What Raya And The Last Dragon's Sisu Looks Like In Real Life
Disney's newest release Raya and the Last Dragon is getting positive reviews across the board, thanks to its imaginative storyline and star-studded cast. The animated fantasy-adventure flick is set in the world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons once lived together in harmony. Five hundred years after the dragons sacrificed themselves to save mankind from terrifying monsters, the brave warrior Raya goes on a quest to find the last living dragon, Sisu, in hopes of saving the world once more.
Raya and the Last Dragon also features the voice talents of Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), and Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy), to name just a few, but Raya and Sisu are the true heart and soul of the film. Kelly Marie Tran of Star Wars franchise fame lends her voice to Raya, while comedian and actress Awkwafina voices Sisu — a lovable character brought to life by an equally lovable performer. Awkwafina has an impressive list of projects to her name, and her great comedic timing combined with her unique voice makes for stand-out performances across the board.
Raya and the Last Dragon star Awkwafina has a dazzling résumé
Born Nora Lum, Awkwafina rose to fame in 2012 when a parody song she wrote and performed went viral on YouTube. Not long after, she released her debut album Yellow Ranger, and subsequently landed her first TV role on MTV's Girl Code. Awkwafina's career exploded thereafter, and she's now best known for her roles as Constance in Ocean's Eight, Peik Lin Goh in Crazy Rich Asians, Billi in the heartwarming (and Golden Globe-winning) comedy-drama film The Farewell, Ming in Jumanji: The Next Level, the voice of Courtney in The Angry Birds Movie 2, and the voice of Otto in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, among others.
Aside from movies, Awkwafina has appeared on several TV shows, including Weird City (as Charlotta), Future Man (as "Woman at Video Game Store"), and Mary + Jane (as Gina). She also voiced both Dr. Chang and Carmen in two separate episodes of The Simpsons, the Collector in Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Annie in an episode of Animals. Fans of Tuca & Bertie can hear Awkwafina's unmistakable voice in the 2019 episode "The Promotion" as well.
In 2018, Awkwafina made history as the second Asian woman to ever host Saturday Night Live, following nearly two decades after Lucy Liu hosted the show in 2000 (via The Lily). She's currently writing, producing, and starring in Comedy Central's Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, which is loosely based on her own life.
At just 32 years old, Awkwafina has already made impressive (and historical) strides in her career. One of her many current projects is voicing the role of Scuttle in Disney's live-action version of The Little Mermaid, and if it's anything like Raya and the Last Dragon, it's sure to be a family favorite.