Comedian Ali Wong

Full Name	Alexandra "Ali" Wong
Age	41 years old
Birthday	April 19, 1982
Birthplace	San Francisco, CA
Relationship Status	Married
Height	5‘ 0"
Net Worth	$3 million
Social Media	Facebook Twitter Instagram

Ali Wong has taken the comedy scene by storm in recent years with her fierceness, vulgarity, and completely original perspective. Though she had been performing stand-up since the early 2000s, Wong shot to fame in 2016 with her breakout Netflix special "Baby Cobra." Since then, she has become one of the most influential and acclaimed comedians working today.

Early Life and Education in San Francisco

Alexandra Wong was born on April 19, 1982 and raised in San Francisco, California. Her mother Tammy Wong immigrated from Vietnam as a refugee in the 1970s. Her father Adolphus Wong is a Chinese-American anesthesiologist. She has four siblings – three older brothers and one younger sister.

Wong attended San Francisco University High School, a private college preparatory school. She was an excellent student and took part in the theater program. She went on to study Asian American studies at UCLA, graduating in 2005.

Even as a student in San Francisco, Wong was drawn to comedy and performance. She did improv and sketch comedy with Asian American theater troupes. She also began performing stand-up at clubs and bars, cultivating her fearless onstage persona.

Hard Work Pays Off in New York City Comedy Scene

After college, Wong continued honing her act at dive bars and venues throughout the San Francisco comedy circuit. She got her first big break in 2005 competing on the NBC reality show "Last Comic Standing," making it to the semi-finals.

In 2011, Wong made the move to New York City to further develop as a stand-up comedian. She steadily rose through the ranks of New York‘s ultra-competitive comedy scene, relentlessly performing multiple sets per night. She worked to refine her voice and penchant for shock value humor blended with cultural insights.

During her time in New York, Wong also wrote for the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. But stand-up comedy remained her true passion, and she continued hustling to make a name for herself onstage. All her hard work was about to pay off in a major way.

Stand-Up Stardom with "Baby Cobra" on Netflix

The 2016 release of Wong‘s first hour-long stand-up special "Baby Cobra" on Netflix marked her breakthrough into stardom. The raunchy special received enormous acclaim and introduced Wong‘s talents to the world.

Clad in a skin-tight minidress flaunting her very pregnant belly, an animated Wong sliced through taboos with jokes about sex, relationships, and the gritty realities of pregnancy. She infused her act with her distinctive feminism and perspectives as an Asian American woman.

Wong made pop culture history as the first comic to perform a special with a highly visible pregnant belly. "Baby Cobra" earned Wong a 2017 Emmy nomination and became one of Netflix‘s most acclaimed comedy specials. Almost overnight, Wong became a household name.

Further Success and Acclaim with "Hard Knock Wife"

In 2018, a pregnant Wong struck again with her smash hit second Netflix special "Hard Knock Wife." Her profanity-laden routines once again blended provocative humor about gender roles, harassment, and the trials of pregnancy and motherhood.

The special proved Wong was no one-hit wonder. Her comedy was as scathing and side-splitting as ever. Wong cemented her status as one of the most inventive comedians of the 21st century across two groundbreaking Netflix specials.

Razor-Sharp Comedy Stylings

So what exactly makes Ali Wong‘s comedy so unique and impactful? A few signature features of her work:

Unfiltered Vulgarity – Wong goes there. No topic is off limits, no bodily function taboo.
Biting Social Commentary – She incisively skewers modern dating, systemic sexism, and cultural stereotypes.
Hilarious Storytelling – Her acts play out like uproarious stories. She‘s a master of setup and punchlines.
Fierce Point of View – Wong unapologetically delivers her feminist, Asian American perspective.
Infectious Energy – She performs with incredible charisma, facial expressions, and animated delivery.

Wong‘s stand-up takes audiences on a cathartic journey as she articulately unpacks frustrations about double standards and cultural expectations through her wisecracking humor.

Scene-Stealing Actress and Writer

Beyond stand-up comedy, Wong has also found success on the big and small screen. She‘s become a familiar face from memorable roles in shows like Fresh Off the Boat, Inside Amy Schumer, American Housewife, and films including Always Be My Maybe, Birds of Prey, and more.

Wong also co-wrote and starred in her breakout rom-com Always Be My Maybe in 2019. She continues to showcase her talents as an actress and writer between filming acclaimed stand-up specials.

7 Fascinating Facts about Ali Wong

Over her illustrious career, comedy superstar Ali Wong has proven endlessly intriguing. Here are some fascinating facts about the trailblazing comedian:

She was a member of the Asian American improv group Lapu the Coyote in college at UCLA.
She worked as a swim instructor for little kids before making it big in comedy.
Wong can speak four languages – English, Spanish, Vietnamese and American Sign Language.
Margaret Cho is one of her biggest inspirations and she even opened for Cho early in her career.
She met her husband Justin Hakuta when he emailed her after seeing one of her stand-up sets.
She filmed both of her Netflix specials while around 7 months pregnant!
Wong has an extensive shoe collection with over 200 pairs of shoes.

The Future Looks Bright for Ali Wong

With her sharp cultural commentary and complete lack of filter, Ali Wong has undeniably made her mark on stand-up comedy. She has broken down barriers for women and Asian Americans in the entertainment industry. Fans simply can‘t get enough of her acute writing and infectious performance style.

Though a relatively new face, Wong has already solidified her status as one of the most original and talented comics out there. Her meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing. There is surely much more hilarious and boundary-pushing comedy to come from the brilliant mind of Ali Wong. She remains one of the most fascinating and gifted comedic voices of our time!