SmartLess - "Awkwafina"
Episode Date: March 1, 2021We are joined this week by the wonderful Awkwafina. She happens to be an expert on the 1999 filmic masterwork: 'Love Stinks' and we're proud to explore these issues in-depth with her (amongst... other things). Listen folks, it's the first day of March and we're all super excited about it! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Hey everybody, this is SmartLess, it's a podcast with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and myself,
Sean Hayes, and we, the, how the show works is there, there's a person that comes, like
a guest that comes out. Well, one of us acts as a host.
Slow down, slow down, man. I just feel, I just feel like you got a lot of like extra
energy today and you just all, you're, you're all over the map.
Just, okay, let me just finish then. 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, just say that, man.
All right, or just listen to another episode.
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 it's got to 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.
It's better than leaving your wash in the washer because then it smells like mold and
shit. Yeah. And then you got to rewash it and that's
a smell by the way, hang on, this is 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, but it doesn't bother you though.
It doesn't bother their hockey players. That's how do you get used to that?
Cause it's a sense memory reminds you of the rink.
You're rotten. It's reminds of the rink. Yeah.
It does. But it also reminds me of camaraderie. It reminds me of being part of a team, being
some part of something where I'm not just thinking about myself.
It smells like an 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, oh
when you're out there just pinning stuff up on the line, right?
Yeah, that's fair. Did I mention the magic people?
Yeah, you got a team of them. All right.
So let's, let's get on with the show. We've probably got an inpatient 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 Aquafina, everybody.
Oh, Aquafina. Hi, what's up?
Well, listen, Aquafina, I wanted to have you on not only because I'm such a huge, huge,
huge fan, but you're one of those people. And so are we, Will.
Yes, so we all are. He's so rude.
But you know, you know the premise of the show that each 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 and you came on to the scene in such a huge way.
I mean, your voice, your comedy, your attitude, all the 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 is 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 said, it all happened
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.
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 late, you know what
I mean? Like, like it's not like, I think there's a lot of anxiety, a lot of self-doubt,
you know, been postures, like there's so much.
Yeah, because you're kind of 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 actor.
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 Vage
when I was like, back in 2011. And it was an answer to my dick, right?
My dick. Mickey Avalon's my dick. Yeah.
Can you give dum-dums like me a little refresher on what YouTube is?
Is that, is that two words or is it one word? Oh, geez, that was so sweet.
And Jason, Jason, the light's on on your phone. You keep switching the light on on your phone.
He's so old. No, he is.
So first of all, tell me about My Vage and then also what, what is a, what is a Vage?
Is that a car? What is a Vage?
Is that, is it a pet or is it, how do you spell it?
It's a V-A-G. Uh-huh. So that's an acronym for?
Because it's a nickname. No, I know it a badger. So how, so is that a, was it a song? Was it a?
It was a, yeah, it was a song. I, I started out as a rapper. So I, I did that one and
got fired from my job because she, she had asked like what I did on my birthday and I told her
I made a music video. And at that point she thought I was like this very meek assistant,
which I was. And what kind of job assistant for what?
It was for a, a, a, a seminary, a book club.
A book club?
Like a publisher. Um, 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, um, it was, 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.
Uh-huh.
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 part of 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, um, yeah, it's kind of like a TV.
Yeah, within a computer.
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, blah.
And you hate people comparing it to bottled water,
because that's a dumb joke.
So we'll, we'll, we'll do that one later.
He's working on it right now.
Why, 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, Nora from Queens.
What's the name of the show you're on?
Grew up in Queens.
Grew up in Queens.
Yeah.
For reals.
Okay.
So Grew up in Queens.
Born in Stony Brook, actually.
Born in 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, was it a music, uh, uh.
The trumpet track?
Yeah.
I don't even know what that track looks like.
I don't, I don't 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 learned,
and then second year they teach you how to be a junkie,
don't they?
Isn't that part of it?
Really?
You have to, yeah, like Chet Baker,
you just have to be coming junkie.
Right, right, for sure.
And it's tough.
Because I think that that's, you know,
it's hard to imagine, uh, where one goes with that,
but, um, that's what I, that's what I loved.
Yeah, how did that, were you, were you working
at the publishing house during that,
or, um, or doing any other rapping yet?
At that time, um, like in high school, or?
That was in high school.
Well, you know, you start,
well, I started working at 10, I apologize.
Yeah, yeah, so that's when I'm 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'll have to go into overtime, okay?
You've seen Oliver Twist, yeah.
Wait, so Aquafina and, and, and Nora Lum, which is, you know,
it's fascinating that you created the name Aquafina.
