Filipino American comic Jo Koy doesn’t underestimate the importance of his hosting gig Sunday, arguably the biggest challenge he’s ever taken on in his life.
He’ll be appearing before an international audience as host of the Golden Globes Sunday evening on CBS.
He wants to do right for everything he represents- not only his Filipino heritage, but his multi-racial heritage. He’s half White and half Asian.
“This is everything. It’s different for me. You hear that a lot right now, but it means a lot for someone that looks like me,” says Koy to Variety. “There’s a kid that’s Asian out there, or that’s half white/half Asian, any ethnicity. Being able to see this, it will indirectly inspire them. This is one of those ‘finally’ moments. I don’t want to address that when I’m on stage, but I think me just being on stage is enough.”
Koy has gained fame first appearing on his Comedy Central and Netflix comedy specials. His next will be his seventh is expected to stream sometime in 2024 on Netflix with an eighth already scheduled to follow. Each appearance is done with his fans front and center on his mind.
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“Now they get to see me in the best seat in the house, you know, so that’s cool. And I know now that they’re watching, they’re gonna be like: ‘All right, well, maybe I can do this too.’ And that’s what I want. I want more of us in Hollywood,” he said to ABS-CBN about being an inspiration to others like him.
Koy starred in his first full-length feature film in 2022, Easter Sunday. He’s also made appearances on Disney’s Haunted Mansion and the animated Netflix Film, The Monkey King. According to Billboard, Harper Collins released his autobiography, Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo, in 2021.
His stage name is actually a nickname given to him by his family. His aunt once called out to him “Jo Ko, eat,” which is Tagalog for my or “my Jo”. He thought she was calling out “Jo Koy” and decided that would be his stage name. His given birth name is actually Joseph Glenn Herbert.
He’s looking forward to playing to house full of fans and celebrities coming out a difficult year that included the actor and writers strike.
“I’m going to poke fun, but I want to do it in a way where we’re still celebrating,” he says. “The industry got hit hard. Hollywood got shook. Everyone got shook. It wasn’t just the writers. It wasn’t just the actors… So, let’s celebrate. Let’s enjoy this. We have a great gig. That’s the approach I want to have on this one. This is a great moment for all of us.”
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