‘Minari’ Breakout Alan Kim Finds His Next Major Role: ‘Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens’
Alan Kim is one of the biggest breakouts of Oscar season thanks to his role in Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” and now his post-“Minari” career is taking shape. As reported by TV Line, the rising child actor has landed a pivotal role on the second season of Comedy Central’s “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.” The publication adds: “In flashbacks, Kim will guest star as the young version of Nora’s dad Wally (played in the present day by cast member BD Wong).”
Kim has received critical acclaim for his performance in “Minari,” in which he stars opposite Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton. Together with his cast members, Kim is nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. Kim won the Critics Choice Award for Best Young Performer, and he’ll compete at the BAFTA Film Awards in the Best Supporting Actor category.
“Alan S. Kim delivers one of the most crucial and transcendently honest child performances since Jonathan Chang in ‘Yi Yi,'” IndieWire senior film critic David Ehrlich wrote about the young performer in his rave “Minari” review.
Kim joins his co-star Steven Yeun in heading to television after the awards season success of “Minari.” It was announced earlier in March that Yeun was joining A24 and Ali Wong for a new 10-episode half hour series, the Oscar nominee’s first regular live-action TV gig since wrapping his run as Glenn Rhee on “The Walking Dead.” Yeun is the first Asian-American Best Actor nominee in Oscars’ history thanks to “Minari.” The film picked up a total a total of six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Supporting Actress for Youn Yuh-jung.
“Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens” Season 2 is now filming in New York City. Comedy Central has not announced when the new season will begin airing.