Ali Wong
Ali Wong smiling
Wong in 2012
Born
Alexandra Dawn Wong

(1982-04-19) April 19, 1982
San Francisco, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actress
  • writer
  • producer
  • director
Years active2005–present
Spouse
Justin Hakuta
​
​
(m. 2014; sep. 2022)​
Children2
Websitealiwong.com

Alexandra Dawn Wong (born April 19, 1982)[1] is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra (2016), Hard Knock Wife (2018), and Don Wong (2022).[2][3] She has also starred in the romantic comedy film Always Be My Maybe (2019), on which she also served as a writer and producer. In 2023, she starred in the Netflix dark comedy series Beef, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, becoming the first Asian woman to win a lead acting Emmy in any category. She was included in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and 2023.[4][5]

Wong was a cast member on the ABC show American Housewife and appeared on Inside Amy Schumer, Black Box, and Are You There, Chelsea? She was a writer for the first three seasons of the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. She also voiced the title character Roberta "Bertie" Songthrush on the animated series Tuca & Bertie and Ali on the animated series Big Mouth.

Early life

Alexandra Dawn Wong[6] was born in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California, on April 19, 1982,[7][8] the youngest of four children.[7][9] Her Vietnamese mother, Tam "Tammy" Wong, relocated from Huế in 1960 to work as a social worker in the U.S.[7][10][11] Her Chinese-American father, Adolphus Wong (1937–2011), was an anesthesiologist who worked for Kaiser Permanente for 30 years.[12]

In 2000, Wong graduated from San Francisco University High School,[13][14] where she was student body class president.[15] She enrolled at UCLA, where she majored in Asian-American studies. During her junior year, she spent time in Hanoi.[7][16][17] After college, she studied in Vietnam through a Fulbright program.[18][19]

Career

Wong performing in 2013

After graduating from college, Wong first tried stand-up comedy at the age of 23. She soon moved to New York City to pursue comedy and began to perform up to nine times a night.[20]

In 2011, Variety named her one of the "10 Comics to Watch".[2] Soon after, she appeared on The Tonight Show, John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show and Dave Attell's Comedy Underground Show. She was also cast as series regular in the NBC comedy series Are You There, Chelsea? and appeared on Chelsea Lately.[21] After that, she was in VH1's Best Week Ever and MTV's Hey Girl in 2013. Additionally, she starred in Oliver Stone's Savages and as Kate in the film Dealin' with Idiots.[8]

In 2014, Wong played Dr. Lina Lark in the ABC medical drama series Black Box, opposite Kelly Reilly and Vanessa Redgrave.[22][23] She guest-starred in three episodes of Inside Amy Schumer. Wong worked a writer on Fresh Off the Boat.[24] Randall Park, who was a main cast member, had suggested Wong for the writing role.[16]

On Mother's Day 2016,[25] Netflix released a stand-up special called Baby Cobra; the special was filmed in September 2015, when Wong was seven months pregnant with her first child[26] at the Neptune Theater in Seattle.[9][20][27] According to New York Magazine, "The special's arrival on Netflix is the sort of star-making moment that unites the tastes of the unlikeliest fans".[28]

On September 11, 2016, Wong spoke at, and walked the runway during New York Fashion Week for Opening Ceremony's show.[29] From 2016 to 2021, Wong starred in the ABC sitcom American Housewife.

On May 13, 2018, Wong's second Netflix special, Hard Knock Wife, was released. It was filmed in late September 2017 at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto when she was seven months pregnant with her second child.[30][31] In 2018, she voiced the character Citrus Twisty, a soda genie, in an episode of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes.[32]

Wong starred with Randall Park in the 2019 Netflix film Always Be My Maybe, a film directed by Nahnatchka Khan, and written by Wong, Park, and Michael Golamco. From 2019 to 2022, Wong voiced Bertie in the Netflix animated sitcom Tuca & Bertie.

