The actress, real name Nora Lum, says 'imposter syndrome' makes her hide Nora behind Awkwafina and she couldn't see how Nora exists in Awkwafina's world.
- January 16, 2021
AceShowbiz - Rapper-turned-actress Awkwafina constantly battles the feeling of "imposter syndrome."
The "Crazy Rich Asians" star has faced a series of mental health struggles over the years and she admits fame hasn't helped with her insecurities.
"Maybe it does go back to depression. It comes in different forms your whole life," she told Harper's Bazaar. "I was scared about what this (fame) meant, 'Was this the pinnacle of all those years of waiting? And why do I feel like I don't want it? I don't want this to be the summer that that's it.' "
"Fame is not a cure for depression. It's just not. It's not necessarily the cause of it, but it's also not the cure of it... I always feel impostor syndrome because there are so many talented people out there. But I'm not going to today because I worked really f**king hard."
The actress, real name Nora Lum, created her stage persona Awkwafina when she started gaining a little recognition, and it's her way of pushing all her self-confidence issues aside to succeed in the public eye.
She said, "Awkwafina is still someone that comes without all of the layers of anxiety. She is more confident than Nora. Nora does hide behind her still. I don't see how Nora exists in Awkwafina's world yet. I don't see how I could have done this without Awkwafina, which is weird."
In a previous interview, the actress indeed said that she's not ready to ditch her persona. "I don't think that I could shed her right now," she said in January 2020.
