A very much-earned nomination by the “Crazy Rich Asians” star. Constance Wu has scored a Golden Globe best lead actress nomination, the first Asian woman in 44 years to be named in the category.
The last person of Asian descent nominated in the same category was Yvonne Elliman, who scored a nomination for her role in “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1974, according to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Wu, who was nominated for her role in “Crazy Rich Asians,” said she was “ecstatic but also in shock” when she heard the news.
Wu said the nomination was an affirmation of the film’s success and the ensuing surge in Hollywood interest in projects that speak to cultural roots and show underrepresented communities.
“This is the goal not just for Asian-Americans but any under-represented group,” Wu said in an interview with “Deadline.” “When you’re a kid and you don’t see stories that center your type of experience, you can start to kind of question your own value and whether your way is the right way to be an American. When people invest in projects that center on Asian-American expression, it tells people who don’t live in major cities that their journey and their culture is part of being an American and that their story is one that people value and want to see.”
The Hollywood film was the first in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast, and was so successful that it has made around $238 million worldwide since its premiere in August. The movie also won a nomination for best film musical or comedy.
The film’s director, Jon M Chu, tweeted that the twin nominations were the “proudest moment of [his] career.”
Chu added that the Globe nominations added more polish to the already-gleaming success of the project. “It’s nuts. I could never have imagined our little movie could come this far,” Chu said. “Not just the commercial success, the critical response to the film and the nominations, there’s also the fact that there’s been a change in the business for Asian-driven projects and the response to them. It’s amazing.”
Wu is competing with four other actresses for the title of best actress in a film musical or comedy. Let’s hope she wins because it’ll be a historic moment not only for Hollywood, but also for the Asian community across America to see representation they so long deserved.
By: Maytinee Kramer
