The Finny win this past January for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, in the category of Outstanding Talk Series, hammers Ronny Chieng's name onto a recognition wall that, until recently, was an elite list of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver-titans of American political satire. Chieng has been a correspondent for the show for over nine years, and in November of last year, guesthosted it for the first time. Two months before that, he sold out The Star Theatre's 5,000 capacity for two nights. Compare this to David Bowie's 4,000 draw at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2004, and you get a sense of how far being a standup comedian now compares to "rock god" among aspirations.
Even following his Singapore education track would have landed him far from his rubbertapping farming roots. in Sitiawan, Perak. After Fuchun Primary, Pioneer Secondary, and Pioneer Junior College, he graduated from the University of Melbourne with commerce and law degrees. Accenture offered him a cushy gig in Kuala Lumpur as a technology consultant. He chose comedy-the kind of career choice that wakes Asian parents up at night, screaming.
At 38, he is part of a new class of global Asian celebrities-one that includes the likes of Awkwafina, Simu Liu, NBA star Jeremy Lin, and, of course, fellow Malaysian, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. He worked his way up to sold-out shows with stints at Montreal's Just For Laughs comedy festival in the 2010s, famously getting noticed by Noah, who gave him the correspondent gig in 2015. "The Daily Show is like the Harvard Business School of comedy, where everyone's super on it," Chieng says. "Everyone there is great at their jobs, so it makes you better. When everyone around you is really good, then you have to live up to it."
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Great Unknown
It's a fresh chapter for Thai actress Nuttanicha "Nychaa" Dungwattanawanich as she strikes out on her own.
FINDING XANADU
Adventure, magic and freedom await in the land of the blue sky, Mongolia.
TALKING POINTS
From the worlds of Art, Culture, Travel and Design.
TIMELESS LUXURY
In Hosanna Swee and Tom Chng's stunning apartment, an eye for detail and love for horological collectibles reveals an elegant and minimalist escape.
PRIM FOR PRIMETIME
Chanikarn \"Prim\" Tangkabodee reminisces on her journey from a child actor to a superstar in-the-making.
INSPIRATION
The suave music artiste is no stranger to the world of fashion. In fact, he describes fashion as the forefront of his and his family's personal expression, as well as a form of manners.
WELL, SUITED?
As attitudes towards dress codes shift, is the suit about to exit our closets?
DARK HORSE
In his next role and what is easily his most challenging character to date―actor Brian Ng wants one thing from you: your hatred.
THE POWER OF PERETTI
In a hidden village of Sant Marti Vell in Spain, where Elsa Peretti lived, loved and created enduring symbols of design and beauty for Tiffany & Co., Kenneth Goh traces and marvels at her 50 years of legacy.
REDEFINING ROYALTY
Chaumet's Charles Leung talks to BAZAAR about the beauty and the resilience of the 244-year-old French jewellery brand in a new era.