>>> HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO
UNDERSTAND, IT IS NOT ABOUT
GETTING ELEANOR TO LIKE YOU, IT
IS ABOUT GETTING HER TO RESPECT
YOU.
RIGHT NOW SHE THINKS YOU ARE
UNDESERVING, CLUELESS, GOLD
DIGGING, TRASHY UNREFINING
BANANA.
>> THAT'S ACTOR, COMEDIAN,
RAPPER, AWKWAFINA IN A SCENE IN
"CRAZY RICH ASIANS" WHICH MADE
NEARLY A QUARTER OF A BILLION
DOLLARS AT THE BOX OFFICE.
AWKWAFINA HAS BEEN ON QUITE A
RIDE OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
IN ADDITION TO THE HIGH ENERGY
COMEDY, SHE STARRED LAST SUMMER
IN "OCEAN'S EIGHT" ALONGSIDE
WITH SANDRA BULLOCK AND RIHANNA.
SHE HAS A BUSY MOVIE-LINE UP
INCLUDING HER LATEST.
AWKWAFINA AND I GOT TOGETHER
THIS WEEK HERE IN NEW YORK FOR A
SUNDAY SIT-DOWN.
>> FIRST THING FIRST, WE JUST
MET.
>> YES.
>> WHAT DO I CALL YOU?
>> DO I CALL YOU AWKWAFINA OR
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
>> IT IS REALLY BASED ON HOW YOU
FEEL.
>> REALLY?
>> SOME PEOPLE WILL CALL ME
NORA, I WILL CALL YOU WILLIE.
>> SHE CREATED HER STAGE NAME
AND ALTER EGO, AWKWAFINA IN HIGH
SCHOOL AS A WAY TO BUILD
CONFIDENCE.
THAT STRATEGY SEEM TO HAVE
WORKED.
>> DO I LOOK AT THE CAMERA THE
WHOLE TIME.
>> SHE ATTENDED LaGUARDIA HIGH
SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING
ARTS.
ON THE STRENGTH OF HER TALENT
WITH A TRUMPET BUT THEN SHE
FOUND HIP-HOP.
>> I STARTED MAKING BEATS
OBSESSIVELY AND THAT WAS BORN.
AWKWAFINA.
>> HOW DID YOU PICK THAT NAME?
>> IT MEANS FINE WATER.
>> THAT'S GOOD.
>> YOU FLOW LIKE FINE WATER.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE SAVED IT.
>> IMAGINE IF YOU SAID THAT AND
I WAS LIKE --
[ LAUGHTER ]
IN 2012, THE 24 YEARS OLD
ASPIRING RAPPER HOSTED A RAUNCHY
SONG BUT CATCHY ON YOUTUBE.
THE VIRAL VIDEO HAS MORE THAN 4
MILLION VIEWS TODAY DID NOT
IMPRESS AWKWAFINA'S BOSSES.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT PUBLICITY
MEANT.
>> I LOST THAT JOB.
>> SHE MAY HAVE LOST HER 9:00 TO
5:00 BUT SHE LAUNCHED HER
CAREER.
>> EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO
THAT.
MY FIRST MOVIE, "NEIGHBORS TWO."
>> SETH ROGAN AND NICK STILLER
SAW THAT VIDEO AND ASKED ME TO
AUDITION FROM THERE.
THAT WAS THE MOMENT.
>> SINCE THEN, AWKWAFINA HAS
BECOME A BONA FIDE MOVIE STAR
WITH SCENES STEALING ROLE IN TWO
OF LAST YEAR'S BIGGEST MOVIE.
"OCEAN'S 8" AND "CRAZY RICH
ASIANS,".
>> PEOPLE ARE SO POSH AND
SNOBBY.
>> LAST FALL, AWKWAFINA BECAME
THE SECOND ASIAN AMERICAN LADY
TO HOST "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
>> HAVE YOU THOUGHT AND BREATHE
AND LOOK BACK AT WHAT JUST
HAPPEN LAST YEAR.
>> NOT REALLY, IT HAS BEEN BUSY.
I SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER
SITTING IN A BAD APARTMENT
WONDERING WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE ON A
POSTER WITH "OCEAN'S 8" WITH
PEOPLE LIKE THAT AND TO HAVE
PEOPLE COMING OUT OF THE MOVIE,
GREAT CAST, SHE'S FUNNY.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON HER.
>> CONFUSING AND SHOCKING.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.
I WAS IN THAT SAME BEDROOM I WAS
TALKING ABOUT PROBABLY NOT
WEARING PANTS, WALKING AROUND
AND DRINKING AND I GET A CALL
THAT'S LIKE THIS IS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
I WAS LIKE WHAT?
