The 'Crazy Rich Asians' star could be the first Asian-American woman nominated for Best Actress
Indiewire reports that Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina is “poised” to be nominated for a historic Oscar Award for her film The Farewell.
If all plays out in her favour, Awkwafina could be the first Asian-American woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.
Eurasian actress Merle Oberon was the last Asian woman to be nominated for the award in 1935 for The Dark Angel.
The Farewell is based on writer-director Lulu Wang’s life experiences. Awkwafina stars as a Chinese American woman named Billi who returns to China to visit her grandmother who is suffering from cancer. Billi clashes with her family who decide to keep her grandmother in the dark about her illness. Culture clashes and family are themes deeply explored in this touching tale.
Since it release the film has been well received, earning praising reviews for its portrayal of the immigrant life and the mixed culture dynamic.
The film even overtook Avengers: Endgame‘s per-theatre average at the box office. Kim’s Convenience star Simu Liu even bought out an entire cinema to promote the film.
Speaking about The Farewell, Awkwafina said she “never thought a script like this could ever exist: one that was written by an Asian-American woman and directed by an Asian American woman. I’d just never seen it.”