Jo Koy is an American-Filipino comedian with a net worth of $5 million. Jo has produced several popular comedy specials and is one of today’s most popular touring comedians.
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Jo Koy Early Life
Joseph Glenn Koy, also known as Jo Koy, was born on June 2, 1971 in Tacoma, Washington. His father, an American airman stationed in the Philippines during his marriage to Koy’s Filipino mother, a manager for a Filipino rock band. When Jo was 13, his parents divorced and after that his mother raised all of her children alone. After graduating from high school in Tacoma, Joel moved to Los Angeles with his family and started working as a CPA.
The family relocated to Las Vegas to be closer to Jo’s ailing grandmother. Jo got his stage name from a childhood moniker given to him by his relatives. His mother encouraged him to take part in school talent shows and other competitions, frequently telling stories about her during his comedy routines. His mother encouraged him to perform for the family and friends on an informal basis.
At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jo studied communications. However, he decided to focus on his comedy career full-time instead of continuing his education.
Jo Koy Career
Jo began performing stand-up in the mid-nineties in Las Vegas and rose to prominence when he became a regular participant in “Catch a Rising Star” at the MGM Grand. This motivated him to relocate to Los Angeles. Jo rented the Huntridge Theater after his performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where he went door to door selling tickets for his own shows. He was then asked to appear on BET’s “Comic View.”
He graduated from Yale University with a degree in English literature and went on to win a number of comedy honors. He has taken the stage as part of numerous high-profile tours and programs. The comedian subsequently had his own TV comedy specials, such as “Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza!” Jo won the Showtime at the Apollo and has appeared on several VH1 series’ episodes of shows such as I Love the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s.
He has appeared in various films and television shows, including “Trading Spaces”. He was a regular guest on the season finale of “Chelsea Lately,” where he made over 100 appearances as a recurring roundtable. Koy was one of just a few comedians to receive a standing ovation after performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Koy has hosted his own podcast, The Koy Pond, for PodcastOne. He’s also had roles in the Tru TV program World’s DUMBest and New Millennium.
Koy was invited to the Montreal comedy festival “Just for Laughs” where he won the Canadian Gemini Award. Koy has performed stand-up in front of 10,000 spectators at arenas and stadiums all across Canada during Carlos Mencia’s Punisher Tour. On July 23, 2012, Jo launched a podcast with comedian and television presenter Michael Yo called “The Michael Yo and Jo Koy Show.” The comedian still performs around the United States and can be heard each week on Carolla’s podcast “The Adam Carolla Show.”
Koy has two Comedy Central specials to his credit: “Don’t Make Him Angry” and “Lights Out.” Koy’s third comedy special, “Jo Koy: Life from Seattle,” was a Netflix Original that became available worldwide on March 28, 2017. In June 2019, Koy released another Netflix special titled “Joy Koy: Comin’ In Hot.” Koy completed two shows at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado, on February 23, 2019, as the closing night of the Aspen Laugh Festival. On June 12, 2020, Koy and Netflix released another comedy special entitled “Jo Koy: In His Elements.” The show included Filipino American comedians DJs and the B-Boys.
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Jo Koy Personal Life
Joseph Herbert Jr., known as Joe, was born in March 2003 to Jo and Angie King. Koy has said in interviews that the divorce did not harm their co-parenting arrangement, and they have co-parented amicably throughout the years.
Joe has stated that he has a very close relationship with his father. Koy has been rather quiet about his personal life since his divorce. Amy Bray was rumored to be engaged to him in 2018, and more recently, he’s been linked to actress and singer Tia Carrere.
Jo Koy is known for his charity efforts. On August 4, 2009, Jo Koy launched his The Jo Koy Foundation, the first of its kind in the world.
It was a charity stand-up comedy show called “Hilarity for Charity” featuring Jo Koy and several surprise comedic guests. The show took place at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club in Citywalk, University City, California, and all ticket sales were donated to The Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
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