In addition to starring and co-writing, the 'Crazy Rich Asians' actress will serve as an executive producer for the 10-episode comedy.
- Nov 30, 2018
AceShowbiz - Comedy Central has picked up a series starring "Crazy Rich Asians" star Awkwafina. The half-hour sitcom which is set to have 10 episodes is properly titled "Awkwafina".
"Awkwafina" will follow the actress/writer/rapper, a twenty-something woman who lives in Queens. She is "striving for a larger than life existence while living with her father and grandmother."
The "Ocean's 8" star, whose real name is Nora Lum, is set to co-write the pilot along with Karey Dornetto ("SMILF") and Teresa Hsiao ("Family Guy"). Meanwhile, "Broad City" alum Lucia Aniello has been tapped to serve behind the lens.
😆😆🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️ @ComedyCentralhttps://t.co/s6PjpJEhvg
— AWKWAFINA (@awkwafina) November 29, 2018
On the upcoming series, Awkwafina will be starring opposite Bowen Yang. He will play her more successful cousin. Also starring on "Awkwafina" are "Law & Order: SVU" star BD Wong and "Orange is the New Black" actress Lori Tan Chinn who will portray her father and her grandmother respectively.
Yang takes to Twitter to share his excitement in joining the sitcom. "Very excited for this and to pretend to be more successful than @awkwafina," he writes.
Very excited for this and to pretend to be more successful than @awkwafina. https://t.co/MO0xRJelp3
— Bowen Yang (@bowenyang) November 29, 2018
"This is a special project. Inspired by Awkwafina's formative years in Queens, the show is both a personal look into one of comedy's brightest stars and also a relatable, funny profile of a young hustler's struggle," Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Heads of Talent and Development for Comedy Central, said in a statement. "We're happy to be used as a pawn in Awkwafina's elaborate, EGOT endgame."
"I've been watching Comedy Central since I was old enough to hold a remote, and so many of their shows have defined who I am today," Awkwafina shared. "I am so honored to be given their platform to tell the story of an Asian American girl against the backdrop of the city I was raised."
In addition to starring and co-writing, Awkwafina will serve as an executive producer alongside Dornetto, Aniello, Karey Dornetto, Peter Principato and Itay Reiss of Artists First. Hsiao is co-executive producer.
