Awkwafina Poses in Unretouched Photo Shoot & Opens Up About Life After 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Awkwafina is featured in Harper’s Bazaar‘s “Real Beauty” August 2019 issue, out on newsstands on July 23.

Here’s what the 31-year-old actress had to say…

On life after Crazy Rich Asians and representation in Hollywood: “I thought that I had a good fan base, and then Crazy Rich Asians came out, and I was like, ‘Oh, okay!’ Growing up, I really had only you [Margaret Cho] to look up to. Your existence meant so much to me because it showed me what was possible. After Crazy Rich Asians, people would come up to me crying—it was almost a bittersweet joy for them seeing a movie like that and realizing how important representation is. Asian-American actors have told me that before Crazy Rich Asians they couldn’t get one audition. Now they’re getting tons. It helped open the door for movies like The Farewell.”

On attending awards shows and red carpets—especially after CRA: “I grew up never really feeling pretty or like a girly girl. I was uncomfortable in my skin when it came to that stuff. I had been dressed up for events and had gotten glam before, but at the Crazy Rich Asians premiere I looked in the mirror and it felt different. It sounds clichéd, but I felt like a princess.”

On navigating her personal life and self-care: “Working in this industry, you have to cultivate stability in other areas of your life. I was in a long-term relationship, and now I’m in another one, so that’s been a very stable thing for me. And I talk to my grandma every day.”

For more from Awkwafina, head to HarpersBazaar.com.