Creating laughter is not an easy task. On stage and T.V., Asian comedians dominate, elevating Asian humor to a new level. They are unafraid to address any issue, including racial prejudice, cultural differences, sex, and religion.
Asian humor has gone a long way and continues to develop. Many Asian comedians find humor in expressing their culture and discussing taboo themes such as sex and politics. They are now well-known around the globe. Asian comedians, whether performing stand-up or airing Netflix specials, are a force to be reckoned with.
Which Asian comedians are legendary? You may be shocked to find that these very talented individuals are highly recognized not just in their own nations but also across the world!
1. Bobby Lee
Full name: Robert Lee Jr.
Date of birth: September 17, 1971
Place of birth: San Diego, California, U.S.
Bobby Lee is a Korean-American stand-up comedian, actor, and the fictitious host of The Kim Jong-il Show. Over the previous two decades, he has acted in over 25 films, including Harold & Kumar. Among the eateries to try are White Castle, The Dictator, and Pineapple Express.
He is a regular guest star on TBS’s Sullivan and Son and Tosh.0 and How to Be an Adult, whose second season premiered in May 2013 on Comedy Central. Most recently, he appeared in the Netflix comedy special Bobby Lee Live from Austin, TX.
He has made appearances on “Parks & Recreation” and “Mad T.V.” He has acted in a number of movies, including the award-winning Netflix series “House of Cards” and the animated comedy “The Longest Yard” with Adam Sandler.
2. Jo Koy
Full name: Joseph Glenn Herbert
Date of birth: June 2, 1971
Place of birth: Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Jo Koy is a famous stand-up comedian born in the Philippines but now lives in the United States. Jo Koy began his career at a Las Vegas comedy club in 1994, more than 26 years ago.
He has appeared in comedy clubs worldwide, from Los Angeles to New York to Dubai. In 2005, he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to a standing ovation. A year ago, Netflix published the comedy special “In His Elements: Jo Koy.”
Jo Koy is a stand-up comedian now starring in his semi-reality television series on T.V. Land. Several individuals named him one of the Top 10 Comics to Watch. The Filipino American comedian is well-known for his witty one-liners and offbeat remarks.
3. Ali Wong
Full name: Alexandra Dawn “Ali” Wong
Date of birth: April 19, 1982
Place of birth: San Francisco, California, U.S.
Ali Wong is a stand-up comedian, television writer, and actress is known for her unconventional style and delivery. She also writes for the famous “Fresh Off the Boat.” She makes infrequent appearances on late-night talk programs.
Ali Wong, a Vietnamese-Chinese American comedian, is one of the most well-known female comedians on this list. She made her acting debut in modest roles on T.V. shows, including Black Box and Inside Amy Schumer.
To make a point, Wong’s style is occasionally crude and unrepentant, which makes her an example of breaking boundaries for female and Asian comedians.
In 2019, she continued her run of success with Netflix by co-writing and starring in the romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe with Randall Park. This was a continuation of her work with the streaming service. In addition to that, she is the voice of Big Mouth and Tuca & Bertie.
4. Randall Park
Full name: Randall Park
Date of birth: March 23, 1974
Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Comedian and actor Randall Park were born in South Korea. His work includes the comedy series Fresh Off the Boat, for which he was considered a candidate for the Critics’ Choice Television Award in the category of Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Randall Park is an Asian-American actor, comedian, and filmmaker who started doing stand-ups often in 1997. Born to South Korean parents in Los Angeles, he currently calls New York City home after graduating from Harvard University.
Because of his performance in the television comedy “Fresh Off the Boat,” he was considered for the Critics’ Choice Television Award in the Best Actor category in a Comedy Series. 1997 marked the beginning of Randall Park’s career in stand-up comedy.
5. Jimmy O. Yang
Full name: Jimmy O. Yang
Date of birth: June 11, 1987
Place of birth: British Hong Kong
A comedian and actor of Chinese heritage, Jimmy O. Yang. He became well-known for playing Jian Yang on a regular basis in the HBO comedy series “Silicon Valley,” as well as Josh Lin in the Netflix romantic comedy movie “Love Hard,” both of which were released in 2021.
He has appeared in several films and on Jimmy Kimmel Live, America’s most popular late-night talk program. In 2015, O. Yang was granted American citizenship. He is also the author of “How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Betraying Your Parents.”
Jimmy O. Yang is well known in HBO’s Silicon Valley as a successful translator and entrepreneur. He has acted in several movies and even gets a few lines on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. What’s more, he portrayed himself.
6. Russell Peters
Full name: Russell Dominic Peters
Date of birth: September 29, 1970
Place of birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Russell Peters is a Canadian-born Anglo-Indian stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. He is one of Canada’s most successful comedians. His audience is captivated by his universal views on race, language, family, and horror.
This year, he played 29 shows in Toronto’s Air Canada Center record-breaking. During his most recent tour, 38 of 40 shows at Montreal’s Bell Centre sold out, earning him about $17 million. He calls himself a “brown guy.”
