The Lookout: Groundbreaking Magazine Cover, New Netflix Movie to Watch, and Historic Daytime Emmy Wins

Leyna Bloom is a model, actress, activist and dancer, making history in each respective industry. This week, Bloom became the first openly trans person of color to cover the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, in which she spoke about empowering women. She is also a model for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Dior, as well as for several other magazines. And the Sports Illustrated cover isn’t the only barrier she’s crossed in recent years, as she’s one of the first openly trans women to walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week, the first woman of color. openly trans directing a film at the Cannes Film Festival with Danielle Lessovitz’s “Port Authority” and the first openly trans woman to appear in the pages of “Vogue India”. On Instagram, Bloom wrote that she “dedicates[s]”her Sports Illustrated cover to” all the female queens of the ballroom past, present and future “and that she hopes this” makes those who struggle to be seen, feel valued “.

British Pakistani actor Nabhaan Rizwan plays Rory, an endearing archivist in Netflix’s “Your Lover’s Last Letter,” a film based on Jojo Moyes’ 2012 novel of the same name. The film, streaming now, follows the The story of a determined journalist, played by Felicity Jones, who discovers a mine of secret love letters from 1965. The characters of Rizwan and Jones work together to find more letters and ultimately, the mystery behind how the the love story ends.

Comedian, actress, and rapper Awkwafina returned to Comedy Central’s “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens” in the season two trailer. The Queens native is back to her usual antics as she navigates life with her grandmother, father and cousin – who are played by actors Lori Tan Chinn, BD Wong and Bowen Yang respectively – and learns balancing early adulthood with a new job at a CBD store, accepting her father’s thriving love life, and even a surprise proposal. The second season will also feature special guests, such as Margaret Cho and Alan Kim. The second season premieres on Comedy Central on August 18 with a two-part premiere special.

Karrueche Tran and Jodi Long made history with their Daytime Emmys wins this week. Tran, who is also a model, won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actress in a daytime drama program for “The Bay” in which she played Vivian Johnson, a woman who returns to Bay City naive to what point his life was going to change. , as she struggles to balance her love and professional life. His return to “The Bay” for its final season earned him the Emmy, making Tran the first AAPI actor winner of any competition and the first to win a lead actor Emmy as well. Likewise, Long became the first Daytime Emmy winner of Asian American descent, receiving the Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program for “Dash & Lily” in which she played Ms. Basil E., the great-aunt of the main protagonist. Lily, played by Midori Francis. The show also stars James Saito, Agneeta Thacker, Jennifer ikeda, and Leah Kreitz, and garnered a total of 12 nominations at the ceremony. This year marked the first time that two Asian actors won the same night at an Emmys ceremony.

Pianist and songwriter Chloe Flower, who caught the nation’s attention for her piano playing during Cardi B’s 2019 Grammys performance, released her self-titled debut album this week. Reflecting Flower’s eclectic interests and talents, it features original pieces, a cover of “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish and lyrics by the author. Deepak chopra. The album is split into three acts – Innocence, Suffering and Hope – and features a mix of classic trap, pop and hip-hop influences.

World famous DJ Steve Aoki has ventured into fashion once again, as his fashion label, Dim Mak Collection, has teamed up with Paramount Pictures and Hasbro to create a limited edition “Snake Eyes” clothing line. , on sale now, to celebrate the theatrical release of “Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins,” directed by Henry Golding. The five-piece collection, which includes iconic black ninja gear, Arashikage symbols and artwork exclusives of the film, showcases Aoki’s American education as well as his Japanese heritage.

Collin Morikawa broke a record this week after his second major victory at the 2021 British Open Championship against three other former major winners. As it was the golfer’s first trip to the world’s oldest golf tournament, Morikawa made his name known as he is the fourth American to win the Open before the age of 25, as well as the first golfer to win two majors when they debut in the event. .

Likewise, Kumar Rocker made MLB history, becoming the most-drafted South Asian of all time, when he was selected by the New York Mets and was the 10th overall draft pick. 2021 MLB. Rocker, who is of Black and Native American descent, started his career early and was selected for the USA Baseball Under 18 team in 2017. He had an earned-run average of 1 , 93 and continued to perform for Vanderbilt during his college days.

Sky Brown won the gold medal for women’s skate park at the 2021 X Games. Brown, who is only 13, is also Britain’s youngest Olympian, having been selected last month for represent the country in skateboarding at the Summer Olympics. She is also one of the youngest Olympians of all time.

Editor’s Note: Adapted from our monthly lists, “The Lookout” is our new weekly series bringing you the latest scoop on what’s going on in AAPI entertainment. We take care of the legwork, so you don’t have to.