Saturday Night Live's second episode of Season 44 will be one for the history books. Nora Lum, known as YouTube viral sensation turned Hollywood darling Awkwafina, is set to host SNL for the first time on Saturday.
Not only does Awkwafina's appearance on SNL mark the first time an Asian woman is taking the hosting reigns on the sketch comedy show in nearly 20 years—actor Lucy Liu was the last Asian woman to host SNL in 2000—but she's also only the fourth person of Asian descent to host the show since it first debuted in 1975. In addition to Liu, Jackie Chan hosted the show (also in 2000), along with Aziz Ansari and Kumail Nanjani.
Awkwafina first gained attention with her popular YouTube channel, which features hilarious and creative music video and parodies, many of which have amassed millions of views, like "My Vag" and "Green Tea," featuring comedian Margaret Cho.
The rapper and actor was thrust onto the big screen when she appeared in the latest installment of the Oceans movie franchise, Oceans 8, alongside the likes of Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling and Anne Hathaway. However, it was the New York native's starring role in the blockbuster summer hit Crazy Rich Asians that skyrocketed Awkwafina to superstardom.
Read on for everything to else to know about Saturday Night Live hosted by Awkwafina below.
Who's performing: Another first-timer will hit the SNL stage on Saturday: Travis Scott. The rapper will likely croon hits from his latest album Astroworld, which debuted on Billboard's Hot 100.
When: Awkwafina and Scott will appear on SNL on Saturday during the comedy show's usual 11:30 p.m. ET timeslot.
Where: SNL will air on its longtime home network, NBC.
Can it be live streamed: Sure! Viewers can stream the episode live on NBC's website with their cable provider login as well as watch it on the NBC app. Folks with Hulu can also tune into the show in real-time on the streaming network if they have the Live TV service, but SNL fans with standard Hulu accounts will have to catch the episode after it airs via on-demand. The best highlights and clips from the episode will also be available on SNL's YouTube shortly after the show airs. Fans can also keep up with all the chatter by following the SNL hashtag (#SNL) on social media.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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