The pair had a blast presenting the nominees for the 2019 SAG Awards, which included a nomination for 'Crazy Rich Asians.'
Move over Laverne and Shirley, there's a new beloved duo in town.
On Wednesday morning, Awkwafina and Laverne Cox were an unexpected delight as they announced nominations for the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
While reading off the many names listed among the nominees is often a straightforward experience, with the presenters focused on pronouncing each of the names correctly, the pair enjoyed a few laughs throughout the announcement.
After Cox stumbled over reading Bill Pullman’s name -- the actor is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for The Sinner -- Awkwafina quipped that it was an early morning.
Later, the two couldn’t contain their excitement, raising their paws after Cox revealed that Lady Gaga was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for A Star Is Born.
But the most excitement came when Awkwafina, who played Goh Peik Lin in the hit film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, announced that she and her castmates were nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. After the two cheered, Awkwafina jokingly took all the credit. “It was all me. It was all me,” she deadpanned.
Later, when speaking to ET, Awkwafina revealed what the nomination meant to her and her cast. “It’s the highest level of recognition… When we were making the movie we had no idea what people would think of it. To get this kind of validation is very amazing. I’m sure my castmates are freaking out right now.”
Cox, who is a winner of two SAG Awards for Orange Is the New Black, then offered some advice to Awkwafina, who was just nominated for her first major award, marking her first awards season. (Crazy Rich Asians was also nominated for two Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and four Critics' Choice Awards.)
“I just told her to have fun,” she said. “You only get this awards season for the first time once, so have a blast. And I know you will. The SAG [Awards] are a really good place to start. We always have fun and there’s alcohol.”
At the mention of booze, Awkwafina joked, “I’m going to be the super drunk uncle.”
The 25th annual SAG Awards will be handed out live Sunday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TBS and TNT.
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