Season three of Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens drops on Comedy Central Wednesday, April 26, with creator/writer Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Farewell, Renfield) pulling out all the stops. Not that anything ever held back the intrepid Awkwafina. The uproarious hit series never shied away from being bold and blunt while also managing to keep things real.

The show, inspired by Awkwafina’s real-life story of growing up in Queens, New York, tracks our beloved Nora (Awkwafina) as she learns how to move through adulthood. Pop helps — that’s B.D. Wong in a memorable role as Wally. Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn) pours on the hilarity and Cousin Edmund (Bowen Yang) elevate this romp to something truly memorable.
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This season, the search for meaning has never been more active. Every character finds themselves experiencing introspection and change. We find Nora going from working at her neighborhood bodega to appearing in a reality competition show to — wait for it — Iceland. Meanwhile, Grandma frets about aging, Edmund enjoys some stardom as an actor, and Wally contemplates significant life changes.

Take note: Jennifer Esposito comes along as a recurring guest with additional guest stars Scott Adsit, Celia Au, Gabo Augustine, Michael Bolton, Ross Butler, Lea DeLaria, Chrissie Fit, Janeane Garofalo, Gina Gershon, Judy Gold, Frankie Muniz, and many others coming along for the ride.

For B.D. Wong and Lori Tan Chinn, being part of the series truly impacted their lives. For real. The actors shared more about the joy of portraying “real” Asian character in the series, and much more. Check out the exclusive clips below.

B.D. Wong on Playing a Real Human Being

To be sure, B.D. Wong’s character, Wally, Nora’s pop has become a fan favorite in the hit series. Ahead of season three, Wong also pointed out what viewers can expect this go around:

The characters are all as they always have been, but everyone, not just Nora — maybe less so Grandma — is kind of struggling in their relationships to find out how we fit or where we’re going. Wong added: “There’s a lot of drama in that, actually. The show is into great storytelling, so you know, you have Bowen Yang [as Cousin Edmund] going off and finding his way in his career. And you have Nora continuing to struggle with her own life and some real-life issues. In real life, they’d be really serious issues, actually. I think we make them kind of hilarious.”

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He went on to say how well the show captures real-life and puts a hilarious yet embraceable spin on it all.

“This season looks at what to do with your life, what’s your next chapter, and how to become happy,” shared Wong. “I think of all the characters, Grandma is the one who has more of a sense of what she’s really dealing with — old age and the mortality of her friends. That’s a real thing for an older person. It’s all very real, actually, even though it’s completely ridiculous.”

At the same time, Wong admitted he’s never really quite experienced anything related to the core of what the gang deals with this season. “They are allowed to go off on these crazy adventures, and it really makes our performances as wacky as can be. Because that’s the world of this show. That’s partly what people like about it. So, it’s more of that for season three for everyone in a heightened way, and it reaches a great climax for everybody. It really finds its sweet spot.

“The last two episodes are pretty satisfying, because they leave it somewhere really heartwarming and wonderful,” added Wong.

Lori Tan Chinn on Playing Things Raw, Real, and Crazy Ass

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Few actors manage to embed themselves into viewers’ hearts with as much grace as Lori Tan Chinn. The Orange Is the New Black cast member knocked it out of the park playing Mei Chang in the hit series and almost instantly became a fan favorite. She follows similar suit in Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens as Grandma. When MovieWeb asked her what she appreciated most about the being in the series, the actor shared Wong’s sentiments, noting how refreshing it is to play a multi-layered “real” character. Check out the exclusive clip below.

It’s interesting to note, too, how season three of the series delves into New York recently legalizing weed. In fact, we see Nora and Grandma at their best inhabiting the space they love with Granny being in charge and going “full drug cartel.” Wicked fun it is. “I tell you that, I am the child of the ’70s and a Baby Boomer, and I did not participate in the partaking of the weed,” Chinn said with a laugh. She continued:

So, when that subject came up, I thought, ‘Oh no, do I have to [do the scenes]? Because I stopped smoking 30 years ago, so I don’t like to pick up a cigarette. You know, I don’t want to advocate or promote that. So, when this story came in, I really didn’t know I was going to be able to deal with it or not. But there were little things that made it more interesting, aside from, you know, the whole subject of just ‘weed.’ As for diving into the unique role of Grandma, and starring opposite the incomparable Awkwafina, Chinn said she was grateful to find a role filled with depth and nuance. “I was listening to what B.D. was talking about, and I had once complained about my career, having to do dialogue that was not comfortable for an Asian to speak in. So, this [series] was very comfortable. It was just playing things raw, real, and crazy ass.”

Season three of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens debuts on Comedy Central April 26.