Awkwafina, the rapper, comedian, actor and writer who rose to wider attention in films such as Crazy Rich Asians and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, says her new Apple TV series is the most personal work she has taken on. Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook follows her as she travels across the United States to learn from a new generation of Asian American chefs with the goal of reviving her family’s shuttered Cantonese restaurant — despite admitting she cannot cook.
Meeting the morning after the Bafta TV awards, she greeted the small interview party with wry self-deprecation, joking that a Chinese bun would have made a suitable morning offering. That interplay captures the tone she brings to a show that mixes humor with real emotional stakes as she wrestles with family history and the practical challenges of learning an unfamiliar craft.
Central to the series is the presence of Lum’s grandmother, described by the star as a beloved matriarch; the elder woman appears in the programme and died after filming concluded. Awkwafina has said the project required confronting private material in public, and that rewatching episodes of her own sitcom for the series was a source of stress — an experience she has discussed candidly.
Beyond the cooking premise, Lum has reflected on other unlikely turns in her career, including nearly training to become a meat inspector before committing to entertainment. She has also spoken playfully about the personal scrutiny that comes with laying parts of her private life bare, noting she felt sympathy for former partners while revisiting intimate moments on camera.
Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook positions itself at the intersection of food, family and identity, drawing on the expertise of contemporary Asian American chefs as the star attempts to resurrect a piece of her family’s cultural legacy. The series adds a new chapter to Lum’s evolving career, one that blends comedic instincts with autobiographical exploration.