Awkwafina Becomes First Asian-American Actress Ever To Win Golden Globe For Best Comedy Film

Antonia Blyth

Click here to read the full article.

UPDATED with video from speech: On Sunday, Awkwafina became the first actress of Asian-American descent to win a Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy category.

The actress took home the award for her role in Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, which follows the story of a Chinese-American woman returning to China to say goodbye to her terminally ill grandmother—a narrative based on Wang’s own experience.

More from Deadline

Backstage, Awkwafina said of being the first Asian-American woman to win in this category, “I actually heard that fact and it was pretty mind-blowing. It feels incredible… but you want there to be more. I hope this is only the beginning.”

Although technically classed as a comedy film by the HFPA, The Farewell has a fairly serious bent. Despite previously being known for her straight-up comedy work in Crazy Rich Asians, she showed off dramatic acting chops in the role. In accepting the award, she returned to her full-on comedy roots. “If I fall upon hard times I can sell this,” she quipped, holding her statuette.

Awkwafina said Wang had given her “the chance of a lifetime” with the role, and thanked her Farewell co-star Zhao Shuzhen, who played her on-screen grandmother, while also thanking her real-life grandmother who raised her. “To my grandma, my best friend, the woman who raised me,” she said, adding, “I’d love to dedicate this to my dad Wally. I told you I’d get a job dad.”

Finally, she also dedicated the award to her mother. “I always hoped she was watching from somewhere above, and I hope she’s watching now.”

Awkwafina can next be seen later this month in her new Comedy Central series Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens.

 

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.