One of Chau 's first major roles was in the US television series '' Treme '' ( 2010 – 2013 ) , which was set in New Orleans . Her first feature film role was in '' Inherent Vice '' ( 2014 ) . For a year after her role , she was not able to get an audition for another film role . In 2015 , she had a key role in the 2015 Off Broadway play '' John '' by Annie Baker , and Chau credited the experience for strengthening her acting . She also had a supporting role in the HBO TV miniseries '' Big Little Lies '' alongside Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon . She subsequently appeared in '' Downsizing '' ( 2017 ) , for which her performance was described as a standout by several reviews . Chau was nominated for several awards for best supporting actress , including Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role . She was considered a potential nominee for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 90th Academy Awards . '' USA Today '' s Andrea Mandell said , " Hong Chau was snubbed ... a nomination many had assumed was a lock given the strength of her performance as a Vietnamese refugee . " Some criticized her character Ngoc Lan Tran as stereotypical because Chau spoke in broken English , but Chau said that she found her character " so multifaceted and complex and well-written "
90th Academy Awards
90th Academy Awards
Hong Chau