High Jewelers Open New Frontiers - WWD
@Awkwafina lives by her own rules and suddenly has all of Hollywood listening. The breakout star of "Crazy Rich Asians" and "Ocean's Eight," chatted with us about the origins of her moniker, what it was like growing up with grandma, and how she felt about starring in her first dramatic role, "The Farewell." She began rapping in her early teens, and adopted the stage name Awkwafina when she was around 15. Now 31, she says the meaning behind the name — and sticking with it — has evolved into something deeper. “The name represents a lot of different things,” she explains. “First of all, it’s this person that Nora can hide behind because Awkwafina will take the heat. And Nora is OK with it. That’s how I saw her in the beginning. And I think that as a tool for confidence, as a tool for putting yourself out there, it was very useful. But I think that I eventually realized that they are one and the same — and by realizing that, that was even better as a confidence boost for me.” For Awkwafina, being an A-list actress means writing the rules on her own terms. It means taking a swig of tequila on the Oscars red carpet (YouTube it), getting invited to the Met Ball a year after starring in a Met Ball heist film, and, certainly, it means carving out a path for Asian American women to do comedy, do drama, host SNL, rap. While she’s done several comedic roles, there’s little comedy in “The Farewell.” The film premiered at Sundance to rave reviews and generated a bidding war, which A24 won; it arrives theatrically on July 12. Tap the link in bio for more. Report: @leighen Photo Credit: @bradtorchia Styled by: @theAlexBadia Market Editors: @andrew_shang & @elmercer Hair: @kyleeheathhair Makeup: @rachelgoodwinmakeup
