Latest news with #JimmyOYang
South China Morning Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Why Jimmy O. Yang ‘feels like Blackpink', and his rise from Uber driver to king of comedy
Back in 2014, between the first and second seasons of the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley in which he had a supporting role, Jimmy O. Yang spent his days moonlighting as an Uber driver. Advertisement The Hong Kong-born Hollywood hopeful used a pay cheque for his role in the series as Jian-Yang – he received the Screen Actors Guild minimum of US$900 a day – to buy a used Toyota Prius hybrid, which he would drive around Los Angeles to earn the money to pay his rent. 'You never know, especially as an actor, where your next pay cheque comes from,' he tells the Post. Only when he was promoted to a series regular did he finally feel he had the safety net he had long desired. 'At least now all my rent will be paid for,' he recalls thinking. Fast forward a decade and O. Yang has achieved the rarefied success that eludes many Asian actors in Hollywood . It was a long time coming. Jimmy O. Yang as Jian-Yang in Silicon Valley. Photo: HBO Towards the end of Silicon Valley's run, he appeared as the scene-stealing Bernard Tai in Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Three years later, he starred as the main love interest in Love Hard, and finally became number one on the call sheet for the action comedy series Interior Chinatown, which premiered last year on Hulu and Disney+ to rave reviews. Advertisement At the same time, his stand-up comedy tours – clips from O. Yang's Amazon Prime specials Good Deal (2020) and Guess How Much? (2023) have gone viral – catapulted O. Yang into the social media spotlight.
South China Morning Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Guess how much? Jimmy O. Yang's Hong Kong tickets resell at up to 140% mark-up
Tickets for a pair of additional shows by Hong Kong-American comedian Jimmy O. Yang were snapped up in less than an hour on Tuesday, with some online resellers offering seats at a mark-up of more than 140 per cent. A Post reporter who visited ticket platform Urbtix at 10am observed that it took more than 30 minutes to get into the queue for sales, with more than 40,000 listed as waiting at one point. All the tickets available were listed as sold out in an hour. Tickets for the two recently added June 15 shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum were priced at HK$380 (US$48.60), HK$580 and HK$780. Yang, who was born in Hong Kong before relocating to the United States in 2000, had earlier announced the two extra shows after the first two on June 13 and 14 also sold out within minutes. A check on the online platform Carousel showed some users reselling tickets for as high as HK$1,400 on Tuesday afternoon.
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Have ticket, will travel? China's concertgoers spur tourism spending spree
When tickets for comedian Jimmy O. Yang's June shows in Hong Kong sold out within seconds, fans flooded social media to lament how tough it was to get a seat. Many commenters sardonically repurposed the title of Yang's 2023 stand-up special: 'Guess How Much?' While some scrambled for resale tickets – complete with heavy mark-up – others outside the city found it easier to buy travel packages that included airport transfers and guaranteed bookings. Similarly, when British rock band Coldplay performed at Kai Tak Stadium in April, many travelling fans secured their spots by purchasing bundles with concert tickets and hotel stays. The frenzy for live shows is not unique to Hong Kong. A similar trend can be observed in mainland China, where in-demand concerts and music festivals are prompting fans to travel across the country for what they feel are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. With domestic consumption high on Beijing's economic agenda this year as trade tensions make export growth less reliable, local governments are bundling spots at popular shows with discounted hotel, dining and tourist bookings to encourage people to buy more than a ticket. Shily Zhou, a 26-year old who works for an advertising firm in Shanghai, has travelled twice within the last five months to see her idol, the singer and dancer Liu Yuxin. One trip took her to Chengdu in March, where her concert ticket granted her a 50 per cent discount to see the famed Taoist mountain Qingchengshan.