For people who don't know, just explain where the name comes from.
I've always been kind of very awkward.
So it was, it's kind of a play on that, but they're really,
you know, there's no story.
I just thought it was, um.
Aquafina.
Ridiculous. 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 Aquafina?
I'm going to make them all call me Aquafina.
Be like one of those situations.
But, uh, I don't know.
I think, um, you know, they're both obviously like a part of me.
It's, it's a difficult situation.
I think, um, 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?
Um, I make them call me Aquafina.
Uh, they, no, no, they call me Nora.
They do? Yeah.
They call me Nora. Yeah.
Oh really? No one ever, they 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.
It's, uh, it's good.
When you were growing up, you had a restaurant,
your, your dad or your mom or your dad's Chinese, your mom's Korean.
Right.
And who was it that owned the restaurant?
My great grandpa.
Oh, your great grandpa.
Yeah. And how cool was that?
Like, there was a lumps in my hometown.
I can't imagine that was the same one.
Where?
Glenna, Ellen, Illinois.
Yeah.
Did you enjoy it?
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.
Get the violin.
You play horn, I'll play violin.
Uh, so, uh,
Aquafina, sweet Nora.
It's my daughter's middle name.
I do love that name.
Oh, that's good. Yeah. Not a lot of noras.
Oh, here we go.
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?
Uh, yeah.
There's a softball.
Yeah, yeah, it's starting to be easy.
I'll give you an answer to this.
Nice, Sean.
And a great transition too, Sean.
Yeah, I'll give you guys a cliff-nosed version.
Let's see, I'm asking these things
I wouldn't, I want to know.
Yeah. Because it affected me.
Nah, I mean, it's a, 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, um,
just kind of like cruel
realism about life. This is kind of like
the cruelty of, of, and,
and 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. Yeah, yeah.
It's, uh, 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.
But 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 also, I do believe that
the best comedians do go through some
kind of, through something,
you know? Yeah. I mean, how do you think it's 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,
um, yeah,
it made me, it's fight or flight kind of
feeling, you know, and, uh,
and if, when you choose to fight, it's
sometimes your best quality and sometimes
your worst quality. Yeah. And, um,
and so both come out even to this day,
you know, uh, Jason can attest
to that.
About the coming out? No, 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, um,
It's not his place. 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 bit of a music change. Get the
audience ready to laugh. Yeah.
One time we were supposed to go to, um, St.
Bart's for spring break.
And, uh, there was
no more room in first class. You guys had to fly in
class. Oh man. Yeah, that's
tough. How did that affect you? And, uh,
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
Akofi, I don't know about your experience, but Sean, you do
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
like you're in it right now
and can you feel yourself drawing
on those experiences like 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. Four boys running. Three boys
in a step son.
So that's a mirror
in front of you all the time
and Sean and Akofi, 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
it gives me more
trepidation about what that experience might be
like, I think.
That's fair.
I think
the funny thing about success
and doing what you're able to do
that seems like a gift
because 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 convince yourself it's all good
I'm successful, this is great
but then it will come back
and it'll be, for me
it's like now at a point where
I don't want it to be
crippling, you know what I mean?
So it's like things come
back for sure.
This is going to 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 dog's
cats and all that? Or no?
Yeah, I have a cat in that house, yeah.
Okay, take care.
You don't like cats?
No, I like
cats. I'm a huge, huge, huge dog.
Oh.
But I like cats. Do you get to travel with them?
No, they don't want to come
with me. Yeah.
But you'll travel with your cat, I'm hearing, yeah?
Once, yeah.
We had given him like cat Xanax
but he's like 35 pounds
so... Do you have any leftover?
No, it's a long gone.
You've got a mountain lion
at 35 pounds. He's a big boy.
He's very, very large
and so we,
he gave him the cat Xanax and
on the flight his eyes were
wide open
and then he like, I was like,
oh, is he sleeping now?
Wide open and then he had
shat and it was
it was miserable. It was miserable.
Wait a minute.
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.
It's just normal.
I had a next girlfriend once
we traveled with the cat, same thing happened
and I just
I'd swap seats with somebody else.
You just give up at some point.
It's terrible.
All right, so then Aquafina
between music and acting
and comedy
stand up and all that.
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.
Music is something that I do
all the time.
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
know about the other stuff.
I feel like you were about to say
music's my passion. You backed off it
and said it's what I like to do. Is that true?
Yeah, it is true because then I
heard myself that 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 was like gross, dude.
Gross.
