Meet ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Weird Asian Girl Hana Mae Lee
Pitch Perfect 2 had a particularly quiet character played by Hana Mae Lee. Lee played Lilly Onakuramara, the quietest one of the boisterous Barden Bellas. She was one of Pitch Perfect 2‘s quirkiest characters.
Lilly didn’t say much. And when she did say something, it was usually too quiet to make out. Lilly joined the Barden Bellas a cappella group in the original Pitch Perfect. In that movie, she helped them win the national competition through her beatboxing skills, accompanied by her silly, spacey vibe.
Besides singing and dance training with the rest of the Pitch Perfect 2 cast, she was given specialized training in beatboxing. Who knew that a beatboxer would be critical to the success of an a cappella group — but hip hop seems to permeate everything nowadays.
In Pitch Perfect 2, she was even more low key, having about one major scene. She somehow got out on a tree branch to cut Beca down from the net she was hanging in before telling others she sleeps upside down like a bat. She looked just like a ninja in that scene. Otherwise, she said little, unless you consider her cool hair and snazzy fashions.
Lee graduated from college with a degree in fashion. In fact, Hana Mae Lee is perhaps most accomplished in the field of fashion. Not sure how much designing she’ll have time for with a sequel to Pitch Perfect 2 on the horizon, though. But in her public appearances, she often wears clothes she designed. She told InStyle of the many fashion design opportunities she’s been involved with.
“I designed Mossimo’s boy’s label and their plus-wear line for Target. At Juicy Couture, I did all of the sweats with those floral designs. I almost went to New York to design menswear for Ralph Lauren’s Purple and Black Labels, but I felt like I couldn’t abandon acting just yet, because it’s hard to juggle both.”
Though she played less of a role this time around, perhaps because of the new cast members introduced in Pitch Perfect 2, Hana Mae Lee has a lot more going for her in and outside of the film world. Besides acting and fashion, she’s performed stand-up comedy since 2009.
Hopefully, we’ll see Hana Mae Lee in more, even funnier movies. Movies where she can be loud and in charge. We have yet to tap the full scope of her acting talent. Hopefully, she can receive more focus in a Pitch Perfect 2 sequel, and even in a spin-off.
[Photo by Michael Kovac / Getty Images for Macy’s]