Awkwafina Hosts SNL

The first Asian lady to do so in 18 years

Monday, October 8, 2018 Chris Charles Actresses 0

Trumpet player-turned-rapper-turned actress (as she put it herself), Nora Lum, better know by her professional name, Awkwafina, became the first Asian lady to host Saturday Night Live in 18 years and only the second in the show’s 43-year history, on the night of October 6th. The first Asian Lady to have the honor of hosting the show ever was Lucy Liu, back in December of 2000.

During her above opening monologue, Awkwafina tells how she, at 11 years old, came down to 30 Rockefeller Plaza the night Miss Liu hosted the show and, even though she didn’t have a ticket to get in to see her idol, she just wanted to be near the building on what was an auspicious night for her and Asian-American ladies in the entertainment industry. See Lucy Liu’s opening monologue from December 16, 2000, right here.

About the author

Chris Charles

Editor-in-Chief at Idol Features // chris@idolfeatures.com // See more articles

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English and covering the regional entertainment scenes. Currently in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco, besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the quarterly magazine, Effective.