Chinese-American comedian Joe Wong on his journey from laboratories to Letterman
In 1994, aged 24, he moved from the Chinese province of Jilin to the United States, where he completed a doctorate in biochemistry at Rice University in Texas in 2000.
'I came to America to study, and I did get a PhD in biochemistry, even though nobody calls me a doctor,' says Wong via Zoom from Los Angeles, where he is mostly based, splitting his time between the US city and Shanghai.
After graduation, Wong worked a few jobs, including at a pharmaceutical company in Boston, where he screened cancer drugs.
Then, he had another dream, one that was a far cry from his days spent in a sterile lab:
he wanted to be a stand-up comedian
'I had just watched a show by [US comedian] Emo Philips, and even though I couldn't understand half the jokes, I was like, 'Wow, this is great.' After that one show, I was happy for days.'
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