His comedy is entertaining, spontaneous, and based mostly on his experiences with people from all walks of life. Russell Peters is the most well-known and successful comedian in the nation. His universal insights on race, language, family, and terror have enthralled audiences worldwide.
7. Aziz Ansari
Full name: Aziz Ismail Ansari
Date of birth: February 23, 1983
Place of birth: Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Aziz Ansari is a well-known comedian, actor, and author in the United States. He is the offspring of Indian immigrants from the southern state of Tamilnadu who settled in Columbia, South Carolina. Bennettsville, South Carolina, was his hometown. He received the renowned Vossler Award for the short films he created while attending NYU Film School.
He conceived up and acted in the critically acclaimed sketch comedy series Human Giant, which debuted on MTV in 2007 and lasted for two seasons. He has subsequently acted in various films, including Judd Apatow’s Funny People, which he also co-wrote. In June 2015, his book “Modern Romance: An Investigation” landed at number one in New York.
8. Hasan Minhaj
Full name: Hasan Minhaj
Date of birth: September 23, 1985
Place of birth: Davis, California, U.S.
Hasan Minhaj, commonly known as Hammy, is one of the hilarious Asian comedians you should check out. He began doing stand-up comedy in his early twenties and has been on several stages, including Just for Laughs in Montreal, the New York Comedy Festival, and the San Francisco Sketchfest. In his Homecoming King special, he jokes about immigration and racial problems.
Based on Minhaj’s experiences as an Indian-Muslim American who grew up in California, the 2018 Peabody Award-winning show expertly wove together humor and analysis. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, a political satire program that explored weekly social and political subjects and distilled them for a younger audience, maintained its momentum.
9. Kumail Nanjiani
Full name: Kumail Ali Nanjiani
Date of birth: May 2, 1978
Place of birth: Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Kumail Nanjiani began doing stand-up comedy at 17, but it wasn’t until the 2000s that his career began to take off. After relocating from Pakistan to the United States at nine and working as a cab driver, Kumail became interested in comedy at the age of twenty and started attending lessons.
The more he investigated, the more he recognized that humor was his calling. A few years after relocating to Los Angeles, Kumail’s big break came in the shape of an HBO recording session for a new program in 2007.
He has made appearances on “Silicon Valley,” which airs on HBO, “Frankie & Grace,” which airs on Comedy Central, “The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail,” and “Michael and Michael Have Issues,” all of which are produced by Michael and Michael Productions.
10. Margaret Cho
Full name: Margaret Moran Cho
Date of birth: December 5, 1968
Place of birth: San Francisco, California, U.S.
Margaret Cho is an actress, fashion designer, singer-songwriter, and stand-up comedian. Her trailblazing sketch comedy program “In Living Color” garnered her enormous acclaim. She is well-known for her societal critique and comedic reflections on her ethnic background. She also presents primetime and special programming.
In 1996 and 2000, she was named Best Female Comedian by the American Comedy Awards, and in 2002, she was nominated for Soap Opera Digest Awards. For Margaret Cho, comedy is a kind of therapy. She was bullied for her sexuality in high school and has struggled with depression and suicidal tendencies her whole life.
11. Steve Byrne
Full name: Steve Byrne
Date of birth: July 21, 1974
Place of birth: Freehold, New Jersey
Steve Byrne is an Irish-Korean American stand-up comedian and actor. The vast majority of Steve’s events around the nation are sold out. In addition to The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman, he has also been on Funny or Die Presents on HBO.
He is a weekly radio guest on The Bob & Tom Show, heard in select locations around the country. His delivery is excellent, and he has an arid sense of humor. With many performances on The Tonight Show, Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Central Roasts, and Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy series, he is one of the most prominent stand-up comedians working today.
From his appearances in Verizon Wireless’ “Funny” commercials to his unforgettable performance as “Office Tim” on HBO’s THE OFFICE, Steve Byrne has established himself as one of the most talented comedians in the industry today.
12. Ronny Chieng
Full name: Ronny Xin Yi Chieng
Date of birth: November 21, 1985
Place of birth: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Ronny Chieng is a well-known Malaysian comedian. The individual was born in Malaysia but now lives in New York City. His notable roles are Scissor Seven (2018), The Daily Show (2015-2021), and Young Rock (2021-2022). His jokes focus primarily on religious prejudices and bigotry, and he recounts his upbringing in a conservative Asian home.
Ronny Chieng, who you may remember as a journalist on The Daily Show, has been shaking up the stage with his lively and inquisitive stand-up acts. Ronny’s rapid-fire commentary has a razor-sharp edge and contains equal parts insight and ridiculousness.
His hard-hitting jokes cover subjects like racism, religion, and stereotypes from the viewpoint of his upbringing in a conservative Malaysian home while also including his take on Pop culture and the ephemeral nature of celebrity.
13. Aparna Nancherla
Full name: Aparna Nancherla
Date of birth: August 22, 1982
Place of birth: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Aparna Nancherla, an Indian-American comedian, has gotten greater attention thanks to the welcome trend toward an increased number of female Asian comedians in mainstream comedy.
She has established an acting career in the same way as other comedies by making cameos on television shows like BoJack Horseman and Master of None, as well as by performing in the 2018 film A Simple Favor.