Tatler Asia
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
5 brilliant reasons to catch Jimmy O Yang's comedy show in Hong Kong
An Asian tour exclusive Above Hong Kong is the only Asian stop in Jimmy O Yang's current comedy tour (Photo: Instagram / @jimmyoyang) Mark your calendars, as this performance represents a genuine rarity. Not only is this Yang's debut Asian show, but Hong Kong stands as the exclusive Asian stop on his current tour. This exclusivity makes the event all the more special for fans, who have left a plethora of enthusiastic comments on his Instagram post announcing the show. Local celebrities such as Fala Chen and Chan Lok Tim have also shown their support through Instagram comments. World-class venue at Hong Kong Coliseum Above We are expecting a marathon laughter session at Jimmy O Yang's show The legendary Hong Kong Coliseum, synonymous with the city's most prestigious entertainment events, provides a suitably grand backdrop for Yang's performance. The organisers have hinted at surprises which will ensure it's an evening of out-and-out hilarity. We're waiting with bated breath. Fresh material with local flavour Above Jimmy O Yang's show is sure to enrich the comedy landscape of Hong Kong (Photo: Instagram / @jimmyoyang) Yang has crafted a brand-new set specifically for his Hong Kong audience, including some Cantonese content that promises to resonate with local sensibilities. His razor-sharp humour, renowned for tackling identity and family dynamics, will be tailored to connect with the Hong Kong experience. As someone with deep personal roots in the city, Yang clearly understands and respects the comedy landscape he's entering. Cultural commentary with universal appeal Above Jimmy O Yang's comedy is known for delving into the Asian immigrant experience Yang's comedy transcends mere joke-telling. His thoughtful exploration of cultural differences and the immigrant experience offers genuine insight, albeit with self-deprecating humour. Expect fun punchlines, narrative twists and the sort of storytelling that keeps you chuckling long after the final bow.
Tatler Asia
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Jimmy O Yang returns to Asia with a standup show and abalone dreams
'I just want you to know that this show is going to have 100 per cent tariff,' Yang quips at the start of his set. 'Because I am made in China.' It's a bold opener that quickly shifts into a sharp riff on the very real consequences of US President Donald Trump's trade war. With his signature delivery, Yang casually name-checks Temu, BYD, Gucci and Tesla into the same punchline, mining economic policies for comedy gold. How his dad became a big star in China Jimmy O Yang often jokes that he comes from 'an acting family'—a claim rooted in irony. His father, Richard Yang, only entered showbiz after Jimmy did—just to prove his son wrong about how hard it was to make it in the industry. The way Jimmy tells it, the elder Yang started attending auditions because he couldn't believe that it could be that hard. The unexpected result: Richard not only started getting bookings, he also became a minor celebrity in China. Don't miss: 'Women have not hit their peak in comedy yet': Sharul Channa on what it takes to be funny on stage 'He's not a chef, he's someone's uncle from Hong Kong' One of Yang's most beloved routines involves his pitch-perfect impersonation of a no-nonsense Chinese uncle in a restaurant kitchen. As featured in his special Guess How Much? , the bit lands with both Asian and Western audiences—particularly anyone who knows the type: the man wielding a smoking hot wok with his bare hands while casually puffing on a cigarette. Jian-Yang's best moments on 'Silicon Valley' On Silicon Valley , Jimmy O Yang plays Jian-Yang—a hilariously deadpan app developer from China living in Erlich Bachman's startup incubator. Seemingly quiet and limited by his limited English skills, Jian-Yang is in fact a shrewd opportunist, regularly getting away with schemes ranging from rent evasion to running a fake reviews farm with child labour. It's a masterclass in understated chaos. Bonus: Jimmy O Yang's quarantine mukbang Yang has a surprisingly delightful side hustle as a food vlogger, sharing videos of himself experimenting with recipes or simply indulging in takeout from his kitchen. The project began during the pandemic, when quarantine boredom met a Doordash habit—and an accidental mukbang career was born. 'I don't even know the rules of mukbang,' he admits in one clip, mid-slurp from a Vietnamese order. 'I understand it's usually a very skinny person eating a ton of food.' What keeps viewers coming back isn't just the deadpan delivery—it's Yang's genuine joy, his valiant attempts at pronouncing unfamiliar dishes, and the unfiltered love he brings to every bite. More recently, he's taken his camera on the road, capturing wide-eyed first visits to Hong Kong and China. In one video, he fulfils a lifelong dream: eating a single abalone with the triumphant energy of someone finally levelling up in life. You can't help but root for him. Credits This article was created with the assistance of AI tools
