| NET WORTH: | $14 Million |
|---|---|
| Source of Wealth: | American comedian, actor, physician |
| Born: | July 13, 1969 |
| Spouse: | Tran Jeong |
| Children: | Two (Zooey and Alexa) |
| Birth Name: | Kendrick Kang-Jan Jeong |
| Height: | 5ft. 5in. (1.66m) |
Ken Jeong is an American comedian, actor, and physician from Detroit. He is best known for his roles as Ben Chang in Community and gangster Leslie Chow in Hangover. He also created, wrote, co-executive produced, and starred in the ABC sitcom Dr. Ken.
Early Life
Kendrick Kang-Jan Jeong was born on July 13, 1969 in Detroit. Their family moved to North Carolina when his father got a job as a professor in A&T State University.
Jeong finished his high school at Walter Hines Page High School. During his high school years, he is a member of the student’s council and the High IQ team. He also joined the orchestra, wherein he played violin. He then graduated from the University of Duke in 1990. He finished his masters in Doctorate at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, University of North Carolina in 1995.
Jeong worked via internal medicine residency at the Ochsner Medical Center. Aside from working at the hospital, he also practice stand-up comedy. He then moved to California, where he got his license as a physician.
Acting Career
Despite being a licensed physician, he chose to focus on his career as a comedian. He had his acting debut in 1997 in the crime drama series The Big Easy with a guest role. The series revolves around the crime investigation for the New Orleans police department. He appeared regularly at the Improv and Laugh Factory comedy clubs. He also guested in The Downer Channel, Significant Others, and Crossing Jordan.
Jeong appeared in season 2, episode 17 of Two and a Half Men as a male nurse. He also appeared in the American comedy-drama television series Entourage.
He had his movie debut as Dr. Kuni in Jude Apatow’s Knocked Up in 2007. The movie tells the story of Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and his efforts to become a father. As his fame grew, he played supporting roles in many series including Bob’s Burger, Maron, and Turbo Fast.
He was best known for his character as Ben Chang in the sitcom Community. Chang is an unstable teacher at Greendale whose insanity often leads him to take extreme action. The series tells the story of a suspended lawyer who enrolled at Greendale. The television series aired on NBC and Yahoo! Screen from 2009 to 2015.
He also gained fame for his role as the Chinese gangster, Leslie Chow, in The Hangover movie series. The movie was released in 2009 with a worldwide gross of more than $467 million. It became the 10th-highest-grossing film of 2009. It also received multiple accolades including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. It was then followed by Hangover Part II in May 2011 and The Hangover Part III in May 2013.
Jeong created, wrote, co-executive produced, and starred in Dr. Ken, which ran from 2015 to 2017. The story is based on his experiences as a physician before becoming a stand-up comedian. He played Dr. Kendrick "Ken" Park, a joker and narcissistic general practitioner at Welltopia Medical Group.
Awards
Jeong received multiple nominations and awards. He won the Best WTF Moment and the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain for the Hangover. He also won a Streamy Award for Best Guest Appearance for Burning Love.
Relationship
Jeong is married to Tran Ho, a family physician and a survivor of breast cancer. The pair began dating in 2004. They have two children, Alexa and Zooey. Jeong noted that his wife persuaded him to get into full time acting career.
One of Ken Jeong’s secrets to success is by moving out of his comfort zone. He chose his passion over his career, which is stand-up comedy.
“There’s really no substitute for working hard. I think that’s my biggest talent. There are always people who are funnier and more talented than I am, but I don’t take anything for granted and I commit myself 100% to each of my roles.” – Ken Jeong
