Quiz Lady's Awkwafina and Sandra Oh Discuss Pee-Wee Herman Obsessions and Playing Against Type
There’s no better way to wrap up the year than with laughter and thankfully, 2023 delivered on its roster of funny films. While Barbie might have led the pack, audiences were in for a treat all year round with laugh-out-loud films like Joy Ride, The Blackening, and No Hard Feelings. In capping off the hilarity while becoming one of the funniest movies to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September, the hilarious and wholesome Quiz Lady is one of the year’s best slapstick comedies. Starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as two estranged sisters embarking on a cross-country road trip to pay off their mother’s gambling debts, the Jessica Yu-directed comedy’s absurd premise tees up some of the most outrageous and cleverest laughs thanks to the sharp writing of Jen D’Angelo with smart zingers and vibrant performances.
Following the film’s well-received Hulu and Disney+ premiere this past November in the U.S. and Canada, the stars and producers of Quiz Lady, Awkwafina and Oh sat down with Collider following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike for an exclusive interview. While the two shared their love of game shows, they also had a chance to talk about their characters, the connection the pair share, collaborating with Yu nearly a year before production, and what it was like working with the late and “joyous” Pee-wee Herman star, Paul Reubens, in what is now his final performance.
