Constance Wu

The more you know about somebody's back story, the deeper you can delve into that well, and the more your comedic choices resonate full-body instead of just being quick, quippy one-liners that are just like a bunch of people trying to be clever. Because after a while, cleverness is just really obnoxious!

Constance Wu (March 22, 1982–) is a Taiwanese-American actress.

Quotes

• I don't fear being outspoken. The only thing I fear is losing my sense of integrity or losing sight of the values on which I guide my life. So I don't think it's particularly brave or unusual for me to speak out.
  • As quoted in "Constance Wu Opens Up About Activism and Speaking Up For What’s Right" in Teen Vogue (27 February 2017)

• Listening to an underserved population is how you begin to understand them and serve them better.
  • As quoted in "'Fresh Off The Boat' Star Constance Wu On Why She's With Hillary Clinton" in Elite Daily (2 November 2016)

• Make sure your work is never results-oriented. The result is a byproduct of the work, in a way.
  • As quoted in "5 Reasons Constance Wu Is One Kickass Woman" in Huffington Post (22 March 2017)

• I wish reporters were more in tune to the difference between the Asian experience and the Asian-American experience. I think often they lump the two together and think that when I talk about Asian-American narratives that they can cite Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Mulan as proof of concept when it's a different experience.
  • As quoted in "Constance Wu Says Media Should Know the Difference Between Asians And Asian-Americans" in NextShark (24 March 2017)

• I don't have the best family life. I'm not going to have a sob story and be like, my parents abandoned me, because they didn't. But they also are not that present. When I'm alone, I'm alone. I don't have anybody to call, and so I have to create meaning from myself.
  • As quoted in "Constance Wu Doesn’t Want to Be Your “It” Girl" in Vulture

• I wish reporters were more in tune to the difference between the Asian experience and the Asian-American experience. I think often they lump the two together and think that when I talk about Asian-American narratives that they can cite Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Mulan as proof of concept when it's a different experience.
  • As quoted in "Constance Wu: ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ Will Tip Its Hat to ‘All-American Girl’" in The Hollywood Reporter (31 March 2015)

• Specificity is what makes good storytelling, and good storytelling is what makes money, and making money is then what encourages new producers to invest in different stories about Asians.
  • As quoted in "Fresh Off the Boat Star: I Don't Need to Represent Every Asian Mom Ever" in Time (10 February 2015)

• I'd rather lose all my stuff than lose myself, because I've done that before, and that feels way worse.
  • As quoted in "Constance Wu Doesn’t Want to Be Your “It” Girl" in Vulture

• I'm okay with not having a super-secure lifestyle because if you're doing what you like, you don't need stuff to fill any empty holes.
  • As quoted in "Constance Wu on Confronting Hollywood's Racism" in The Cut (18 July 2016)

• Being an actor, in and of itself, is just hard. You have to just do it for its own sake.