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Nora Lum, known by her stage name Awkwafina, may have an estimated net worth of several million, but she still lives with the mindset that she only needs $ 500 a month to get herself. get out of it, she recently told E. Alex Jung in February. cover story for Harper’s Bazaar.
Lum, 32, says the philosophy of money dates back to its beginnings when she was building her musical and comedic character Awkwafina, which she used as a creative outlet while one day working in book advertising.
Encouraged by a friend, she recorded a music video for “My Vag” on her 24th birthday, almost certain it would give her employer a reason to fire her (she adds that she was a “horrible assistant” anyway) .
She was fired, but at the same time the song was covered on The Hairpin, circulated on the Internet, led to a $ 1,500 concert at Sarah Lawrence’s house (the most money she had ever made at the era, says Lum) and more performance opportunities. Lum decided that the pursuit of entertainment was worth it.
She started with the goal of doing enough to cover the basics. “I went into this mode of, if I can make $ 500 a month that’s all I need because that’s how much my rent is at the time,” she told Harper’s Bazaar . “To this day, I feel like I’m still in this ‘All I need is 500 per month’ mindset.
“I did just enough, and was able to do something that I loved doing so much. I wanted it so much, ”she continues. “The truth is, the best years of your life are when you wait for something great to happen.”
In 2018, as she landed breakout roles in “Ocean’s 8” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” she resisted the abandonment of her cheap railroad apartment in Brooklyn, New York – her first apartment. outside of college, where she originally rented a room for $ 500.
When the filming of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ took her to far-flung places, Lum recalls, “I remember walking around Singapore through these malls thinking,’ I can’t afford anything in these. shopping centers.’ And then see those crazy houses. And it’s literally like, ‘Who am I?’ “She told Harper’s Bazaar.” That was the time. I just felt like I must be really lucky to be here. “
Yet in recent years, Lum has been blunt that his thrifty demeanor hasn’t quite caught up with his rising star and earning power. She is known to shop for clothes at Target and not splurge “on anything”.
She attributes her spending philosophy to being raised by her grandmother in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York after the bankruptcy of her grandparents’ restaurant and the loss of their home. Lum remembers money being tight at home and she stayed with her grandmother late at night, who worried about paying the bills.
Lum says she still maintains a “just the basics” mentality even though she is now in a better financial position to support herself and her family. She remained busy acting in the years that followed, including launching her own Comedy Central series and becoming the first Asian American to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress, for her lead role in the 2019 drama. “The Farewell”.
Her upcoming works include Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” a Netflix comedy starring Sandra Oh, and the Apple TV + movie “Swan Song” starring Mahershala. Ali.
“Yeah, I still have impostor syndrome because there are so many talented people out there,” Lum tells Harper’s Bazaar. “But I’m not going to do it today because I’ve worked really hard.”
Check-out:
How a $ 500 plane ticket launched comic actor Wong to roles in ‘Mr. Robot ‘and’ Nora From Queens’
This ‘Nora From Queens’ star was almost fired from her first job, but a change in attitude helped her land the lead role
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