On October 15, 2019, Wong published a book entitled Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets and Advice for Living Your Best Life.[33][34] She described it as a life guide for her daughters to read when they reach adulthood.[35] The book won the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award for Humor.[36]

In February 2022, Wong released her third Netflix stand-up special, Don Wong.[37]

Wong co-starred with Steven Yeun in the 2023 Netflix drama-comedy series Beef,[38] and was credited as an executive producer alongside Yeun. For her performance in Beef, Wong received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. She is the first actress of Asian descent to win in this category.[39][40]

Personal life

Wong met entrepreneur Justin Hakuta, the son of inventor Ken Hakuta, at the wedding of their mutual friends in 2010.[41] At the time, Hakuta was a Fulbright Scholar and a student at Harvard Business School.[42] They married in 2014.[43] They have two daughters.[44] In April 2022, Wong and Hakuta announced they had separated.[45][46][47] Wong has stated that they remain "best friends".[48][42][49] In December 2023, Wong filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences".[45]

Wong briefly dated actor Bill Hader in late 2022. In April 2023, they were reported to have resumed their relationship. They were shown together at the 75th Annual Emmy Awards on January 15, 2024.[50][51]

Filmography

As actress

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Breaking In Ana Ng 3 episodes
2012 Are You There, Chelsea? Olivia 12 episodes
Savages Claire
2013 Dealin' with Idiots Katieie
2014 Black Box Dr. Lina Lark 13 episodes
2014–2015 Inside Amy Schumer Various characters 3 episodes
2015 BoJack Horseman Maddy (voice) Episode: "Escape from L.A."
2016 Animals. Dana (voice) Episode: "Rats"
The Angry Birds Movie Betty Bird (voice)
2016–2021 American Housewife Doris Series regular
2017 Fresh Off the Boat Margot Episode: "The Flush"
The Lego Ninjago Movie General Olivia (Voice)
Father Figures Ali
2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet Felony (voice)
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Twisty (voice) Episode: "Soda Genie"
Ask the Storybots The Brain Episode: "How Do Ears Hear?"
2019–2022 Tuca & Bertie Bertie (voice) Main role, also Executive Producer
2019 Always Be My Maybe Sasha Tran Also writer and producer
Big Mouth Ali (voice) 14 episodes
2020 Birds of Prey Ellen Yee
Onward Gore (voice)
Love, Victor Ms. Thomas Recurring role
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Super Super Big Doctor (voice)
2022 Human Resources Becca (voice) Main role, spinoff of Big Mouth
Paper Girls Adult Erin Recurring role
2023 Beef Amy Lau Main role, also Executive Producer

As herself

Year Title Notes
2012 Chelsea Lately 9 episodes
2013 Hey Girl 5 episodes
2013 Best Week Ever 16 episodes
2016 Ali Wong: Baby Cobra Netflix comedy special
2017 The Hero Movie
2017 Bill Nye Saves The World S2E4 - Netflix
2018 Ugly Delicious S1E8 - Netflix
2018 Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife Netflix comedy special
May 28, 2019 The Ellen DeGeneres Show "Ali Wong Experienced Pure Joy Kissing Daniel Dae Kim" and "Ali Wong and Twitch Play 'Taste Buds'"
Oct 23, 2019 The Daily Show with Trevor Noah "Lessons for Her Daughters in Dear Girls and Life as a Female Comic "
Oct 24, 2019 The Ellen Show "Ali Wong Once Bombed in Front of Eddie Murphy" and "Ali Wong on Whether She Wants Her Daughters to Be Comedians"
May 9, 2022 Celebrity IOU "Ali Wong's Renovation Surprise"
2022 Ali Wong: Don Wong Netflix comedy special
March 10, 2023 RuPaul's Drag Race Guest judge; Episode: "Two Queens, One Joke"[52]
March 10, 2023 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked Celebrity guest; Episode: "Untucked: Two Queens, One Joke"[53]

Further reading

Accolades

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2018 Legionnaires of Laughter Legacy Award Best Stand Up Comedian Female — Nominated [54]
2019 People's Choice Awards Favorite Comedy Movie Star Always Be My Maybe Nominated [55]
Gotham Independent Film Awards Breakthrough Series – Short Form Tuca & Bertie Nominated [56]
2020 Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Nominated [57]
2022 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special Ali Wong: Don Wong Nominated [58]
2023 Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials Beef Won [59]
Astra TV Awards Best Streaming Limited or Anthology Series Won [60]
Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Won [61]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Won
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Tuca & Bertie Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards Breakthrough Series – Short Form Beef Won [62]
Outstanding Performance in a New Series Won
American Film Institute Awards Top 10 Television Programs of the Year Won [63]
2024 Golden Globe Awards Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film Won [64]
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Won
Critics' Choice Awards Best Limited Series Won [65]
Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television Won
AACTA International Awards Best Drama Series Pending [66]
Best Actress in a Series Pending
People's Choice Awards Bingeworthy Show of the Year Pending [67]
Female TV Star of the Year Pending
Comedy TV Star of the Year Pending
Satellite Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Pending [68]
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Pending
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Pending [69]
Producers Guild of America Awards Best Limited Series Television Pending [70]
Independent Spirit Awards Best New Scripted Series Pending [71]
Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series Pending