Guys, I just like to tell stories, you know,
just a storyteller.
He has a big comedy tragedy masks on his back tattoo.
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 and then he'll
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've got 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
they'll end it.
So if you're a storyteller, you just tell stories.
Okay, I got it.
But it's fair to say that music
is, you are passionate
about your 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.
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.
Right. Where are you finding
most of your opportunities now? Is it acting or is it
music? 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
been put on hold because
I've been doing a lot. A lot of it
is in movies and stuff right now.
And are you happy with that?
Is that where you want to keep it pointed?
You said that you didn't really have a plan. Do you have a plan
now or do you kind of like not
having a plan 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
it's a little bit of both.
I really enjoy that. I enjoy
making movies. It's
what I love doing
and it's cool because
it affords me time to
do music and to
have that also.
And so do you feel
like being
what politicians like to call a minority
and a woman and
all of those things that you
do feel like you have to approach everything
from a place of
I'll show you or are you
like fuck it and I'm just going to enjoy
it and that fight doesn't run that deep
for you. You know what I mean?
There's not a lot
of people like me that
I grew up with and that's not even
to say that
to idolize but literally
to see what happened
with them. And I think in that way
whatever we're doing right now
in the beginning
you meet a person like me
and you don't understand
what kind of person that is
and I think
or what to do with that person
or what to do with that person
and as that person
if you don't have a roadmap
of what has happened with other people you don't know
and so
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 always
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 it's that you just don't know
what box you would fit into either.
Right, right. So then what 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 United States.
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.
So do you then feel that you were exposed to
sort of that prejudice and that
racism there that
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 going up
like a lot of Asian Americans are the
Qing Zhang and like the thighs
things and I grew up with that but
I also know that
I would also like prove
people wrong in the 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
a yeah.
Do you feel pressure from the Asian American community
then to be like a spokesperson
for them and you know is that
something you embrace or 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'll 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 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.
I'm like
it's Aquafina bitch.
By the way
go 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.
Yeah I just think
and the farewell you were just no wonder you won
that Golden Globes.
That was unbelievable incredible performance
yeah just amazing.
But going back to the rapping thing
because a lot of people who
you know you from movies like wait she was a rapper
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're like
yeah that's really cool I'm really drawn to that.
I mean I grew up
in Queens listening to that
and you know I had a love affair with it
when I was growing up I worshiped
DJ Herc
Cool Herc you know DJ Rashad
I loved producers J Dilla
I was really into like
the old MPCs the Akai's
into that and
when I was in high school
and I think you know 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 when it
in terms of when it became like my vag
and stuff I
she said with a straight face
I was making beats
and you know I wanted
to do a response
to my dick I mean I you know
to this day I still make beats
it's what I love. I love that
I love that. What a sentence
Yeah
When it's read back in court
it's going to be incredible
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 love 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
do you ever feel like oh shit
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
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
Sean you just brought up a really interesting
point I didn't
I never thought of it like that
for me it felt like really auspicious
that I couldn't believe that
this even exists
and I definitely felt
unprepared for it
I knew that like this I've never
done this before I just started acting
right but I felt
a connection to it and like
this 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 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
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
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 does is that what excites you
about about acting
kind of morphing into different kinds of
characters yeah yeah I
like that about it
all of it and I think
for this stuff
that the farewell
the kind of the heavier stuff it's
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
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
what I was doing was just you know straight
comedy so there's
an aspect of fun but there's not
kind of like that you know your insights
are involved in it and so
that was an interesting thing
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 yeah yeah for sure
it helps it yeah
and 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 if you could write it out
I think
photography you know really
no
we were ready
oh you guys are so dumb I did not
for the record I did not say really
my
my eyebrows are really high really that's so
horrible but I will say this
so like you and Sean's right
I mean you have done it's incredible
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
we're going to make more
and you like that experience making that show
I do it's interesting
it's my life and
it was one of my first executive
producer jobs so 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 it
do you see that five years that you're doing
season five of Nora from Queens
I
I'm not counting that out I think
