Ken Jeong and Our Warm-Up Guy Go Way Back!
December 01, 2022
Ken Jeong and Jennifer Hudson have something in common!
On Thursday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” the comedian told JHud that he worked with the show’s warm-up guy, Gary Cannon, on various projects.
“He’s the warm-up on ‘The Masked Singer,’ ‘Dr. Ken,’ on all my stuff,” Ken said.
The comedian described Gary as quite the jokester who often takes jabs at Ken’s career when he warms up a crowd. And he made sure to get him back by interrupting him on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” — all in good fun, of course!
Tony Hale, Jameela Jamil & Ken Jeong Lead the Guest Lineup
View StoryCheck out more moments from Ken’s interview, below.
Ken on His Questionable Nickname for His Wife
When Jennifer mentioned how Ken and his wife Tran have been married for 18 years, he joked about her last name, “Ho.”
“Me, the dog, and the Ho are all together,” he joked. “‘Wassup dog, hey Ho!’”
On a serious note, Ken said Tran pushed him to pursue entertainment while he worked as a doctor.
“She knew she married a comedian at heart,” Ken said, adding, “If it wasn’t for the Ho, I wouldn’t be here.”
Ken on His Former Career as a Doctor
When Jennifer asked Ken if he was a funny doctor, he said he was not and was actually quite serious.
“You wouldn’t know I was a comedian,” he said.
While medicine was his day job, Ken performed comedy at night — and even appeared on BET and Comedy Central.
However, Ken said he was nervous that if his patients found out about his comedy career, “they wouldn’t trust me.”
Fortunately, his patients didn’t mind, with one woman telling him, “You were such a stressed-out little boy. I’m glad you have an outlet.”
Jennifer Hudson Named One of the 2022 People of the Year!
View StoryKen Jeong on Entertaining ‘Local Drunks’
While doing medical research at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ken told Jennifer that he was an MC at a karaoke bar on Bourbon Street.
“I would do day shifts on Saturdays. I would entertain local drunks,” he said.
Ken added that the “local drunks” would come up to him and sing Tom Petty.
“When I say local drunks, I mean me,” he joked.
Ken on When He Realized He Was a Performer
Jeong told Jennifer that although he never did theater in high school, he was a “popular nerd” who “got along with everyone” and “had a good sense of humor.”
“They voted me to be in a mock male beauty pageant,” he recalled, adding, “I looked like Asian Gary Cannon.”
At the beauty pageant, Ken said he did silly things like pose as a bodybuilder for his classmates. At another performance, he sang The Commodores’ song “Three Times a Lady.”
“I got a standing [ovation]. I never thought about performing up until that point.”
When Ken went to college at Duke University, he finally took an acting class. And the rest is history!
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Check your local listings.
