Jo Koy
Koy in 2018
Birth nameJoseph Glenn Herbert[1]
Born (1971-06-02) June 2, 1971 (age 52)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.[2]
Medium
EducationUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas
Years active1989–present
Genres
Subject(s)
Spouse
Angie King
​
(div. 2013)​
Children1
Websitejokoy.com

Joseph Glenn Herbert (born June 2, 1971[1][3]), known professionally as Jo Koy, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a frequent panelist on E!'s late night show Chelsea Lately. He has since had a total of six comedy specials released by Comedy Central and Netflix. In 2024, Koy hosted the 81st Golden Globe Awards to negative reviews.

Early life

Koy was born to a Caucasian father who was in the United States Air Force stationed in the Philippines when he married Koy's Filipina mother.[4] His family moved from Spanaway, Washington, to Tacoma, Washington, and then to Las Vegas soon after he finished high school in Tacoma. He originally attended Spanaway Lake High School and then moved to Foss High School in Tacoma. They moved to Las Vegas to be near his ailing grandmother. Jo Koy enrolled in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but dropped out to pursue stand-up comedy.[1]

Koy has said that his stage name comes from a nickname his family gave him when he was growing up.[5] It was said during his stand-up routine in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 22, 2019, that back in 1989 he was talking to his cousin about making a stage name when his aunt called him to come to dinner, shouting "Jo Ko, eat!" (Ko means "my" in Tagalog, so Jo Ko means "my Jo"), which he misheard as "Koy," and, deciding that it was a good name, has used it ever since.

Koy credits his mother for his comedic and acting talents. He frequently tells stories about her in his comedy shows. She encouraged him to participate in school talent shows and to hold impromptu performances for his family and friends. This led to performances at a Las Vegas coffee house and inspired a move to Los Angeles.

Career

In 1994, Koy began his stand-up career at a comedy club in Las Vegas. Soon he moved from open mic night to a regular spot on the show Catch a Rising Star at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.[1] After performing at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, he rented the Huntridge Theater and went door to door to sell tickets to his comedy shows.[1] A talent coordinator from Los Angeles spotted Koy and landed him his first television appearance on BET's ComicView. He has appeared in two seasons of Comic View.

Koy has starred in other TV stand-up specials like Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza! Jo Koy has won the Showtime at the Apollo, performed in front of troops in the USO Tour, can be seen on various VH1 I Love the '70s, '80s, '90s, truTV's World's Dumbest... and New Millennium episodes, Amp'd Mobile phone commercials and received a second invite to the Montreal comedy festival Just for Laughs, the series for which he was awarded Canada's prestigious Gemini Award. Koy was also a regular guest at Chelsea Handler's roundtable discussion on E!'s Chelsea Lately. He has also appeared on Carlos Mencia's Punisher Tour performing stand-up comedy.[6] In 2005, He performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Koy started a podcast together with comedian and TV host Michael Yo on July 23, 2012, called The Michael Yo and Jo Koy Show. Koy has also appeared on over 100 episodes of Chelsea Lately as a season regular roundtable guest. Other appearances include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, @midnight with Chris Hardwick, VH1, World's Funniest Fails, The Joy Behar Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Call with Carson Daly and Jamie Foxx: Laffapalooza. Today, the comedian tours across the US and can be heard as a weekly guest on the podcast, The Adam Carolla Show. He joined the PodcastOne family and hosts the weekly podcast, The Koy Pond. Koy has done two highly rated and successful comedy specials on Comedy Central: Don't Make Him Angry and Lights Out. His third comedy special, Jo Koy: Live from Seattle is a Netflix Original, and was released worldwide on March 28, 2017. Koy released another Netflix special titled Jo Koy: Comin' in Hot on June 12, 2019. On February 23, 2019, Koy performed two shows on stage at the Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, Colorado, for the closing night of Aspen Laugh Festival.[6][7]

On June 12, 2020, Netflix released Jo Koy: In His Elements, a comedy special featuring Filipino American comedians, DJs, and B-boys.[8] On July 28, 2022, Koy, alongside film producer Dan Lin appeared in the Rise for Comedy festival, where they raised a $75,000 donation to the nonprofit Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).[9]

On December 21, 2023, Koy was announced as host of the 81st Golden Globe Awards.[10]