References

  1. ↑ "Famous birthdays for April 19: Ali Wong, Simu Liu - UPI.com". UPI.
  2. 1 2 Shady, Justin (July 26, 2011). "Ali Wong: Spitfire standup embraces dark". Variety. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ Molyneaux, Libby (October 3, 2013). "Ali Wong: L.A.'s Raunchiest Vietnamese-Chinese-American Standup Comic". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ali Wong: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Time 100". Time. April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ "A closer look at the life, career of comedian Ali Wong". March 26, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Wong, Ali (Winter 2004). "Discoveries Terrible and Magnificent" (PDF). Asian American Studies 116. UCLA. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Black Box: Ali Wong. Lina Lark on ABC's "Black Box"". ABC Television (Press release). May 18, 2013. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Maron, Marc (May 5, 2016). "Episode 704 - Ali Wong". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  10. ↑ Wong, Ali. "Baby Cobra". Netflix.
  11. ↑ Saner, Emine (October 17, 2019). "'God, I was disgusting!' – Ali Wong on why women's bodies are the last taboo". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Adolphus Wong Obituary". SF Chronicle.
  13. ↑ "San Francisco University High School Podcasts: IV. Ali Wong (1:02.45) Adorably Inappropriate". San Francisco University High School. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  14. ↑ Gentile, Dan (April 5, 2023). "SF hometown hero Ali Wong's Netflix show is hard to watch". SFGATE. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ Tseng, Ada (June 8, 2015). "Get to Know Stand-Up Comedienne & 'Fresh Off the Boat' Writer Ali Wong". Audrey. Archived from the original on May 24, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Levy, Ariel (September 26, 2016). "Ali Wong's Radical Raunch". The New Yorker. No. OCTOBER 3, 2016 ISSUE. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  17. ↑ Nepales, Ruben V. (June 13, 2019). "Randall Park and Ali Wong talk about their rom-com's Asian–and Filipino–pedigree". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer.net. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ Miller, Julie (April 25, 2019). "How Ali Wong Became Comedy's Queen Mom". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  19. ↑ Greenberg, Rudi. "Just Acting Natural". Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Nguyen, Sahra Vang (November 25, 2015). "Off Color: Ali Wong on Nepotism, Network TV, and Becoming a New Mom". NBC News. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  21. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 25, 2008). "Ali Wong Joins New NBC Comedy 'Are You There Vodka' As Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  22. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 4, 2013). "ABC Series 'The Black Box' Adds Trio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  23. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 17, 2014). "ABC Announces Premiere Dates for 'Black Box' & 'Dancing With the Stars' + 'Mind Games' Replaces 'Killer Women'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 19, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  24. ↑ Collins, Scott (April 8, 2015). "'Fresh Off the Boat' writer Eddie Huang slams ABC comedy hit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  25. ↑ Fox, Jesse David (May 9, 2016). "Appreciating Ali Wong's Powerful Pregnancy Joke in Baby Cobra". Vulture. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  26. ↑ Kovan, Brianna (May 6, 2016). "Ali Wong Did a One-Hour Comedy Special While Seven Months Pregnant, DGAF". ELLE. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  27. ↑ White, Abbey (April 29, 2016). "Ali Wong's Got Bite in This First Look at Her Netflix Comedy Special, Baby Cobra". Paste. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  28. ↑ Choi, Mary (May 30, 2016). "Talking Pregnancy and Prostate Stimulation With Ali Wong". New York Magazine.
  29. ↑ "Opening Ceremony's Funny, Political Show Redeemed Fashion Week". The Cut. September 11, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  31. ↑ Karas, Jay (May 13, 2018), Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife, Ali Wong, retrieved May 13, 2018
  32. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (March 6, 2019). "Baobab Announces 'Bonfire' VR Voice Starring Ali Wong". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Correction: Book Review-Dear Girls story". AP NEWS. October 23, 2019.
  34. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Ali Wong - Lessons for Her Daughters in "Dear Girls" and Life as a Female Comic | The Daily Show". YouTube.
  35. ↑ Wong, Ali (2019). Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life. ISBN 978-0525508830.
  36. ↑ "Best Humor 2019". Goodreads Choice Awards. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Don Wong' Completes Ali Wong's Flawless Comedy Trilogy". February 17, 2022.
