Awkwafina says people were 'crying tears of joy' after watching 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Actress Awkwafina who is becoming a symbol of Asian representation in Hollywood with movies like 'Ocean's Eight' and 'Crazy Rich Asians' spoke about the emotional effects of the representation in Hollywood.

The actress who is starring in another Asian-centric film, 'The Farewell' also spoke about why 'Crazy Rich Asians' resonated with many Asian-American audiences.

"When people saw 'Crazy Rich Asians,' they were coming out of the theater crying tears of joy. And those were tears of representation in a kind of a general way, like, 'I've never seen this in 25 years. This is me on screen, I'm crying,'" she told Fox News in an interview.

She also discussed how in 'The Farewell,' the same representation hits in a much different way compared to her previous comedy.

"When people come out of 'The Farewell,' they're also mostly in tears. But the representation there is because they literally just did that to their grandma or grandpa," the actress said, referring to her character, Billi, coming to terms with her grandmother's illness.

Lulu Wang who helmed 'The Farewell', also spoke to Fox News about the nature of her film, and briefly explained major themes many of the characters face on-screen, with grief being a major focus.

"So much of what the film is about what the characters are going through, it's all a way for them to manage their grief," she said.

"The thing that none of us can control is that we have to say goodbye and I think that's the thing that people probably resonate the deepest with," she added.