Here are our top reasons for loving Adele Lim.

1. Adele Lim’s authentic connection to her home and heritage

Lim was born in Petaling Jaya in Malaysia on the outskirts of cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur. She was raised in a traditional, multigenerational home that included her grandparents. Plenty of extended family were always around, too. The writer told local media that the experience made her fiercely proud of her Malaysian roots – something that shines through in her work and storytelling to this day.

2. She’s still Adele from the block

She went to a prestigious all-girls’ school, SMKP Sri Aman, an alma mater to renowned Malaysian figures including the country’s first female pilot. Even though Lim lives a million miles away in Hollywood now, her Instagram shows that she still makes time for her secondary school besties. Fame and fortune clearly haven’t gone to her head.

3. She’s fighting for her rights while recovering from an injury

As a long-time writer for films and TV shows (she got her start on Xena: Warrior Princess), Lim knows a thing or two about seeking credit where credit is due. Lim marched on the picket line during the 2007 writers’ strike, and she’s back at it again in 2023 – even though it’s more of a hobble these days.

According to one of her Instagram posts, she tore her ACL skiing and has been striking outside Hollywood studios while on crutches! Influence from her Warrior Princess days?

4. She added the most iconic scene in Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians director John Chu turned to Lim when he recognised that the film’s original screenplay needed a serious rewrite, Lim shared to local media. Lim understood the assignment, overhauling many of the film’s scenes by injecting more authentic, modern Asian experiences – and some beloved traditions, too.

5. She had a crush on Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat growing up

Growing up, Lim was enamoured with Hong Kong cinema – especially its dashing leading men. She revealed to W Magazine that she was especially affected by iconic Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat, who she says taught her that “hot, star-quality Asian men” truly belonged on the big screen.

6. She was a backup dancer for a Malaysian superstar

It’s hard to imagine her doing anything other than making her mark on the film industry, but back in the day Lim was actually promising dancer. In an interview with local media, Lim said that she was a backup dancer for Ning Baizura, one of Malaysia’s most popular and respected recording artists, for “a hot minute”.

7. She knows her worth

However, in 2019, the gender wage gap was still alive and well – just as it is in 2023. According to Lim, executives offered her an embarrassingly low fee for her writing services, with reports suggesting it was around 10 per cent of what her co-writer Peter Chiarelli was being paid. She walked away from the project in protest for pay parity.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said: “If I couldn’t get pay equity after CRA, I can’t imagine what it would be like for anyone else, given that the standard for how much you’re worth is having established quotes from previous films, which women of colour would never have been [hired for]. There’s no realistic way to achieve true equity that way.”