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This year has been a huge year for rapper, actress and comedian Awkwafina. The Queens native had supporting roles in both summer blockbuster hits “Ocean’s 8” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” She was also just featured as part of Entertainment Weekly‘s Entertainers of the Year cover with her fellow Crazy Rich Asians female cast members. Her latest venture? A new sitcom.
Comedy Central placed a 10-episode series order for a half-hour self-titled sitcom starring Awkwafina herself. Awkwafina will center around the triple threat’s own personal story, as a twenty-something living in Queens striving for something more with her life while living with her father and her grandmother.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Awkwafina co-wrote the pilot with Karey Dornetto (SMILF) and Teresa Hsiao (Family Guy). Broad City alumna Lucia Aniello was the director. Bowen Yang plays Awkwafina’s more successful cousin, BD Wong is her father and Lori Tan Chinn is her grandmother.
“Inspired by Awkwafina’s formative years in Queens, the show is both a personal look into one of the comedy’s brightest stars and also a relatable, funny profile of a young hustler’s struggle,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Heads of Talent and Development for Comedy Central in a statement. “We’re happy to be used as a pawn in Awkwafina’s elaborate, EGOT endgame.”
Awkwafina took to Twitter on Thursday night to express her personal gratitude.
“To Grandma, Dada and Queens — I will not let you down. Let’s do this @ComedyCentral @teresahsiao @kareydornetto @Lucia Aniello,” she wrote.