2024 Golden Globe Awards

Koy's monologue as host of the 81st Golden Globe Awards was met with criticism from viewers and critics with many describing his jokes as "painful", "unfunny", and "cringeworthy". Chelsey Sanchez of Bazaar described his monologue as "awkward" and "distasteful".[11] Shirley Li of The Atlantic wrote, "practically every joke failed to land, mostly because the punchlines were dated or obvious".[12] Variety's television critic Alison Herman panned Koy as "woefully unqualified" to be an awards show host. Koy was met with criticism for putting blame on his writers during the monologue, coming after a lengthy 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Justin Curto of Vulture noted, that when some of his jokes fell flat, Koy "immediately threw his writers under the bus... He yelled. 'Yo, shut up. You're kidding me, right. Slow down. I wrote some of these, and they're the ones you're laughing at.'"[13][14]

Hershal Pandya of Vulture wrote "Comedians have tanked at the Golden Globes before but none quite as spectacularly as Koy."[15] Marlow Stern of Rolling Stone noted that many of Koy's jokes drew "groans" and "boos" from the audience.[16] Among the barbs that drew the most ire were sexist jokes involving the Barbie movie and Taylor Swift, as well as uncomfortable jokes directed at Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro.[17][18][19][20][21] Nicole Sperling of The New York Times, who was in the audience that night, wrote, "Never seen an audience rebel against an emcee so quickly" and cited a prominent director describing Koy as a "disaster".[22] Viewers online noted stunned reactions from the crowd from people such as Selena Gomez, Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford.[23][24]

Koy responded to the criticism in an interview with Good Morning America, admitting, "I'd be lying if I said the backlash didn't hurt", but also admitted, "I had fun. You know, it was a moment that I'll always remember. Hosting is just a tough gig. Yes, I'm a stand-up comic but that hosting position it's a different style. I kind of went in and did the writer's thing. We had 10 days to write this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad, but I got to still say I loved what I did."[25] Since his ceremony comedians Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg and Kevin Hart, and radio host Howard Stern have expressed sympathy towards Koy stating that the job of a comedian isn't always easy, especially when hosting an awards show.[26][27][28]

Influences

Koy has named Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal,[1] Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, and Steve Martin as his comedy influences.[29] In 2022, Blogtalk with MJ Racadio named him one of the "75 Most Influential Filipino-Americans".[30]

Personal life

Koy has one son, born April 21, 2003, from a previous relationship with Angie King. Koy and his son reside in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California.

On September 27, 2021, Koy and Chelsea Handler posted an official Instagram post of their relationship.[31][32] In July 2022, they announced their breakup on Handler's Instagram, which occurred in June.[citation needed]

Koy is a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[33]

Charity work

On August 4, 2009, The Jo Koy Foundation hosted its first philanthropic event in "Hilarity for Charity" a stand-up comedy show featuring Koy, along with special surprise comedic guests. The show took place at The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, located in the heart of Citywalk, Universal City, California. Proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to The Children's Hospital of Orange County.[citation needed]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2018 Virginia Chester Blind
2018 Wake. Peter Lewis
2019 Anastasia: Once Upon a Time Vladimir Lenin
2022 Easter Sunday Joe Valencia
2023 Haunted Mansion Daytime Bartender
2023 The Monkey King Benbo (voice)
2023 Leo Coach Komura (voice) [34]
2024 The Tiger's Apprentice TBA In-production

Stand-up specials

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Don't Make Him Angry Himself Comedy Central Stand-Up Special
2012 Lights Out Himself Comedy Central Stand-Up Special
2017 Live from Seattle Himself Netflix Original Comedy Special
2019 Comin' in Hot Himself Netflix Original Comedy Special
2020 In His Elements Himself Netflix Original Variety Special
2022 Live from the LA Forum Himself Netflix Original Comedy Special

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Family Tools Berrick Episode: "Pilot"
2020 Mr. Iglesias Bob Episode: "Food for Thought"
2021 Metal Shop Masters Himself (host)
2022 Reindeer in Here Hawk (voice) Television special[35]
2023 Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens Bob (voice) Episode: "Love & Order"
2024 81st Golden Globe Awards Himself (host) Television special

