamic, excitement around the new season, and insight on the season’s many guest stars (Alan Kim nation, make some noise!).
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Yang, who is nominated for an Emmy Award ahead of the September ceremony for his work on the most recent season of Saturday Night Live, also describes some of the differences between filming for the late-night staple and Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens. “At SNL, you’re really learning to pitch to the rafters,” Yang explains. “It was so nice, on my breaks from SNL, to balance out this opposite muscle.”
BD Wong, who has directed stage productions before, also stepped into the director’s chair for an episode of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens this season, marking his television directorial debut. ”I’d hesitated pursuing that line of work, directing episodic TV,” he explains. “I didn’t imagine that I ever thought I would enjoy it, but I really did enjoy it here — particularly because of the actors.”
Watch the full interview above. Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Comedy Central.
