Aziz Ansari became the first Asian American to win the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy series on Sunday for the Netflix streaming series “Master of None.”
In his acceptance speech, Ansari said he was “genuinely surprised” to receive the honor.
Also nominated were Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”), Kevin Bacon (“I Love Dick”), William H. Mach (“Shameless”), and Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”).
Acknowledging the challenge of underrepresentation in Hollywood, Anzari said, “I genuinely didn’t think I would win as all the websites said I was gonna lose. Also, I am glad that we won this one. To lose two of these in a row would have been a really shitty moment for me.”
He gave full credit to his cast and crew, saying, “The only reason my acting is good in that show is because everyone else holds me up the whole time.”
Previously known for his role as Tom Haverford in “Parks and Recreation,” Ansari was awarded the 2016 APAICS (Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies) Vision Award alongside “Master of None” co-creator Alan Yang.”
The series follows the professional and personal struggles of Dev Patel, a 30-year-old actor in New York. Ansari’s real-life parents, Fatima Ansari and Shoukath Ansari, have appeared on the show as Dev’s parents.
Ansari joins just a handful of Asian actors who have been honored by the Golden Globes in their 75-year history:
– Sandra Oh in 2006, Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture for TV for “Grey’s Anatomy”;
– Haing S. Ngor in 1984, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for “The Killing Fields”;
– Ben Kingsley in 1983 for Best New Actor and Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture for “Gandhi.”
– Yoko Shimada in 1980, Best Actress in a TV Series Drama for “Shogun.”
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said in a statement, “Congratulations to Aziz Ansari on becoming the first Asian American to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy! Aziz’s historic win is a testament to his remarkable talent and creativity, and shows how far the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has come.
“If we learned anything from the 2015 and 2016 Oscars, it’s that we must do more to promote diverse talent across the board so that AAPIs are no longer stereotyped as the butt of Hollywood jokes, or rendered completely invisible in mainstream entertainment and media.
“I want to commend Aziz for being a trailblazer on this front, and congratulate him again on his well-deserved award.”
“Master of None” was also nominated for Best Television Series-Comedy but lost to “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Also nominated were “Black-ish,” “SMILF,” and “Will & Grace.”
Hong Chau was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for “Downsizing” but lost to Allison Janey (“I, Tonya”). Also nominated were Mary J. Blige (“Mudbound”), Laurie Metcalf (“Lady Bird”), and Octavia Spencer (“The Shape of Water”).