Awkwafina to star in new show

Capping off a banner year that included a role in the all-female heist sequel Ocean’s 8 and a scene-stealing turn in Crazy Rich Asians, rapper-comedian-actress Awkwafina is now slated to star in a Comedy Central show.

The network announced it has ordered 10 episodes of the 29-year old multi-hyphenate’s eponymous scripted series. The half-hour comedy will focus on her early 20s when she lived in Queens with her father and grandmother while dreaming of making it big. BD Wong (Mr. Robot) will play her father, Lori Tan Chinn (Orange Is the New Black) her grandmother and Bowen Yang (The Outs) Awkwafina’s more successful cousin.

Awkwafina, Karey Dornetto (Portlandia) and Teresa Hsiao (Family Guy, American Dad) wrote the pilot. Lucia Aniello will direct. Awkwafina, who will also serve as an executive producer, said: “I am so honoured to be given their platform to tell the story of an Asian American girl against the backdrop of the city I was raised.”