Awkwafina Honors Lucy Liu, The Last Asian Woman To Host 'SNL' 18 Years Ago

\"Standing here tonight is a dream I never thought would come true. So thank you, @LucyLiu, for opening the door.\" @awkwafina pic.twitter.com/wtwzNOfAwK

Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 7, 2018","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Saturday Night Live - SNL","author_url":"https://twitter.com/nbcsnl","cache_age":86400,"description":"\"Standing here tonight is a dream I never thought would come true. So thank you, @LucyLiu, for opening the door.\" @awkwafina pic.twitter.com/wtwzNOfAwK Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 7, 2018\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":675,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Do4JVl6U8AAPNzx.jpg","thumbnail_width":1200,"title":"Saturday Night Live - SNL on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/1048787345150042112","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5bb99e35e4b01470d051f8a2","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/awkwafina-pays-tribute-to-lucy-liu_n_5bb99e35e4b01470d051f8a2","entryTagsList":"arts-and-entertainment,asian-voices,saturday-night-live,asian-americans,snl,crazy-rich-asians-film,awkwafina,lucy-liu,@health_depression,@health_erectile,@health_gad,@health_ibs,@health_models","sectionSlug":"comedy","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"asian-voices","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.comedy","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5bb99e35e4b01470d051f8a2","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Arts and Entertainment","slug":"arts-and-entertainment","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/arts-and-entertainment","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/arts-and-entertainment","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/arts-and-entertainment"},"relegenceSubjectId":979432,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Pop of Culture","slug":"pop-of-culture","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/pop-of-culture"},{"name":"asian voices","slug":"asian-voices","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/asian-voices","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/asian-voices","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/asian-voices"},"department":{"name":"Voices","slug":"voices"},"section":{"title":"Asian Voices","slug":"asian-voices"},"topic":{"title":"Asian Voices","slug":"asian-voices","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/voices/topic/asian-voices"},{"name":"saturday night live","slug":"saturday-night-live","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/saturday-night-live","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/saturday-night-live","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/saturday-night-live"},"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Comedy","slug":"comedy"},"topic":{"title":"SNL","slug":"snl","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/snl"},{"name":"Asian Americans","slug":"asian-americans","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/asian-americans","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/asian-americans","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/asian-americans"},"department":{"name":"Voices","slug":"voices"},"section":{"title":"Asian Voices","slug":"asian-voices"},"topic":{"title":"Asian Voices","slug":"asian-voices","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/voices/topic/asian-voices"},{"name":"SNL","slug":"snl","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/snl","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/snl","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/snl"},"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Comedy","slug":"comedy"},"topic":{"title":"SNL","slug":"snl","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/snl"},{"name":"Crazy Rich Asians film","slug":"crazy-rich-asians-film","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/crazy-rich-asians-film","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/crazy-rich-asians-film","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/crazy-rich-asians-film"},"department":{"name":"Voices","slug":"voices"},"section":{"title":"Asian Voices","slug":"asian-voices"},"topic":{"title":"Crazy Rich Asians","slug":"crazy-rich-asians","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/voices/topic/crazy-rich-asians"},{"name":"awkwafina","slug":"awkwafina","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/awkwafina","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/awkwafina","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/awkwafina"},"relegenceId":6425103,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Awkwafina","slug":"awkwafina","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/awkwafina"},{"name":"Lucy Liu","slug":"lucy-liu","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/lucy-liu","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/lucy-liu","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/lucy-liu"},"relegenceId":2817871,"url":"https://action.news/topic/lucy-liu"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

"Standing here tonight is a dream I never thought would come true. So thank you, @LucyLiu , for opening the door." @awkwafina pic.twitter.com/wtwzNOfAwK
Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 7, 2018

Saturday Night Live host Awkwafina paid touching tribute in her monologue to actress Lucy Liu with a memory of standing on line as an 11-year-old girl as her idol was about to host SNL 18 years ago. Liu was the first Asian woman to helm the program. Awkwafina was the second.

I was a kid, and I didnt have a ticket, so I knew that I wasnt getting in, recalled the rapper and Crazy Rich Asians actress. I just wanted to be near the building. I remember how important that episode was for me, and how it totally it changed what I thought was possible for an Asian-American woman.

She added: Standing here tonight is a dream I never thought would come true. So thank you, Lucy Liu, for opening the door.

Another breakthrough was the hit Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood film in 25 years to feature a contemporary, almost entirely Asian cast.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Awkwafina said she cried when she first saw the movie.

I watched Crazy Rich Asians, and not even at the sad parts, I cried , she told the Hollywood Reporter earlier this year. And Ive watched Asian-American kids come out of screenings and theyre crying . Were out there and we exist.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Related