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Awkwafina makes history as first Asian actor to win a Golden Globe in film

She won the award in the movie musical or comedy category for her role in The Farewell, where she plays a Chinese-American immigrant whose family has chosen to keep a grim diagnosis from her grandmother.

Awkwafina makes history as first Asian actor to win a Golden Globe in film

Awkwafina won best actress in a movie comedy/musical at the 2020 Golden Globes. (Photo: AFP / Getty Images North America / Kevin Winter)

Awkwafina, who got her big break in 2018’s hit movie Crazy Rich Asians, has made history.

On Sunday (Jan 5), she became the first Asian-American to win in a lead actress film category at the Golden Globes. She won the best actress award in the movie musical or comedy category for her role as Billi in The Farewell, where she plays a Chinese-American immigrant whose family has chosen to keep a grim diagnosis from her grandmother in China.

Last year, her Crazy Rich Asians co-star Constance Wu was also nominated in the same category but lost out to The Favourite’s Olivia Colman.

READ: Golden Globes host Gervais targets scandals, Parasite wins best foreign language film

It was the only award the film received, after also having been nominated for best foreign film, an honour that went to Parasite by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho.

The actress, who was born Nora Lum, cracked a few jokes when she went on stage to receive her award, saying, “If I fall upon hard times, we can sell this. So that’s good.”

She thanked the movie’s director, Lulu Wang, for the opportunity. She said, “You gave me this chance, the chance of a lifetime, and you taught me so much. And just filming this story, being with you, was incredible.”

READ: Ellen DeGeneres applauds uplifting TV as she accepts Golden Globes honour

Awkwafina also thanked her father, Wally, quipping, “I told you I’d get a job, Dad” and also her grandma who raised her, whom she called her “best friend.”

And lastly, she thanked her mother: “And to my mother, Tia, who I always hoped was watching from above, and I hope that she’s watching now.”

Sandra Oh is the first actor of Asian descent to win two Golden Globes. She won last year for best actress in a TV drama for Killing Eve, and she has also won in the TV supporting actress category for Grey’s Anatomy.

READ: Tom Hanks honoured with lifetime award at Golden Globes

Source: CNA/sr

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