Awkwafina is opening up about why she decided to change to her name to, well, Awkwafina.
The Farewell actress (whose old name was Nora) stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently and told the comedian that she changed her name when she was 15 or 16 years old.
“I’ve always been very awkward,” she explained. “It’s just a part of my vibe, my aura. So it’s a play on words of that.”
DeGeneres went on to ask the actress if she still feels awkward. Awkwafina confessed, “Yeah, I feel awkward right now, but I love it. But not because of you, it’s my default. I run on it.”
Last Sunday was a big night for Awkwafina. Not only did she crush it in a chic Dior skirt suit on the Golden Globes red carpet, but she also made history. During the ceremony, Awkwafina won the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) for playing Billi Wang in The Farewell. The 31-year-old star became the first woman of Asian descent to take home the award in this category.
She was up against Ana de Armas for Knives Out (played Marta Cabrera), Cate Blanchett for Where’d You Go, Bernadette (played Bernadette Fox), Beanie Feldstein for Booksmart (played Molly Davidson) and Emma Thompson for Late Night (played Katherine Newbury).
Congrats, Nora Awkwafina!
