Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” is a movie about family, with the core relationship being the one between New Yorker Billi (Awkwafina) and her beloved Chinese grandmother or Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen).
The process of casting the two main roles was as different as the actors themselves: Awkwafina, a breakout movie star from the States, and Zhao, a veteran TV actress from China.
In a recent director’s Q&A, Wang revealed she was reluctant when she was first pitched Awkwafina for the role of Billi — who is based on Wang herself.
“When her name was brought up it was before ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Ocean’s Eight,’ so I only knew of her from her rap videos,” Wang recalled. “I had been auditioning different actors and my producer said, ‘Have you considered Awkwafina because she’s read the script?'”
“And I was like, ‘The rapper from Queens? To play me? In a dramatic film? Are we making the same movie?” Wang said, half-jokingly. “I thought my producer was pushing her because she was an influencer and had a lot of followers.”
“I was very resistant at first but then we had coffee and she told me she was raised by her Chinese grandmother,” Wang said of their face-to-face meeting. “She’s half Korean but her Korean mother passed away when she was four so she really doesn’t connect at all with that side of her heritage and connects more with her Chinese side because of her grandmother.”
After watching Awkwafina’s audition tape, Wang admits she was “blown away.” “I had no idea she could do that,” she said. “Very expressive in silence, not saying a word you could see all the conflict in her eyes, and I knew that’s what I needed — somebody who could do that with their face for 90 minutes.”
“I definitely doubted myself at first. I didn’t know if I would be able to do it justice,” Awkwafina said at TheWrap’s studio during January’s Sundance Film Festival. “I did become emotionally invested in the character and in the story. It’s so beautiful and moving, I never thought that I would see a script like this in my career.”
Casting Billi’s Nai Nai was a different challenge, given the relative unfamiliarity of China-based talent.
“She does a lot of soap operas,” Wang said of Zhao, who makes her American film debut in “The Farewell.”
“One of the things we underestimated was just how expensive Chinese actors are,” Wang admitted. “We don’t know who they are! So you get there and they’re like the grandmother in everything.”
“Everyone was like, ‘She plays grandmas in a bunch of shows and everyone loves her.’ I had to call her up and practically cry on the phone and beg her to do it.”
While filming, Wang and the crew referred to the veteran actor as Teacher Zhao out of deference.
“In China, you meet someone who is your grandmother’s age, you would just call them ‘grandma’ even if they’re not your grandma,” Wang explained. “When you’re working with somebody and they’re older, you refer to them as ‘teacher’ as a sign of respect. So instead of ‘Ms.’ it’s like saying ‘Master’ or ‘Teacher.'”
You can see Awkwafina and Teacher Zhao in “The Farewell,” which opens wide this weekend.
81 Sundance Portraits From A to Z: Awkwafina to Zach Galifianakis (Exclusive Photos)
Awkwafina, "The Farewell"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Demi Moore, "Corporate Animals"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Ed Helms, "Corporate Animals"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Hilary Swank, "I Am Mother"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Clara Rugaard-Larsen, "I Am Mother"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Grant Sputore, "I Am Mother"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Sacha Jenkina and RZA, "Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Peter Sarsgaard, "The Sound of Silence"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Tony Revolori, "The Sound of Silence"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Comedian Reggie Watts
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Zach Galifianakis, "The Sunlit Night"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jenny Slate, "The Sunlit Night"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Storm Reid, "Relive"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
David Oyelowo, "Relive"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Jacob Estes, "Relive"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
John Lithgow, "The Tomorrow Man"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Blythe Danner, "The Tomorrow Man"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Noble Jones, "The Tomorrow Man"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Annette Bening, "The Report"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jon Hamm, "The Report"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Maura Tierney, "The Report"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Scott Z. Burns, "The Report"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Danielle Brooks and director Chinonye Chukwu, "Clemency"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Alfre Woodard, "Clemency"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Kelvin Harrison Jr., "Luce"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jennifer Ehle, "The Wolf Hour"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Producer Cameron Crowe, "David Crosby: Remember My Name"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
David Crosby, "David Crosby: Remember My Name"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director AJ Eaton, "David Crosby: Remember My Name"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Ryan White, "Dr. Ruth"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
"Troop Zero" directors Bert & Bertie and actress Mckenna Grace
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Alma Ha'rel, "Honey Boy"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Byron Byers, "Honey Boy"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Noah Jupe, "Honey Boy"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Clifton Collins, "Honey Boy"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Haley Joel Osment, director Joe Berlinger, Angela Sarafyan and Brandon Trost, "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Matt Tyrnauer, "Where's My Roy Cohn?"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Creator Richie Mehta, "Delhi Crime Story"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Aisling Franciosi, "The Nightingale"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Gina Torres, "Selah and the Spades"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Lovie Simone and Celeste O'Connor, "Selah and the Spades"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jharrel Jerome, "Selah and the Spades"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Wendy McLendon-Covey, "Imaginary Order"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Max Burkholder, "Imaginary Order"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Debra Eisenstadt, "Imaginary Order"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Garret Price, "Love Antosha"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jim Cummings, "Greener Grass"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Alice Waddington and Danielle Macdonald, "Paradise Hills"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jim Gaffigan, "Light from Light"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Marin Ireland, "Light from Light"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Josh Wiggins, "Light from Light"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Penny Lane, "Hail Satan"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Alex Holmes and Tracy Edwards, "Maiden"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, "The Great Hack"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Chris O'Dowd, "State of the Union"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Florence Pugh, "Fighting With My Family"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Lena Headey, "Fighting With My Family"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Jack Lowden, "Fighting With My Family"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
WWE Superstar Paige, also known as Saraya-Jade Bevis, "Fighting With My Family"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Nick Frost, "Fighting With My Family"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Writer-director Stephen Merchant, "Fighting With My Family"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Rachel Lear, "Knock Down the House"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Alia Shawkat, "Animals"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Holliday Grainger, "Animals"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Sophie Hyde, "Animals"
Photographed by Irvin Rivera for TheWrap
Director Stanley Nelson, "Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool"