The newly minted drama queen is one of EW’s 2019 Entertainers of the Year.
Awkwafinahas been here before.
“I have a better idea of where this all may be going.”
James Macari for EW
As the star ofThe Farewell, the 31-year-old rapper-actress ventured into dramatic leading-lady territory for the first time.
“As a girl, as a woman, we’re constantly negotiating our identities,” Awkwafina says.
The actress has maintained something of a split personality throughout her career.
James Macari for EW
“Because I don’t want to face the heavy stuff.
I want to keep it light.”
That doesn’t mean the star’s comedic background was an obstacle to overcome just a tool to repurpose.
James Macari for EW
“Comedy and music are acts of expression,” Awkwafina says.
“Everything that you do will come from that little place.”
She will next star in a semi-autobiographical Comedy Central series she created.
“I’d never seen anything like it,” she says of shooting the show.
“Telling stories about living with my grandma and my dad it was very real.”
The series, arriving Jan. 22, is aptly titledAwkwafina Is Nora From Queens.
“I can’t leave Awkwafina.
Awkwafina is a part of me.
I didn’t create Nora; I created Awkwafina.
So it makes it powerful when I see her name somewhere.”
“When these things happen, you wonder what got you here,” she reflects.
Lucky for her, there’s more than one right answer.
