Chase Sui Wonders is a relative newcomer to Hollywood at 26-years-old. She was in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, during which she met and began dating Pete Davidson. She is a nepo-baby (niece of Anna Sui) and has two projects coming out this month — City on Fire on Apple TV+ and she’s playing Pete’s girlfriend in Bupkis, the fictionalized series about his life on Peacock. Chase spoke to Nylon about her life and career plans and relationship with Pete. Some highlights:
On getting into acting (and being a nepo baby): “I was cripplingly shy [as a kid]; I didn’t really speak outside of my house, for undiscovered reasons,” Wonders says, drinking a cup of black coffee (an objectively cool order) at Soho Diner. “My mom was like, ‘We’ve got to do something about this.’ So she took me to community theater and made me audition for The Wizard of Oz.” Things didn’t go great for Wonders that day. “I couldn’t speak; I couldn’t say anything.” Neither Wonders nor her mother would give up. She continued auditioning, landing her first spot in the chorus at 14, then a single-line part the year after that. Despite a scathing review of her one role in a college play, she kept at it, and her first gig post-graduation was a cameo in Sofia Coppola’s 2020 film On the Rocks. (This wasn’t the first time they worked together: Coppola, a close friend of Wonders’ aunt, fashion designer Anna Sui, cast her in a Calvin Klein campaign she directed in 2017.)
On dating Pete Davidson: Despite her relationship becoming news at the same time that her career is taking off, Wonders is not caught up in the headlines, which she credits to a very supportive partnership. “We talk about everything, and we are very open with each other about everything, and it feels like what’s happening in our relationship is very sacred,” she says. “The first initial shock was super disorienting, but after that it just becomes … it’s like a video game. It feels like another weird player came into the video game. I feel like I’m still on my own path. My life hasn’t changed that much.”
On the “cool girl trope” and her career plans: “Obviously I’m playing characters, but I like to bring a rawness and a naturalism to my performances,” she says. “I feel like they’re very heart-on-the-sleeve. They’re not your typical ‘manic pixie dream girl’ or ‘quirky girl.’ I think they don’t easily fit into a stereotype, which I’m proud of.” In the future, she is looking forward to taking the “cool girl” trope she’s explored and turning it on its head. “I want to continue crafting these roles where women are one degree off, or they’re a little off-kilter, or they’re not perfectly charming. I love a flawed girl,” she adds. But as we established upon meeting, that label of cool hasn’t always come naturally to her. So, how would she describe herself instead? “I’m very present. I’m funny. I’m always doing bits. I’m always in the ‘riff zone,’ which can be frustrating to some who don’t want to enter the riff zone at certain times. I like to put on a show. I like to bring the fun,” she says.
I came away from this article feeling like Chase Sui Wonders (such a great name) very much wants to be seen as the “cool girl” despite all her protestations to the contrary. Being the “cool girl” isn’t really, well, “cool” anymore and has been throughly debunked as something that mainly appeals to men. Even in the article’s intro she claims to be a tomboy because she hung out in boys’ hockey locker rooms in Detroit — like, what? But I guess she’s young and maybe that stuff seems cool to her because she was so shy when she was younger. I don’t know, Chase seems harmless. I also love The OC and rollerblading, so I’ll give her that. The video game analogy about her relationship with Pete is funny and totally what a cool girl who plays video games would say. Maybe Chase and Pete will be one of his longer relationships. They seem better matched than him and Kim K or Kate Beckinsale.
The only thing I have to offer on this is my husband’s aunt had to sue her father for financial mismanagement back in the 90s.
Not sure she’s a nepo baby since Anna Sui hasn’t been a thing for a long time.
If she gets a role in Sofia Coppola movie because her aunt is friends with her, then I think it’s fair to apply the nepo baby label.
Given what she says about her acting growing up, it’s pretty clear if her aunt wasn’t who she is, she wouldn’t have had a role in a Sofia Coppola film, which is a very nice acting credit on your resume as you apply for other things.
Ahh. I didn’t know about the Sofia Coppola connection.
So… what I took away from this recap is that she’s really bad at acting, but her connections got her a role in SFC’s movie. I’m not impressed.
No idea who she is, other than she is spending time with Pete.
I’m OK with Pete, he does seem to be getting work and keeping his 15 minutes of fame going.
He certainly seems to have Lorne Michaels support for his career.
Maybe she should use her money and connections and go to an actual acting school. Take private lessons.
I can see myself not liking the supporting cast but Pete’s show bupkis doesn’t look bad.
See below, she apparently went to Harvard
Good lord, she has nothing much to contribute by speaking.
The headline on this article is cramping my brain. Woudn’t “Chase Sui Wonders says of Pete Davidson, ‘[it’s] like another player came into…'” make more sense? Or “Chase Sui Wonders calls Pete Davidson another player in her video game.”
Or maybe it’s just too early for me to be reading!
I had no idea she was Anna Sui’s niece so I went to Wikipedia and saw this : “ She graduated from Harvard University magna cum laude, majoring in film studies and production, where she wrote for the college humor publication, The Harvard Lampoon.”
So sure her Aunt might have given her a foot in, but at least she went and thrived in college.
I wonder though if she got into Harvard because she has brains or money.
Money doesn’t graduate you magna cum laude, regardless.
I went to school in the NE and I’ve had friends who went to Harvard (merit) and also taught there.
They’ve all shared hilarious / horror stories of Harvard students doing things like *falling asleep during finals* and still passing/ thriving.
Like many historical “ivy leagues,” Harvard is hard to get into because of the nepotism, but easy to get through once you’re there.
Not dissing this gal’s talents/ intelligence (she’s quite good in Bupkis, btw), but I don’t automatically assume that someone from Harvard really is a hard-working brainiac.
But hey, hope things go well for her!
Poor girls is Pete Davidson the only man they got over in Hollywood LA? He seems very busy.
Black coffee is “objectively cool?” Ok.
I have to agree (said in my best wired jaw voice).
Although goat’s milk froth…..
My face scrunched when I read that.
Objectively cool… not sure if satire or plain bad writing.
She sounds younger than 26. The way she speaks reminds me of how I spoke when I was 18/19.
Ameerah M, Agree. She does sound very young. And I still shade Pete for not taking up Martha Stewart’s dating offer. Hell, she’s going to be featured as a bathing suit model in Sports Illustrated. Ageism much, Pete?