Awkwafina has been tapped for more projects than I can keep track of but the one we shouldn't let get lost in the midst of it all is her upcoming 10-episode series for Comedy Central. The show's title has been confirmed as Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, which indicates the very loosely autobiographical nature of a show based on the rapper-turned-actor's life (her birth name is Nora Lum and she's actually from the NYC borough of Queens).
The real coup for Awkwafina is Nora From Queens is the fact that the episode directors slate has been announced and a majority of them are women. Similar to Awkwafina's push for an all-women writer's room on this Comedy Central series, there will be a distinctly female eye guiding the gaze of these episodes, too. Variety reports the episodes director slate includes Natasha Lyonne, who has been busy staking out a new path as a director recently. In addition to her latest directing gig for Awkwafina's series, Lyonne has directed episodes of Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll. The other female directors who have been hired for Awkwafina is Nora From Queens are Jamie Babbit (Silicon Valley), Lucia Aniello (Broad City), and Anu Valia (Lucia, Before and After). Directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (Swiss Army Man) and Steven Tsuchida (Younger) round out the slate.
Variety offers up a summary for Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, too: "A half-hour scripted comedy loosely based on Awkwafina’s real life growing up in Flushing. Raised by her dad (BD Wong) and grandma (Lori Tan Chinn) alongside her cousin (Bowen Yang), the series centers on Nora who leans on her family as she navigates life and young adulthood in outer borough-NYC." The series will debut on Comedy Central in January 2020.
Awkwafina is arguably one of the most booked and busy actors in Hollywood right now. Things really kicked into high gear for her after appearing in Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians in 2018. This year, Awkwafina has already turned up in The Farewell (her first lead role in a feature film), the indie Paradise Hills, and The Angry Birds Movie 2. Later this year, we can catch her in Jumanji: The Next Level. That's not to mention all of her TV work, which includes voice acting roles in Netflix's Tuca & Bertie and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
If you're head's spinning now, just wait. Among the many highlights coming our way in the next year or two, in addition to Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, is a co-starring role in the MCU movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and appearing in Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid as the voice of Scuttle the Seagull. Whew.
