Overview
As one of today’s premiere stand-up comedians, Jo Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing in a Las Vegas coffee house. Jo’s uniquely relatable comedy pulls inspiration from his colorful family that has reached all kinds of people and has translated into sold-out arenas around the world.
The comedian continues to be one of the top 10 grossing stand-up comedians each year according to Pollstar and Billboard as he sells out and breaks sales records at some of the most prestigious venues around the world. In 2024, Koy became the first comedian to sell-out 6 shows at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. In 2022, Koy made another dream come true when he performed and sold-out Madison Square Garden for the first time in New York City. The same year he sold-out the Climate Pledge Arena (over 14,000 tickets) in his hometown of Seattle and returned later that year to sell out the Tacoma Dome (over 22,000 tickets). In 2020, Koy once again became the first comedian to sell-out the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, PH. In 2017, The comedian broke a record for the most tickets sold by a single artist at 23,000 tickets and 11 sold-out shows at The Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu. In response, the mayor’s office in Honolulu proclaimed November 24th as “Jo Koy Day.” His universal comedy transcends borders as he’s sold-out arenas around the world including Coca-Cola Arena (Dubai), ICC Theatre (Sydney, AU) and O2 Arena (London) to name a few.
It was Koy’s universal appeal and relatability that led to Steven Spielberg discovering his Netflix special Comin’ in Hot. Very quickly after that, Koy was starring in the 2022 Universal Picture comedy Easter Sunday. The film takes place around a struggling single father that returns to his hometown of Daly City, CA to survive a chaotic Easter with his family. The film is a love letter to his Filipino roots and is loosely based on Jo Koy’s life experiences and stand-up comedy. Easter Sunday was produced by Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Partners alongside Rideback and Dreamworks Pictures and is the first motion picture film to feature an all-Filipino cast and be produced by a major studio. In honor of the film, Daly City gave Jo the Keys To The City and declared July 22nd “Jo Koy Day.”
In 2023, Koy appeared in Disney’s Haunted Mansion and voiced characters in Netflix’s animated films, Monkey King and Leo. In 2024, he was most recently heard voicing the character Monkey King in the Paramount+ film, The Tiger’s Apprentice. He’s also appeared in Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias and Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.
In 2023, it was announced that he inked a two-special deal with Netflix with the first special releasing in 2024. Jo returned to Netflix in typical style, sharing his unfiltered opinions on social media, aging and moving into a new phase of his life; his zaddy phase. Filmed at the historic King’s Theatre in Brooklyn, NY, Jo Koy: Live From Brooklyn premiered globally on June 4th, 2024 only on Netflix and reached the Top 10 within the first week. The special had over 240 million minutes streamed making it one of the top 10 streaming specials of the year. His other Netflix stand-up specials include Live From The Los Angeles Forum, Comin’ In Hot and Live From Seattle. Overall, Koy has had seven highly rated and successful specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. In June 2020, the comedian released his first variety special, Jo Koy: In His Elements on Netflix in which Koy brings the laughs and beats to Manila, spotlighting local culture in a one-of-a-kind show featuring Filipino-American comedians, DJs and B-boys.
Koy continues to push for representation in Hollywood and shine a light on Filipino talent. Last year Koy joined Nurse Unseen, a documentary from Emmy-winning director Michele Josue, as an executive producer. The film explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino nurses who risked their lives on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets.
In 2023, Jo came on as a producer for the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical, Here Lies Love. Here Lies Love told the story of Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. The show received four Tony Award nominations during its run and was the first to feature an all-Filipino cast on Broadway.
In 2022, Koy was once again acknowledged for his advocacy for more representation in entertainment and was given the proclamation in Los Angeles that October 7th would be declared “Jo Koy Day.”
In 2021, Koy released his first autobiography, Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo with Harper Collins Publishers to raved reviews. In this funny and moving memoir, Koy uncovers the stories behind his stand-up: the conflict, the drama and the laughter as he struggles to find his place in the entertainment industry, his home and around the world.
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