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Weatherford, Mike (August 21, 2009). "INTERVIEWS: Comic Jo Koy finds funny material right at home without going for usual targets". Las Vegas Review Journal. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  2. ^ "Biography - The Official Website of Comedian JO KOY". Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  3. ^ "Jo Koy Facebook page". facebook.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  4. ^ White, Carrie (January 7, 2010). "Filipino funnyman Jo Koy stops in Virginia Beach". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  5. ^ Nguyen, Joe (June 19, 2008). "Face2Face with Jo Koy". AsiaXpress.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Tusing, David (January 18, 2020). Jo Koy in Dubai: 'Netflix changed everything' Archived February 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Gulf News.
  7. ^ Welby, Augustus (September 12, 2019). Comedian Jo Koy gambled everything for his career – and it paid off Archived March 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Beat.
  8. ^ "Jo Koy: In His Elements". Netflix.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  9. ^ Tagncay, Jazz (July 29, 2022). "Jo Koy, Dan Lin Close Inaugural Rise for Comedy Festival With $75,000 Donation to Filipino Nonprofit". Variety. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 21, 2023). "Jo Koy To Host 81st Golden Globes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  11. ^ "Twitter Had a Lot to Say About Jo Koy's Painfully Awkward Golden Globes Monologue". Yahoo News. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Jo Koy's Biggest Mistake at the Golden Globes". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Curto, Justin (January 7, 2024). "Jo Koy's Golden Globes Monologue Might Send the Writers Back on Strike". Vulture. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "Jo Koy's Golden Globes Monologue Might Send the Writers Back on Strike". January 7, 2024.
  15. ^ "Jo Koy Couldn't Stay the Course". January 8, 2024.
  16. ^ "Golden Globes Host Jo Koy Booed During Monologue, Blames His Writers". Rolling Stone. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  17. ^ "The Golden Globes Monologue Was Bad—But One Joke in Particular Sank Jo Koy". Time Magazine. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  18. ^ Irshad, Zara. "Jo Koy responds to 'sexist' Taylor Swift Golden Globes jokes". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  19. ^ "Jo Koy's Monologue in Full as Golden Globes Host Savaged Online". Newsweek. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  20. ^ Ushe, Naledi. "Jo Koy's Golden Globes opening monologue met with blank stares: 'I got the gig 10 days ago!'". USA Today. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  21. ^ "Golden Globes host Jo Koy shades Robert De Niro with joke about becoming father aged 79". The Independent. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  22. ^ "Golden Globes Host Jo Koy Sparks Fierce Backlash: 'Disaster'". Newsweek. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "See '1923' Stars Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford React to Jo Koy's "Cringeworthy" Golden Globes Monologue". Country Living. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  24. ^ "17 Celebrities Who Clearly Couldn't Hide How Much They Didn't Like The Golden Globes Opening Monologue". Buzzfeed. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  25. ^ "Golden Globes Host Jo Koy Confronts Bad Reviews, Admits Taylor Swift Joke Was 'Weird' and 'Flat': 'I'd Be Lying' If I Said Backlash 'Doesn't Hurt'". Variety. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  26. ^ "Steve Martin Is Told He's 'Out of His League' After Defending Jo Koy Golden Globes Gig: 'Let the Women Take This One'". The Wrap. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  27. ^ "Jo Koy Defended by Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin After Golden Globes Backlash: "Hosting Gigs Are Just Brutal"". The Hollywood Reporter. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Howard Stern, Kevin Hart Defend Jo Koy: 'Hollywood Has No Sense of Humor About Itself'". Los Angeles Magazine. January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  29. ^ "Jo Koy Names His Stand-Up Heroes, and the Choices Might Surprise You". August 10, 2022.
  30. ^ "Comedian Jo Koy leads 75 Most Influential Filipino Americans list". goodnewspilipinas.com. October 18, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  31. ^ Redkar, Surabhi (December 28, 2022). "Chelsea Handler explains why she split from Jo Koy; 5 key details about their relationship timeline". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  32. ^ France, Lisa Respers (September 28, 2021). "Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy are Instagram official". CNN. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  33. ^ Burne, Kathrine (January 25, 2023). "Standup Comedian Jo Koy Starts Training BJJ With Ivan Jennings". JitsMagazine. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  34. ^ "Everything You Need to Know About Leo". Tudum. August 23, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  35. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (November 3, 2022). "'Reindeer in Here' Announces Sledful of Stars for Voice Cast". Animation Magazine. Retrieved November 3, 2022.

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