Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner, and Libro FM for providing me with both a physical and audio galley of Constance Wu’s memoir, Making a Scene. Although I received both versions, I ended up listening to the audio book, narrated by the author.
Actress Constance Wu shares memories of her childhood growing up in Virginia, her early twenties waiting tables and studying acting in New York, and her successful acting career.
Wu gained heaps of negative press when she spoke out about her unhappiness with the renewal of her hit sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. She was seen as ungrateful and a bit of a diva. Wu addresses this incident and gives her side of the story, which is quite compelling and heartbreaking. She also explains the frustration when so many people assume that the character she plays, Jessica Huang, is similar to Wu’s own mother. Wu makes it very clear that her mother bears very little similarities to Jessica, and that the very question is perpetuating stereotypes of Asian mothers.
Although Wu shares bit of her Hollywood career, a bulk of the book involves her childhood, including fond memories of her teenage job working at a bakery and her early love of performing in community theater. She had a fairly ordinary and quiet childhood. I’m only four years older than Wu and many of her stories of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, especially with regard to technology, rang true to my experience. Wu speaks of her pre-fame years with mostly fondness. She also shares her challenging relationship with her younger sister, which I’m sure many people would find relatable.
I’m a fan of Wu as an actor, but I think I enjoyed this more for being a memoir about a woman from my generation. I found Wu to be very relatable and down to earth, definitely different from how the media has been portraying her.