Stephanie Hsu and I chatted as we went for our COVID boosters one day on set. Suddenly I was getting the most confident advice from a new gun on the scene. She said, “No one but me gets to define my future or limitations.” That blew me away. Historically, we who have been told we are “other” have accepted the scraps handed us in a world that pre-defines us arbitrarily as outsiders. But, no more. See, Stephanie knows she has the talent to back up her ambitions and that very rare gift: a sense of self-worth and awareness of her limitless potential. Hearing those words from her was a tectonic-plate-shifting moment for me. I came out of that room a new person, ready to take on our scene with altered gusto. It’s a joy watching as Stephanie appropriately takes over the world by being hilarious, heartbreaking, singular … and knowing it. She’s a new era, and it’s a gift to bask in the golden glow of what she’s given us so far and to know she’s just revving up.
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Lyonne is an Emmy-nominated actor, writer, director and producer
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