Additionally, she has devoted episodes to the Comedy Central Half Hour and the second season of The Stand-ups, which can be seen streaming on Netflix.
Nancherla’s positive humor approach contrasts with the stand-up industry’s often caustic comedy. She will eventually have her own comedy special to add to the list of others who have previously performed.
14. Jackie Chan
Full name: Fang Shilong
Date of birth: April 7, 1954
Place of birth: British Hong Kong
Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong-born Chinese actor, film director, producer, martial artist, stuntman, and singer. His contributions to the film business are widely recognized. In his flicks, he is famous for his acrobatic fighting style, his comedic timing, the makeshift weapons he uses, and his unique feats.
In addition to that, he is regarded highly in the martial arts community in Hong Kong. He grew up in an acrobatic family since both of his parents were opera singers. He started his movie career as a member of a stunt squad that performed gymnastic feats and became a movie star later in his career.
Jackie Chan reigns as the master of the action-comedy genre even after a career spanning half a century. We have a conversation with the man himself about how he creates his martial arts movies with such a spit-on-the-floor intensity and how he continues to develop new concepts for those movies.
15. Stephen Chow
Full name: Stephen Chiau Sing-chi
Date of birth: June 22, 1962
Place of birth: British Hong Kong
Not only is Stephen Chow a famous comedian, but he is also known for his films that reach an audience. These films were built in a simple, close-knit style, as close to everyday life as possible, and it wasn’t until the 1988 film “God of Gamblers” that Chow was finally recognized as an actor by everyone. He is known as the “Asian comedy king.”
Stephen Chow’s movies started becoming a sensation and earning public attention when they earned a great deal of popularity with films such as “Final Justice,” “Dragon Fight,” and “Legend of the Dragon.” receive. The movie “A Chinese Odyssey” that Chow appeared in 1995 was the pinnacle of his career. Chow has become an icon in the history of Hong Kong cinema due to the film.
16. Ken Jeong
Full name: Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong
Date of birth: July 13, 1969
Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Ken Jeong is a well-known name in the entertainment industry as a comedian and actor. High school for Ken was spent in the city of Detroit in the state of Michigan. After working as a physician in San Francisco for a number of years, Ken relocated to Los Angeles in order to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Since that time, he has made guest appearances on a number of other television shows and films, such as Community. Ken Jeong is most known for his performances as a co-star in the “Hangover” film series and as the title character of the television series “Dr. Ken.”
Jeong is also a comedian and a medical doctor. He is a talented actor with a one-of-a-kind sense of humor, and he is most known for his impersonations of famous people like Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Ballmer.
17. Mindy Kaling
Full name: Vera Mindy Chokalingam
Date of birth: June 24, 1979
Place of birth: Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Mindy Kaling has a successful career as an actor, as well as in comedy and writing. You may recognize her from the show “The Office,” in which she plays a pivotal role as the office’s de facto deity. Or from one of the numerous movies she’s been in, since when it comes to humor, Mindy doesn’t make mistakes.
Alternately, you could recognize her as the stunning lady who stitched the color blackwork for her. After getting her start on The Office, Mindy Kaling went on to appear in the film “Date Night” and create, produce, and star in her own program on FOX called “The Mindy Project.”
In addition to that, she is the author of the New York Times best-selling book titled “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?”
18. Kal Penn
Full name: Kalpen Suresh Modi
Date of birth: April 23, 1977
Place of birth: Montclair, New Jersey, U.S.
The first Indian-American actor to play a significant role in a film produced in Hollywood was Kal Penn. Kal, who is not a stand-up comedian but rather a comedy actor, portrays the sly-yet-clever frat-house character to perfection.
Kal’s skill is his ability to create amusing but realistic characters who transcend race without fully dismissing it. Everyone knows someone who behaves like Kumar, which makes the role extra funnier – even if it’s the only one he plays.
In addition, he deserves credit for putting a halt to his successful acting career in order to work for the Obama administration and for having previously had a teaching position at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. Both of these accomplishments get him bonus points.
19. Karen Chee
Full name: Karen Chee
Date of birth: February 22, 1995
Place of birth: United States
Karen Chee, a young Asian comedian, was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her family is originally from Taiwan. She is a vital element of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” as both a writer and cast member.
She is particularly famous for her piece entitled “Does Millennial Late Nite Writer Karen Chee Know?” She has featured in a number of movies, including “The Great North,” “Yearly Departed,” and “High Maintenance,” among others. Continue reading in the following link:
20. Bowen Yang
Full name: Bowen Yang
Date of birth: November 6, 1990
Place of birth: Brisbane, Australia
He was born in Australia but now resides in the United States. Bowen Yang is a comedian. Both of his parents were born in China, and he has a single sister named Yang Yang. His parents are Chinese. In addition to being the host of a comic podcast, he is also a former writer for Saturday Night Live.
He identifies as a member of the homosexual community and now calls Brooklyn home. He is the first Chinese American who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community to perform on Saturday Night Live. Some of the funniest skits were written by Yang, including “The Actress,” which starred Emma Stone.