everything has a natural course
I'm not going to force people to watch something
that no one wants to watch if that's the case
I will
it's so great you're so great
so Aquafita what
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
what do 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 in or out
I mean well today
I actually went to the Grove and I had
Venice Beach went to a buffet
come on no none of those
things are allowed
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 don't like being inside all the time
you like to get out and socialize
because that's what essentially it is
yeah I like
to stay at home and
and watch movies and stuff
oh I like that I actually just
saw
you remember Love Stinks Jason
oh god what are you doing
here's that
we do need
things to cut out this is good keep going
okay okay yeah
where this part can go
oh man this is
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 it was lit you were
awesome with a Hawaiian
shirt or something guys
it's a it's a real treat
to take a look at it's really I'll take it
I'll check that out Jason shines
it's yeah 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
some reason I was
I was Teen Wolf 2
but it's Teen Wolf TOO
it's Teen Wolf also
it's not a sequel god damn it
no he's a
Teen Wolf 2 and
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
do it move stuff around for Christ's sake
Aquafina you've not seen Teen Wolf 2
she's not aware if you've seen Teen Wolf 1
she's very young
Aquafina we used to play in a card game
and Shawn used to play in it too
the three of us used to this is
we're going back a while now at least 15 years
we used to play Tuesday nights
at this guy Kyle Gass's house
oh well you know Tenacious
oh you know Kyle
it's Kyle Gass and Jack Black's
yeah so
Shawn actually Shawn if you remember
Shawn came in the first night and did really well
like one like just like oh man
he just kept going down and he won
and then he never won again
like the worst thing you could do
he didn't really come back that often did he
after that he just took his winnings
he started losing he was like I'm just losing like
Texas Holden is poker
and so this is like 15 years ago so
so then
but Kyle gave Jason
the name of T-Dub
T-Dub
and every time the bet was to
Jason or anything Kyle
they knew each other Kyle would go T-Dub
you win
I miss playing cards so much
I know that was fun
wasn't that fun let's talk 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 is
79 it's not fast
times
wait a second
now
in my youth
there was a real ceremony
buying a new bong about every
three weeks me and the fellas
every three weeks
it was so fun those big
huge like hundred dollar
bongs with five chambers
and let's chop up some ice
and oh
so are you
ripping bongs Aquafina no
you have a bong in that house right now
I guarantee you do
there's a bong in the house
stupid will
now are you using that bong
I've been using a volcano
see that's a whole new level
what is that
it's made by this German
brand and it's called stores
and bickle this brand and it's in a
volcano and then you take this
plastic bag
and it vaporizes all of the
things and then
you put the plastic bag over your head
think about your life a little bit
exactly
cry
bag over your head
so the bag expands with smoke
and then you
throw your face inside the bag
or do you make a little hole
there's like an actual
it looks like the
top of a water bottle
and what they call it is it's weed on tap
so
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
that's like an oil guys
what is a tincture
it's just like a little droplet of
it's like an oil
like a little dropper
put it under your tongue
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 bongs?
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
they will get kicked over
by the guy who smoked a little too much
so you gotta put it up on the table
don't put it on the floor
you're a great parent
put that on the table now
the benefit of a bong
because I think I did one once a long time ago
you just need one hit and that's
you're good, you're good to go for a long time
well the water cools the smoke
so it's smoother
I think you can inhale a lot
what's that doctor
excuse us
everybody quiet in the back
look at the scientist
here
what I need you to do
you need to go and smoke weed
with Sean
because Sean is like a one hit wonder
he takes half a hit of weed
and he is
calls his mom immediately
he's been dead for years
great, dead mom jokes
well that's awesome
at the beginning of the podcast
I stole his joke
breathe the room
that's a joke
there's never been a better topic
to end on than weed
let's do it
I'm down, let's do it Sean
you don't have to ask me twice
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
it's been so, so, so long
thanks, same Sean
thank you
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, 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 secure
we can rip a bong
that's nice
I love watching young people
be nice to a boomer
it's great to meet you
Aquafina and thank you for saying yes
to sitting and talking with us
bye honey
bye guys
you guys embarrassed me
you guys embarrassed me
what a nice
charming
and funny and kind
yeah, no, she's great
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?
that's crazy
and to have so quickly
have her star rise
and to watch it, I feel like I'm watching myself
she's got this big show
she's got all this stuff going on
and I follow her on Instagram
she's 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
no
I think it was maybe early 90s
I gotta check
anyway, it was fun
it's fun to look at
like any old pictures
when I say pictures, I don't mean films
I mean like photos
you will not refer to films as pictures
if you ever hear me say
I did a wonderful picture
it touched me hard in the face
we were working on a picture
and I'm going to ways back now
what about when you say
oh we did a wonderful
wrote a wonderful piece
we did it in a great space
or the other way sometimes when you hear
there are certain affected American actors
who go
well of course for me the cinema
is like hey man
you lived in Paris for 18 months
fuck off
hey what kind of science classes did you guys take
in high school did anybody take like
chemistry or what hang on a second
I gotta put my neck in traction
bye melody
oh
melody
smart
wise
smart
music