WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.919 Welcome to The Deep Dive. Today, we're taking 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:05.379 a close look at someone you probably know, Ronny 00:00:05.379 --> 00:00:07.519 Chieng. Right. But maybe not the whole picture. 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:09.900 If you just see him on The Daily Show or maybe, 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.939 you know, in Marvel films. Like Shang -Chi. Exactly. 00:00:13.160 --> 00:00:15.140 You're kind of missing this whole other side, 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.899 this foundation of, well, serious academic training, 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:22.100 law school, commerce. A decade of it. And that's 00:00:22.100 --> 00:00:23.780 really what we're digging into today, isn't it? 00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:26.359 Yeah. We're looking at him not just as the comedian 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:29.839 or the actor, but as this Really interesting 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:33.320 figure whose background shapes everything he 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:36.020 does. That global perspective he has, it comes 00:00:36.020 --> 00:00:39.259 from somewhere very specific. Absolutely. And 00:00:39.259 --> 00:00:41.200 that's our mission for this deep dive, really, 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:44.799 to pull out the key bits from the sources we've 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:47.119 got. We want to show you the unexpected turns, 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:49.640 the big career shifts, and even some surprising 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.079 personal interests. Like that massive pivot from 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.159 law. Precisely. Going from a dual law and commerce 00:00:55.159 --> 00:00:57.460 degree in Australia, all that study, to global 00:00:57.460 --> 00:00:59.340 comedy. It's quite the story. And the sources 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:01.119 we have are pretty detailed, right? Giving us 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:03.700 a solid timeline. Oh, yeah. It's like a map of 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:06.359 his life. Really, his upbringing across different 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:08.560 countries, the years in university, the career 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:11.840 milestones. It lets us connect the dots. Connect 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.140 how that very international youth and that heavy 00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:18.400 duty legal education combine to create his particular 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:22.439 style. Why he's not just funny, but often like 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:25.519 forensically sharp. Exactly. It's a shortcut 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:27.680 to understanding the method behind the comedy. 00:01:27.939 --> 00:01:30.920 Okay, so let's lay that foundation. Where does 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:33.019 he actually come from? Because while we see him 00:01:33.019 --> 00:01:35.980 mostly in the U .S. context now. His roots are 00:01:35.980 --> 00:01:39.540 Malaysian Chinese, born in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. 00:01:39.980 --> 00:01:43.140 And his full name, it's Rani Shin Yi Cheng. Which 00:01:43.140 --> 00:01:45.159 I think is written R in Chinese characters. That's 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.219 right. But Malaysian born doesn't really capture 00:01:47.219 --> 00:01:49.219 the complexity of his childhood. It was incredibly 00:01:49.219 --> 00:01:51.719 mobile. Right. He didn't just stay put. Not at 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:54.450 all. A big chunk of his growing up happened in 00:01:54.450 --> 00:01:57.150 Singapore. He actually commuted across the border 00:01:57.150 --> 00:01:59.530 from Malaysia for school. Wow. Daily commute 00:01:59.530 --> 00:02:02.969 across the country. Yeah. To Fichun Primary, 00:02:03.250 --> 00:02:06.010 then Pioneer Secondary, and Jurong Pioneer Junior 00:02:06.010 --> 00:02:08.909 College. That's navigating two different societies, 00:02:09.270 --> 00:02:11.889 currencies, systems every single day. That must 00:02:11.889 --> 00:02:14.389 give you a unique perspective early on. Definitely. 00:02:14.590 --> 00:02:17.409 He was even a Singapore Sea Scout. So kind of 00:02:17.409 --> 00:02:18.810 anchored there for a while. But it wasn't just 00:02:18.810 --> 00:02:20.770 Asia, was it? There's a U .S. connection early 00:02:20.770 --> 00:02:23.310 on, too. Yes. And this is crucial. The sources 00:02:23.310 --> 00:02:25.169 mention he lived in Manchester, New Hampshire. 00:02:25.349 --> 00:02:28.550 In the U .S. When was this? From 1989 to 1994. 00:02:29.949 --> 00:02:32.590 So think about that experiencing American culture, 00:02:32.770 --> 00:02:35.729 specifically Northeast American culture, during 00:02:35.729 --> 00:02:38.250 those formative years. Before heading back to 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:41.129 Southeast Asia. So you've got Malaysia, Singapore, 00:02:41.430 --> 00:02:45.300 the U .S., all before he's really an adult. Exactly. 