Ken Jeong
A board-certified physician who left medicine to become a wildly unpredictable comedic force in film and television.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American comedian, actor, and physician·Birthday: July 13·Generation X
Biography
Ken Jeong’s path was anything but a straight line from the exam room to the spotlight. Born in Detroit to Korean immigrants, he pursued a rigorous medical education at the University of North Carolina and later practiced as a physician in Los Angeles. Comedy was a parallel passion, performed at clubs at night. His big break came not from a casting call, but from director Judd Apatow, who spotted his uniquely intense, boundary-pushing stand-up. Jeong’s performance as the unhinged Mr. Chow in 'The Hangover' catapulted him to fame, defining a brand of comedy built on fearless, chaotic energy. He later showcased surprising depth as the tragically ambitious Señor Chang on 'Community.' Jeong never fully left his past behind, often weaving his medical knowledge into roles and public health advocacy, creating a legacy that merges the precision of science with the anarchy of laughter.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ken was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ken Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Ken's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the wildly unpredictable Leslie Chow across the blockbuster 'Hangover' film trilogy.
- Played the complex, meta role of Ben 'Señor' Chang across six seasons of the cult sitcom 'Community.'
- Created, produced, and starred in the ABC sitcom 'Dr. Ken,' a semi-autobiographical show about a physician.
- Had a key supporting role in the landmark film 'Crazy Rich Asians' as the eccentric father, Mr. Goh.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed physician in California, having completed his internal medicine residency.
He met his wife, Tran Ho, when she was a patient during his medical residency.
He performed his first stand-up comedy routine on a dare while in medical school.
He provided the voice for the character Dynomutt in the 2020 animated film 'Scoob!'
“The best advice I ever got was from my dad: 'Don't be a jerk.'”
