Constance Wu Pretended to Speak Korean at an Audition

Pop culture may be more than a decade behind where it should be in terms of Asian super stars, but Constance Wu is set to turn that around. Between her starring roles in Fresh Off the Boat and Crazy Rich Asians, the world is Wu's oyster. But it's been a rough road for Asian actors thus far, and like many other, Wu spent years trying to scrounge up any work that she could.

And as Stephen Colbert pointed out when Wu appeared on his show Thursday, actors often have to lie about what they can pull off in auditions. So what did Wu do when she was trying to land a gig as an extra who yells a single line ("Run away!") but in Korean?

Wu: I'm not Korean, and I don't speak Korean. I speak Mandarin Chinese. But it was only like one word, like two words. So, you know, I asked a friend, and they told me, I learned it phonetically and I put all of my heart into that one line, and I—

Colbert: Do you remember how to say it?

Wu: No, it's like a traumatic experience. Because what happened next was the casting director was like, "That was so great. Can you improv a little in Korean?" And I said, "Yep!" And then I just made noises.

It's maybe not the most ethically upright moral for aspiring actors ("If all else fails, just lie and then over-act your way out of it") but, hey, whatever works.