>> AFTER TWO MONTHS AFTER THAT
HERE COMES "CRAZY RICH ASIANS,"
IT IS ONE OF THOSE MOVIES AND IT
IS ON HBO AND YOU STOP AND WATCH
IT.
>> I WILL PLAY IT.
IT IS EMBARRASSING, TOO WHEN
PEOPLE REALIZE WHAT I AM DOING.
>> ARE YOU LIKE --
>> THERE WAS PERIODS WHERE BOTH
MOVIES WERE ON THE PLANE, I
WOULD GO UP TO PEOPLE, ONLY ONE
PERSON PUT TOGETHER THAT I WAS
THAT GIRL.
THEY THOUGHT I WAS A CRAZY
PERSON, ASIAN GIRL, YES, I AM
ASIAN.
ONE WOMAN THAT WATCHED "OCEAN'S
8" AND "CRAZY RICH ASIANS" HAD
NO IDEA.
OKAY.
SHE DID THAT TO ME AND I WAS
LIKE OKAY --
>> SO THIS ENERGY AND SENSE OF
HUMOR.
I AM INTERESTED IN THE ORIGIN OF
IT.
>> I DERIVE FROM JOY FROM
OTHERS.
THAT'S WHERE I RUN ON.
THAT STARTS AFTER LOSING MY MOM,
IT WAS A WAY FOR ME TO MAKE
THINGS LIGHT.
>> AWKWAFINA WAS JUST FOUR YEARS
OLD WHEN HER MOTHER DIED OF
HYPER TENSION.
HER GRANDMA STEPPED IN.
>> HI GRANDMA DID EVERYTHING.
SHE TAUGHT ME.
>> GRANDMA-FINA HAS MADE CAMEO
AND FULLY SUPPORTING HER
DAUGHTER.
>> SHE WAS A FUN WOMAN?
>> NO JOKE WAS EVER TOO DIRTY
FOR HER.
>> HER GRANDMA INSPIRED HER TO
TAKE HER LATEST ROLE IN
"FAREWELL."
>> THE DRAMATIC LEAD AS A
DEPARTURE FOR THE COMEDIAN WHO
WERE DRAWN TO THE MOVIE BY ITS
REMINDERS OF HER OWN
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER GRANDMA.
>> IT SEEMS AUSPICIOUS.
>> IN THE FILM, AWKWAFINA PLAYS
BILLY, WHOSE BELOVED GRANDMOTHER
HAS CANCER BUT KEPT IN THE DARK
WITH HER PROGNOSIS.
>> NOT TO TELL SOMEONE THEY ARE
SICK SO SHE GOES TO CHINA AND
THEY FAKE THE WEDDING AND STILL
HAVE NOT TOLD HER GRANDMA.
I HAD TO CONFRONT SOMETHING
WHICH IS NOT WANTING TO CONFRONT
AND THE IDEA OF LOSING MY
GRANDMA.
>> YOU TELL ELOQUENTLY OF
REPRESENTATION AND MAKING YOUR
FAMILY PROUD AND THE ENTIRE
COMMUNITY PROUD.
>> IT IS SOMETHING NOT A LOT OF
OTHER GROUPS HAVE TO DO.
I HAVE TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLES OF
THAT.
THE STORY I TELL REFLECTS THEM
WELL.
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
>> SO WITH ALL THAT IN MIND,
WHAT DOES YOUR GRANDMA SAY OR
FATHER SAY?
>> THEY'RE PROUD.
YEAH.
>> GRANDMA, I COMPARE THEM TO
DRUG DEALERS, THEY'RE PUSHERS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
I GOT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT
AND THE QUESTION IS DO YOU WANT
IT?
>> I LOVE YOUR GRANDMOTHER.
>> YOU SHOULD MEET HER
SOMETIMES.
SHE WOULD LOVE YOU.
>> SHE WOULD BE LIKE, WHAT'S UP?
SOME DATES, WODO YOU HAVE A
MINUTE?
>> I WOULD LOVE TO MEET
GRANDMA-FINA.
"THE FAREWELL" IS IN THEATERS
RIGHT NOW.
TO WATCH AWKWAFINA AND ME SHARE
HER FAVORITE DUMPLINGS WHILE WE
TALK ABOUT THE LONG LIST OF ODD
JOBS SHE HAD, CHECK OUT ON
TODAY.COM/SUNDAY.
DON'T FORGET TO SIT DOWN WITH
OUR PODCAST TO HEAR THE MESSAGE.
>>> SURVIVING THE NOTORIOUS PIT
BALL OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST 60
SECONDS.