Awkwafina doesn't like to "face the heavy stuff"

The 31-year-old rapper-and-actress - whose real name is Nora Lum - admitted she always used humour as a coping mechanism after her mother passed away when she was just four years old, but didn't realise to what extent until working on her first drama, The Farewell.

She said: "I learned [from making] The Farewell that it's an instinct for me not only in my performances, but in my real life. Because I don't want to face the heavy stuff. I want to keep it light."

And Awkwafina invented her persona as a teenager to overcome stage fright because she felt it was a "mask" that gave her confidence.

She told Entertainment Weekly magazine: "I almost [equated] Awkwafina to this mask I would put on that just imbued confidence."

The Crazy Rich Asians star admitted the two sides to her have gradually merged over the years.

She said: "People can say that Nora's the serious one and Awkwafina's this crazy comedy one, but for me, the older I get and the more I [do], they become one.

"I can't leave Awkwafina. Awkwafina is a part of me. I didn't create Nora; I created Awkwafina. So it makes it powerful when I see her name somewhere."

And Awkwafina is amazed by how much her career has progressed in recent years, including the awards buzz surrounding The Farewell.

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She reflected: "When these things happen, you wonder what got you here. I think that for every project, I do feel a little bit of that still, that kind of 'I'm a nobody, who am I?' "

But the star is more secure in herself now.

She said: "It's still a ride, but I feel like I have a better sense of self. I have a better idea of where this all may be going."