Ken Jeong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ken Jeong |
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Jeong in 2012
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| Birth name | Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong |
| Born | July 13, 1969 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Medium | |
| Education | |
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| Spouse |
Tran Ho
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
정강조
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| Hanja |
鄭康祖
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| Revised Romanization | Jeong Gang-jo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chŏng Kangcho |
Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (born July 13, 1969) is an American comedian and actor. He is well-known for playing funny characters. These include Leslie Chow in The ... movies and Ben Chang in the TV show Community.
Ken Jeong also created, wrote, and produced the TV show Dr. Ken. In this show, he played the main character. You might have also seen him in movies like Knocked Up (2007) and Crazy Rich Asians (2018). He even voiced characters in animated films like Scoob! (2020) and Tom & Jerry (2021).
Before becoming a full-time actor, Ken Jeong was a licensed doctor. He now appears as a judge on the TV singing show The Masked Singer in the U.S. He also hosts I Can See Your Voice.
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Early Life and School
Ken Jeong was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents, D.K. and Young Jeong, came from South Korea. His father was an economics professor. Ken grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina.
He went to Walter Hines Page High School. There, he was very active. He played violin in the school orchestra. He also joined the regional quiz bowl team. He was even elected to the student council. Ken graduated from high school early, at age 16, in 1986. He later won the Youth of the Year award for his achievements in Greensboro.
Ken started acting when he was in college at Duke University. He thought about studying drama, but he also continued his medical studies. He graduated from Duke in 1990. Then, he earned his medical degree (M.D.) from the UNC School of Medicine in 1995. Before medical school, he took acting classes at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Ken Jeong's Career Journey
Becoming a Doctor and Comedian
Ken Jeong's journey into comedy began while he was still a medical student. He performed at open mic nights in North Carolina. He even hosted comedy shows at Duke University. He opened for famous comedians like Margaret Cho.
After medical school, Ken completed his medical training, called a residency. This was at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. While in residency, he won a comedy contest called the Big Easy Laff-Off in 1995. The judges, who were important people in TV and comedy, told him to move to Los Angeles to pursue comedy.
From Doctor to Full-Time Actor
In 1998, Ken Jeong moved to Los Angeles. For several years, he worked as an internal medicine doctor. He practiced at a hospital in Woodland Hills. At the same time, he performed stand-up comedy regularly. He appeared at famous comedy clubs like The Improv.
His comedy led to small roles on TV shows. These included The Office and Entourage. In 2002, he was featured on Comedy Central's Comic Groove.
Ken Jeong's big break in movies came in 2007. He played Dr. Kuni in the film Knocked Up. This role helped him switch from being a doctor to a full-time entertainer. He stopped practicing medicine in 2006. However, he still keeps his medical license. He has even helped with medical emergencies during his performances or on movie sets!
Life as an Entertainer
Early in his acting career, Ken Jeong studied with a director named Natalia Lazarus. She helped him prepare for his first movie role in Knocked Up.
He co-starred in movies like Zookeeper and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He also had a role in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians.
Ken Jeong played the character Señor Chang on the NBC sitcom Community. He was nominated for an award for his role on the show. In 2011, he hosted the 2011 Billboard Music Awards. He also appeared in a public service announcement for the American Heart Association. This ad taught people how to do Hands-Only CPR.
In 2012, Ken Jeong and actor Jamie Foxx planned to star in movies written by each other. Ken also voiced Dr. Yap in the animated show Bob's Burgers. He won an award for his guest appearance in the web series Burning Love.
In 2013, he voiced Kim Ly in the animated film Turbo. In 2015, Ken Jeong starred in, wrote, and produced a new TV show. It was a medical comedy called Dr. Ken for ABC. The show was about a frustrated doctor balancing his career, marriage, and parenting. It premiered on October 2, 2015.
In 2018, Ken Jeong became a celebrity judge on The Masked Singer. This popular music competition show is based on a South Korean show. He also appeared as a judge on the British version of the show. In 2019, Ken Jeong released his first comedy special on Netflix. It was called You Complete Me, Ho.
In 2020, Fox named Ken Jeong as the host of I Can See Your Voice. This is another music game show based on a South Korean format. In March 2020, Ken Jeong started a podcast with his Community co-star Joel McHale. It was called The Darkest Timeline with Ken Jeong & Joel McHale. They also hosted Fox's New Year's Eve special.
In 2021, Ken Jeong was a guest judge on Crime Scene Kitchen. He also voiced Sprout Cloverleaf in the animated film My Little Pony: A New Generation. In 2023, it was announced that Ken Jeong would host his own talk show. That same year, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal Life
Ken Jeong's wife, Tran Ho, is also a doctor. She is a family physician. They have twin daughters who were born in 2007. Ken and his family live in Calabasas, California.
Ken Jeong is a big fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. He often goes to Dodger Stadium. He is sometimes an honorary member of their in-park host crew.
Ken Jeong and his good friend Joel McHale, who was also in Community, host a podcast together. It is called The Darkest Timeline.
Filmography
See also
In Spanish: Ken Jeong para niños