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:47.560 Living in a Muslim -majority country, a Chinese 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:49.500 -majority city -state, and then New England, 00:02:49.620 --> 00:02:52.139 that's a crash course in cultural comparison. 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:54.319 It almost forces you to be an observer, right? 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:57.120 An outsider everywhere, maybe. Or maybe an insider 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:00.000 with a broader view. Either way, it fuels that 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.259 satirical eye, doesn't it? Always noticing the 00:03:02.259 --> 00:03:05.259 quirks, the inconsistencies. Speaking of quirks, 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:07.199 there's that interesting detail about his privacy. 00:03:07.699 --> 00:03:10.080 Ah, yes. The birthday thing. He keeps his date 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:13.680 of birth private. Actively private. Yeah, apparently 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:15.580 there was some rumor about it being in November, 00:03:15.699 --> 00:03:18.620 and he actually went on Jimmy Kimmel Live just 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.639 recently, November 2024. And shot it down. Shot 00:03:21.639 --> 00:03:23.840 it down. But didn't, you know, reveal the real 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.699 date. It's a small thing, but it shows a deliberate 00:03:26.699 --> 00:03:29.819 control over his personal narrative. Unusual 00:03:29.819 --> 00:03:31.939 for a public figure. Creates a bit of distance. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:34.900 Okay, let's pivot to what might be the most significant 00:03:34.900 --> 00:03:39.240 part of that foundation. The education. Specifically, 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:42.960 the law school years. This is huge. He committed 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:45.000 serious time to this. University of Melbourne 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:46.979 in Australia, lived at Trinity College there. 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:49.860 And graduated in 2010, right? With not one, but 00:03:49.860 --> 00:03:52.759 two degrees. Two demanding ones. A Bachelor of 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:55.960 Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws. BCom, LLB. That's 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.520 a serious undertaking. In Australia, that dual 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:02.189 degree is, what, five or six years minimum? Super 00:04:02.189 --> 00:04:04.310 intense. And you get that mix of business logic, 00:04:04.490 --> 00:04:07.729 market analysis from commerce, and then the structure, 00:04:07.849 --> 00:04:09.509 the argumentation, the critical thinking from 00:04:09.509 --> 00:04:11.530 law. But he didn't just get the degrees and stop. 00:04:11.650 --> 00:04:14.509 He went further. Right. He wanted the professional 00:04:14.509 --> 00:04:17.370 qualification. So he went on to get a graduate 00:04:17.370 --> 00:04:19.970 diploma in legal practice from the Australian 00:04:19.970 --> 00:04:22.709 National University in 2012. So we're talking. 00:04:23.269 --> 00:04:26.310 What, late 2000s through 2012, pretty much a 00:04:26.310 --> 00:04:28.769 decade focused on getting qualified in commerce 00:04:28.769 --> 00:04:31.490 and law. The dedication there is immense. The 00:04:31.490 --> 00:04:33.810 discipline. And then almost immediately after 00:04:33.810 --> 00:04:35.769 getting that final qualification. He walks away 00:04:35.769 --> 00:04:39.029 from it for comedy. Seems like it. Yeah. The 00:04:39.029 --> 00:04:41.589 sources frame it as this very clear pivot. All 00:04:41.589 --> 00:04:44.370 that work towards a stable, probably high paying 00:04:44.370 --> 00:04:47.589 career in law or finance. And he chooses the 00:04:47.589 --> 00:04:49.550 uncertainty of entertainment. Which brings us 00:04:49.550 --> 00:04:52.420 to the big question. What did all that legal 00:04:52.420 --> 00:04:55.540 training actually do for his comedy? Does it 00:04:55.540 --> 00:04:57.939 show? Oh, absolutely. You watch his stand -up 00:04:57.939 --> 00:05:00.620 or his daily show pieces. It's not just random 00:05:00.620 --> 00:05:02.279 observations. Well, it feels structured, like 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.360 he's building an argument. Exactly. It's almost 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:06.420 like a legal argument. He'll present a premise, 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:08.699 bring in evidence, maybe a statistic, a quote, 00:05:08.819 --> 00:05:11.779 a news clip, and then the punchline is like the 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:14.120 logical, often devastating conclusion. Like a 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:17.180 cross -examination. Precisely. He's trained to 00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:19.920 spot the logical flaws, the weak points in an 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.819 argument, and he just dismantles them. That precision, 00:05:22.899 --> 00:05:25.300 that structure, it feels very much like it comes 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:27.279 from that legal background. That makes so much 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:29.839 sense. It explains why his satire often cuts 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.040 so deep he knows exactly where the argument breaks. 