  38. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 16, 2021). "Hot Package: A24 Teams Its Minari Oscar Nominee Steven Yeun With Ali Wong For 10-Episode Series; Lee Sung Jin Showrunner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  39. ↑ Rosenbloom, Alli (January 8, 2024). "Ali Wong and Steven Yeun make Golden Globes history with 'Beef' wins". CNN. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  40. ↑ Zinoman, Jason (January 7, 2024). "2024 Golden Globe Awards: Matthew Macfadyen Gives 'Succession' Its First Win of Night". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  41. ↑ Wong, Gerrye (December 9, 2014). "On the Scene December 9 Holidaze: Happy Occasions". 丁丁網路電視 Dingding.tv. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  42. 1 2 "Ali Wong Explains Her "Unconventional" Divorce and How She and Her Ex-Husband Stayed "Best Friends"". Vanity Fair. March 2, 2023.
  43. ↑ Liu, Jennifer (October 14, 2019). "Why Ali Wong says getting a prenup was 'one of the greatest things that ever happened to me and my career'". CNBC. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Comedian Ali Wong on having a miscarriage: 'Some people have insensitive reactions'". TODAY.com. October 10, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  45. 1 2 "Ali Wong files for divorce from Justin Hakuta". AsiaOne. December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  46. ↑ Goldstein, Joelle; Najib, Shafiq (April 12, 2022). "Ali Wong And Husband Justin Hakuta Are Divorcing After 8 Years of Marriage". People. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  47. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Emily (April 12, 2022). "Ali Wong and Husband Justin Hakuta Divorce After 8 Years of Marriage". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  48. ↑ "Ali Wong on Going on Tour with Her Ex-Husband, Shooting Her First Love Scene & New Show Beef". YouTube.
  49. ↑ Sun, Rebecca (March 1, 2023). "Ali Wong Gets Dramatic". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Bill Hader and Ali Wong Have Rekindled Their Relationship After Brief Split". Peoplemag. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  51. ↑ Cohen, Danielle (April 18, 2023). "Bill Hader and Ali Wong Are Dating for the Second Time". The Cut. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  52. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 10, 2023). "RECAP: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 15 Episode 11: Are You Shreddy For Some Comedy?". www.glaad.org. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Untucked: Two Queens, One Joke". www.wowpresentsplus.com. March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  54. ↑ "2019 Nominees". Legionnaires Of Laughter. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  55. ↑ "People's Choice Awards 2019 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. November 11, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  56. ↑ T. H. R. Staff (December 2, 2019). "'Marriage Story' Sweeps Gotham Awards; Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  57. ↑ "50th Annual Annie Awards". annieawards.org. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  58. ↑ "Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special Nominees / Winners 2022". Television Academy. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  59. ↑ Schneider, Michael (August 7, 2023). "'Succession' and 'The Bear' Dominate TCA Awards; Mel Brooks and 'The Carol Burnett Show' Honored (FULL WINNERS LIST)". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  60. ↑ Schneider, Michael (January 8, 2024). "'The Boys,' 'Succession' Land Most Honors at Astra TV Awards (FULL WINNERS LIST)". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  61. ↑ "75th Emmy Nominations Announcement". Television Academy. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  62. ↑ Davis, Clayton; Lang, Brent (October 24, 2023). "Gotham Awards Nominations: 'All of Us Strangers' Leads With Four Nominations". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  63. ↑ Davis, Clayton (December 7, 2023). "AFI Awards: 'Barbie' and 'Spider-Verse' Among 10 Best Films, Top TV Shows Include 'Jury Duty' and 'Last of Us'". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  64. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 7, 2024). "Golden Globes: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  65. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (December 5, 2023). "'The Morning Show' & 'Succession' Lead Critics Choice Awards TV Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  66. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (December 14, 2023). "'Oppenheimer' Leads Australia's AACTA International Awards Nominations; 'Barbie' & "Killers Of The Flower Moon' Close Behind". Deadline. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  67. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (January 11, 2024). "People's Choice Awards Reveals Film, TV & Music Nominees; Simu Liu To Host". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  68. ↑ "IPA Reveals Nominations for the 28th Satellite™ Awards". International Press Academy. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  69. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (January 10, 2024). "SAG Awards Nominations: 'Oppenheimer,' 'Barbie' Lead Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  70. ↑ Verhoeven, Beatrice (January 12, 2024). "'Oppenheimer,' 'The Crown' Among 2024 Producers Guild Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  71. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 5, 2023). "Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: Best Feature 'American Fiction', 'May December', 'All Of Us Strangers', 'Passages', 'Past Lives' & 'We Grown Now' — Live". Deadline. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
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