Now, Awkwafina is in the big leagues. We always knew the New York-born comedian was destined for great things, and not only did she just win her first Golden Globe for her dramatic lead role in The Farewell , but she also made history for Asian-Americans everywhere, becoming the first woman of Asian descent to win for lead actress in a movie comedy or musical. In The Farewell, directed by Lulu Wang and based on the director's own life, Awkwafina plays Billi , a woman whose family decides not to tell her grandmother about her own cancer diagnoses.