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.300 Yeah. And speaking of legalities and status, 00:05:35.579 --> 00:05:38.660 there's a really recent, really significant update 00:05:38.660 --> 00:05:41.240 on his citizenship. Oh, right. This just happened. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:44.959 Very recently. April 2025, he became an American 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.949 citizen. Which is a big step, obviously. But 00:05:47.949 --> 00:05:50.089 there was a complication, wasn't there? Yes, 00:05:50.089 --> 00:05:52.269 because Malaysia, his birth country, doesn't 00:05:52.269 --> 00:05:55.410 allow dual citizenship. So to become American, 00:05:55.589 --> 00:05:58.430 he had to formally renounce his Malaysian citizenship. 00:05:58.730 --> 00:06:00.670 Wow. So that's a definitive choice, giving up 00:06:00.670 --> 00:06:03.339 his original nationality. It really finalizes 00:06:03.339 --> 00:06:06.079 his identity as, I guess, an American -based 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:09.079 global figure now. And there's a real irony there, 00:06:09.139 --> 00:06:10.939 isn't there? How so? Well, he spent that whole 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:13.959 crucial decade in Australia University, launching 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:17.180 his career, winning awards, but he never actually 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:19.600 got citizenship or even permanent residency there. 00:06:19.779 --> 00:06:22.899 Huh. And now he's fully American, legally speaking, 00:06:23.180 --> 00:06:25.279 having had to give up his Malaysian identity. 00:06:25.620 --> 00:06:28.199 That whole theme of being the international student, 00:06:28.279 --> 00:06:30.399 the person who doesn't quite belong permanently. 00:06:30.699 --> 00:06:33.160 It runs right through his life and his work. 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:37.120 OK, so he's got this decade of. intense legal 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.279 and commerce study under his belt, you'd think 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:43.699 maybe a slow transition into a new field. Not 00:06:43.699 --> 00:06:46.519 really. No. Yeah. It seems like he applied that 00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:49.220 same focus directly to comedy. He didn't just 00:06:49.220 --> 00:06:51.779 dabble. He launched himself onto the Australian 00:06:51.779 --> 00:06:53.939 scene pretty much immediately after finishing 00:06:53.939 --> 00:06:56.259 his legal practice diploma in 2012. And found 00:06:56.259 --> 00:06:58.620 success quickly. Incredibly quickly, like almost 00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:01.420 straight away. In 2012, his first major show. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.579 Theron Way, won Best Newcomer at the Melbourne 00:07:04.579 --> 00:07:06.959 International Comedy Festival. We won it. Right. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.480 Yeah, co -won with Matt Okine. But still, winning 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:11.779 that award right out of the gate is huge. It 00:07:11.779 --> 00:07:13.740 puts you on the map instantly. Tells the industry 00:07:13.740 --> 00:07:15.519 you're serious. And it wasn't a one -off. Not 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.939 at all. He basically dominated the Australian 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:21.339 Comedy Festival circuit for the next few years. 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:23.800 Just kept racking up nominations and wins. Like 00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:27.000 what else? Well, 2014 was big. He won the Director's 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:28.759 Choice Award back in Melbourne. and then Best 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:31.079 of the Fest at the Sydney Comedy Festival that 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:33.339 same year. Had he been up for that Sydney one 00:07:33.339 --> 00:07:36.459 before? Yep, nominated in 2013. So it showed 00:07:36.459 --> 00:07:40.360 progression, building momentum. Consistent quality. 00:07:40.660 --> 00:07:42.459 And it wasn't just live performance, right? He 00:07:42.459 --> 00:07:44.959 got recognition for recorded stuff, too. Yeah, 00:07:44.980 --> 00:07:47.300 he branched out into albums, got nominations 00:07:47.300 --> 00:07:51.240 for Best Comedy Release at the ARIA's Australia's 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:53.540 Grammys, basically. For which albums? For The 00:07:53.540 --> 00:07:56.899 Runway in 2014 and then Cheeing Reaction in 2015. 