- Ken Jeong
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Ken Jeong 
Born Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong
July 13, 1969
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.Alma mater Duke University
University of North Carolina, Chapel HillOccupation Actor, comedian, physician Years active 1997–present Website kenjeong.com Kendrick Kang-Joh "Ken" Jeong (born July 13, 1969),[1] also known as "Dr. Ken," is an American comedian, actor, and physician.[2] Currently, he appears as Ben Chang on the NBC comedy series Community.
Contents
Early life and medical career
Jeong was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of South Korean immigrants Young and D.K. Jeong, who was a professor at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina for 35 years.[3][4] Jeong was raised in Greensboro and attended Walter Hines Page High School, where he took part in the High IQ team, played violin in the orchestra, and was elected to student council. He graduated at 16 and his achievements earned him Greensboro's Youth of the Year award.[3]
He completed his undergraduate studies at Duke University in 1990 and attained his medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995.[2] He then completed his Internal Medicine residency at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans while developing his stand-up comedy.[5]
Career in show business
His big break came when he won the Big Easy Laff-Off, of which NBC president Brandon Tartikoff and The Improv founder Budd Friedman were judges. They both urged Jeong to move to Los Angeles, and he began performing regularly at the Improv and Laugh Factory comedy clubs.
Jeong's background in theater and improv has led to several television appearances, including NBC's The Office, HBO's Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Ken made his feature film debut as Dr. Kuni in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up which proved to be his breakout performance. Subsequently, he has appeared in Pineapple Express; Role Models as King Argotron; All About Steve; The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard; Couples Retreat; and as Mr. Chow in The Hangover and The Hangover Part II. He co-starred in Zookeeper and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, released in summer 2011.
He attacked (kayfabe) pro wrestler John Cena with a cane on the August 3, 2009 episode of WWE Raw.
Jeong is a series regular as Señor Chang on NBC's sitcom Community.
Jeong was nominated for two 2010 MTV Movie Awards, winning the award for Best WTF Moment as well as being nominated for MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for The Hangover.
Jeong was also nominated for "Breakout Star Male" for Community at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards.
In the fall of 2010, Adidas basketball began a wide-ranging marketing campaign in which Jeong stars as the character "Slim Chin" alongside NBA stars Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose.
On May 22, 2011, Jeong hosted the 2011 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on ABC.[6]
On June 15, 2011, Jeong was featured in a Hands Only CPR PSA campaign from the American Heart Association.[7]
Ken Jeong will star in and produce the film The Chung Factor, which was purchased by Lionsgate on October 25, 2011.[8]
Personal life
Jeong's wife, Tran Ho, a Vietnamese American, is also a doctor. Together, they have twin daughters, Alexa and Zooey.[9]
Filmography
Jeong in 2008
Film Year Film Role Other notes 2007 Knocked Up Dr. Kuni 2008 Step Brothers Employment Agent Pineapple Express Ken Role Models King Argotron 2009 The Hangover Leslie Chow The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Teddy Dang All About Steve Angus Couples Retreat Therapist No.2 2010 How to Make Love to a Woman Curtis Lee Furry Vengeance Neal Lyman Despicable Me Talk Show Host Voice role Vampires Suck Daro 2011 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son Mailman Cameo Zookeeper Venom The Hangover Part II Leslie Chow Transformers: Dark of the Moon Jerry Wang Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 The Big Easy Dr. Tang Episode: Night Music 1998 Black Jag Kurt TV-pilot 2001 The Downer Channel Store Owner Episode: 1.2 2002 Girls Behaving Badly Various characters 2003 Cedric the Entertainer Presents Asian Thunder 2003–2005 MADtv Various characters 4 episodes 2004 Significant Others Gynecologist Crossing Jordan Steve Choi Episode: Slam Dunk Grounded for Life Owner Episode: I'm Looking Through You 2005 Two and a Half Men Male Nurse Episode: Woo-Hoo, a Hernia-Exam! Mind of Mencia Ken Jimmy Kimmel Live! Astronaut Episode: July 29, 2005 The Office Bill Episode: E-mail Surveillance 2006 Three Strikes Roido's Interpreter TV-pilot Entourage Coffee Shop Manager Episode: The Release 2007 The Shield Skip Osaka Episode: Back to One Curb Your Enthusiasm Man in Jersey No.1 Episode: The Anonymous Donor Boston Legal Coroner Myron Okubo Episode: The Innocent Man 2008 Held Up Doctor TV-pilot 'Til Death Dr. Park Episode: Snip/Duck
Episode: CircumdecisionWorst Week Phil Episode: The Bird
Episode: The Apartment2009 Off Duty Jackie Chan TV-pilot American Dad! Dr. Perlmutter Episode: Family Affair
Episode: Every Which Way But LoseParty Down Alan Duk Sin Say Shun Awards After Party
Stennheiser-Pong Wedding ReceptionMen of a Certain Age Kuo Episode: Pilot 2009–present Community Señor Ben Chang Series regular References
- ^ Ancestry.com. U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
- ^ a b "Medical Board of California – Physician/Surgeon License". http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/LicenseLookupSystem/PhysicianSurgeon/Lookup.aspx?licenseType=A&licenseNumber=65869.
- ^ a b Lopez, Robert (June 19, 2009). "Greensboro native finds funny bone in movie". News & Record. http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/06/19/article/greensboro_native_finds_funny_bone_in_movie. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ Lee, Chris (June 10, 2009). "Doctor provides best medicine". The Columbus Dispatch. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/arts/stories/2009/06/10/2_HANGOVER_FUNNYGUY.ART_ART_06-10-09_D5_OQE4LU0.html. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "Dr. Ken Jeong". Justforlaughs.com. Retrieved June 3, 2007.
- ^ "Far*East Movement will perform at Ken Jeong-hosted Billboard Music Awards". Asia Pacific Arts. May 12, 2011. http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/article@apa?fareast_movement_will_perform_at_ken_jeong-hosted_billboard_music_awards_16721.aspx.
- ^ "Ken Jeong AHA Hands-Only CPR video". June 15, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5hP4DIBCEE.
- ^ "Ken Jeong to star in and co-produce The Chung Factor". Asia Pacific Arts. 10/31/2011. http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/article@apa?ken_jeong_to_star_in_and_co-produce_the_chung_factor_17612.aspx.
- ^ Deerwester, Jayne (September 3, 2009). "Ken Jeong transitions from doctor to in-demand jokester". USA Today. http://iamkoream.com/ken-jeong-is-good-for-us/#comment-4016.
External links
- Official website
- Ken Jeong at the Internet Movie Database
- Ken Jeong at AllRovi
Categories:- 1969 births
- Actors from Michigan
- American comedians
- American film actors
- American physicians
- American people of Korean descent
- American television actors
- Living people
- People from Detroit, Michigan
- People from Greensboro, North Carolina
- Duke University alumni
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
- American actors of Korean descent
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