Everything Jo Koy does these days feels like the biggest thing he’s done so far.
Long recognized as one of the country’s premier stand-up comedians, 51-year-old Koy was already riding high on blockbuster Netflix specials Comin’ In Hot and In His Elements when he released his first book last year, the autobiographical Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo. The well-reviewed and moving memoir continued Koy’s narrative pattern of digging into his personal, familial and cultural history, taking his hilarious and heartfelt anecdotes from the stage to the page.
Then 2022 rolled around, sending Koy on his first arena tour around the country and witnessing the theatrical release of Easter Sunday, a feature film based on those family stories and his other comedy material. He starred along with Lydia Gaston, Eugene Cordero, Tia Carrere and Lou Diamond Philipps. It was a groundbreaking experience for Koy, who plans to continue to develop film projects from behind the camera and break down walls for other Filipinos, Asian Americans and artists of all colors.
Now he’s coming back to the city where it all started. Koy first dabbled in comedy in a coffee shop in Las Vegas while attending UNLV. On Nov. 19, he’ll become the first comedian to headline at T-Mobile Arena, which would be a dream come true if he could have ever imagined it.
What has it been like to play arenas and these other really prestigious venues Radio City Music Hall, the Forum in L.A. and the Mall of Asia Arena in The Philippines this year?
I keep pinching myself, and I know that’s a cliché, but put yourself in my shoes. Madison Square Garden, huh? T-Mobile Arena? Those are venues that usually have a band playing, or a team plays there. That’s what that house is for, so when you get a comic to go in there and do it, I’m pinching myself. It’s above and beyond anything I’ve dreamed about, and for it to come to life like this, it’s nuts.
You’ve played plenty of other great rooms on the Strip. Why is T-Mobile so important?
Comics and anybody in general like to do residencies in Vegas. We like to do casinos. But my whole thing was, I’m on this arena tour, I’m going to Vegas and I want to play an arena. And then I come to find out I’m the first comic to ever play T-Mobile Arena, which is kind of a cool thing. There are other arenas, big giant ones in Las Vegas, but there’s something special about T-Mobile, just sitting there on the Strip. Locals claim it. And people from out of town, when you say T-Mobile Arena, they know it. It’s already an iconic part of Vegas.
You’re going to headline Madison Square Garden for the first time right before the Vegas show. That’s got to be another huge accomplishment.
I told myself a long time ago, I’d never go inside MSG unless I was going to be part of the show, part of somebody’s act, or headlining it myself. And I stuck to it. I was offered Knicks tickets, show tickets, all this stuff, and I just would not go. I can’t walk into that venue until it’s my show, and it finally came. But it was tough. Turning down free tickets? What are you doing, dude?
You’ve been working on the book and movie in recent years, and now both are complete. What was it like to shift gears and produce entertainment in such different ways.
Making a movie, people don’t know what it takes. It’s stressful, it’s so rewarding, it’s a lot of fun, and there’s zero sleep. But there was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders to make this movie, a lot of representation (issues). There were so many firsts I had to take care of before I could even think about trying to make it funny, so many things we wanted to squeeze into this movie. It was the first time you had a story in a Hollywood film where the lead is a Filipino woman. (In the end) I was very proud of myself, and so happy with Dreamworks and Universal and what they did for me. They went above and beyond for me.
What do you think will be your next challenge?
I want to continue producing. I’m addicted to being behind the camera now and I want to showcase the other talent that’s out there. I know how hard it was for me, and now that the door is open I want to keep it open and present more talent, not just Filipino talent, but other cultures and ethnicities that want to be heard. I want to see what I can do to help make that happen.
Are there up-and-comers in stand-up comedy you have your eye on?
So many. Matteo Lane is hysterical, one of the funniest comics out there right now, and he’s the one I’m working on first. We’re going to get a special knocked out right away. Asif Ali, who co-starred in the movie, he’s unbelievable funny, just a killer, a beast. I’m already in talks with JR De Guzman.
Every time you play Las Vegas, you have so many friends and family that come out to the Strip to see you. This arena crowd might be the biggest yet.
I’m beyond excited, especially with this new hour (of material). My new special (Live From the Los Angeles Forum) just dropped, and I love this hour I’ve been working on now, so it’s just like, let’s go! Is this really happening?
T-Mobile Arena, 8 p.m. Nov. 19, starting at $51.33. axs.com
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