Career
Ken started working at the Ochsner Medical Center at New Orleans via internal medical residency. Side by side, he developed his stand-up comedy routines. He then moved to California and got himself a license to practice medicine in California. But his real goal was to break into the comedy scene there.
In 1995, Ken participated in the ‘Big Easy Laff-off’ and the judges urged him to move to Los Angeles after they found his talents to be solid. Confident after this win, Ken became a regular at the Improv and the Laugh Factory comedy clubs. After he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a serious career in comedy, he started working at the Kaiser Permanente hospital.
He made his acting debut with a guest role in the crime drama series ‘The Big Easy’ in 1997. It was followed by many other roles in the series’ such as ‘The Downer Channel’, ‘Girls Behaving Badly’, ‘Significant Others’ and ‘Crossing Jordan’. His appearance in the hit sitcom ‘Two and a Half Men’ and the series ‘Entourage’ brought him some additional fame.
In 2007, he made his film debut with the film ‘Knocked Up’, directed by Jude Apatow. In the film, he played the role of Dr. Kuni and it went on to become his breakthrough role in Hollywood. Even with a small role, Ken managed to leave a long lasting impact via his impeccable comic timing and quirks.
This was the performance that compelled him to finally leave his profession as a doctor and become a full time actor. The commercial and critical success of ‘Knocked Up’ earned him further roles in films such as ‘Step Brothers’, ‘Pineapple Express’ and ‘Role Models’.
In 2009 came the role that changed his life and career forever. He was casted to play a humorous bad guy in the film ‘The Hangover’, starring Bradley Cooper in the leading role. As his character of a gay Chinese gangster Leslie Chow became iconic, Ken became a household name. He further went on reprising his part in the next two ‘The Hangover’ films. Although both the later films could not meet the success of the first one, Ken had already become a big celebrity.
In the same year, he got another breakthrough role of his career, this time in television. He started appearing as Ben Chang in the popular comedy series ‘Community’. He reprised his role for 92 episodes and earned honours and several nominations for his role.
In 2011, he played supporting roles in two major films ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ and ‘Zookeeper’. In the same year, he was chosen to host the Billboard Music Awards owing to his comic timings.
As Ken’s acting career further elevated, he appeared playing supporting roles in the series’ such as ‘Bob’s Burgers’, ‘Sullivan & Son’, ‘Maron’, ‘Turbo Fast’ and ‘Hot in Cleveland’. He also did voice roles for films such as ‘Despicable Me 2’, ‘Turbo’ and ‘Birds of Paradise’.
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In 2015, Ken was seen playing the leading role in the sitcom titled ‘Dr. Ken’. The series was written, co-produced and created by Ken himself. Ken somehow plays a fictionalized version of himself in the series, which was negatively received by the critics and the audience alike. The series was cancelled after two seasons.
Ken and actor Jamie Foxx has developed certain affection towards each other. There is a pact between the two, which says that they both will star in the films written or produced by each other. Foxx kept his promise when he agreed to star as the leading man in Ken directed film ‘After Prom’. Ken will be playing a starring role in a comedy series ‘All-Star Weekend’, produced by Jamie.
Awards & Honours
For his role in the film ‘The Hangover’, Ken has received the Best WTF Moment award at MTV Movie Awards. He was also nominated for the Best Villain at the same award function. In addition, he was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for his portrayal as a villain in the same film.
For his starring role in ‘Community’, he received a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards for the Best Breakout Star. Additionally, he has received a Streamy Award for Best Guest Appearance for the series ‘Burning Love’.
Facts About Ken Jeong
Ken Jeong is a licensed physician and was a practicing physician before pursuing a career in acting and comedy.
He is fluent in English, Korean, and Spanish, showcasing his diverse language skills.
Ken Jeong's breakout role was in "The Hangover" where he famously improvised many of his lines, showcasing his quick wit and comedic talent.
In addition to his acting career, Ken Jeong is also a talented stand-up comedian and has performed at various comedy clubs and festivals.
He is known for his philanthropic efforts, supporting various charitable organizations and causes throughout his career.