00:07:57.139 --> 00:07:59.879 So two years running. It was a really sustained 00:07:59.879 --> 00:08:03.129 run of success that... cemented him as a major 00:08:03.129 --> 00:08:05.350 name in Australia. And during this time, he made 00:08:05.350 --> 00:08:07.170 a connection that would be pretty important later 00:08:07.170 --> 00:08:09.889 on. Ah, yeah. Trevor Noah. They performed together. 00:08:10.149 --> 00:08:12.790 In 2013, yeah. At the Just for Laughs festival 00:08:12.790 --> 00:08:15.129 in Montreal. Seeing them both on that international 00:08:15.129 --> 00:08:18.829 stage. Yeah. You can imagine that planted a seed 00:08:18.829 --> 00:08:20.949 for his own move towards American late night. 00:08:21.110 --> 00:08:23.029 But before he made that big jump, he sort of 00:08:23.029 --> 00:08:26.069 memorialized his Australian experience on screen, 00:08:26.209 --> 00:08:29.670 didn't he? He did. With Ronnie Ching, international 00:08:29.670 --> 00:08:33.440 student. Yeah. The sitcom premiered in 2017. 00:08:33.620 --> 00:08:35.860 And this was based on his actual life. Pretty 00:08:35.860 --> 00:08:37.779 much. Yeah. He co -wrote it and starred in it. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:40.759 It's all about his experiences as a Malaysian 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:43.600 student trying to figure out university life 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:47.120 in Australia. All the cultural clashes, the absurdities 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:48.860 of being an international student. It really 00:08:48.860 --> 00:08:51.980 leans into that. outsider perspective totally 00:08:51.980 --> 00:08:54.740 and the smart thing was how it was released it 00:08:54.740 --> 00:08:57.620 wasn't just for australia oh where else it was 00:08:57.620 --> 00:08:59.960 developed for abc tv in australia but also for 00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:03.100 comedy central in the u .s ah okay so even before 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:06.019 he was a regular face on american tv his specific 00:09:06.019 --> 00:09:08.860 story That immigrant and Australian narrative 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:11.779 was already getting airtime there. Exactly. It 00:09:11.779 --> 00:09:13.740 showed his kind of humor, his perspective on 00:09:13.740 --> 00:09:16.639 cultural differences, had wider appeal. It was 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:18.919 the perfect setup for what came next. So that 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:21.100 setup paid off. The move to the U .S. didn't 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:23.159 feel like it came out of nowhere. It felt planned. 00:09:23.299 --> 00:09:25.759 It seemed that way. The big catalyst was 2015. 00:09:26.419 --> 00:09:28.519 He got invited to audition for The Daily Show. 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.039 As a correspondent. Yeah. And he got it. Landed 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:33.779 the gig, became a senior correspondent, and, 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:36.059 well, he's still there now. That was the start 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:38.039 of the Daily Show era for him. And prompted the 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:40.820 physical move back to the U .S. Yep, relocated 00:09:40.820 --> 00:09:43.940 to New York City in 2015. And the industry noticed 00:09:43.940 --> 00:09:47.759 pretty quickly. By July 2016, Variety named him 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.159 one of their 10 comics to watch. So a high profile 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:53.259 pretty fast. Definitely operating at the top 00:09:53.259 --> 00:09:55.600 tier of political satire. But there was one specific 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:58.159 moment, wasn't there, that really cemented his 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:01.779 unique value. showcased what only he could bring. 00:10:01.860 --> 00:10:04.120 You mean the Chinatown segment. October 2016. 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:07.100 Yeah. And that wasn't just a comedy bit. It felt 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:09.240 different. It really was. And you have to remember 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.720 the context. He was responding to that infamous 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:14.759 Jesse Waters clip from Fox News. Right. The one 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:17.440 where Waters went to Chinatown and was widely 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:20.259 seen as pretty racist, mocking people, using 00:10:20.259 --> 00:10:23.259 stereotypes. Exactly. Asking offensive, leading 00:10:23.259 --> 00:10:26.600 questions. Cheng saw that not just as bad comedy, 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.480 but as a real failure of basic respect and cultural 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:31.539 understanding. And his response was brilliant. 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:33.980 He used his own background. His language skills. 00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:36.100 He went back to the exact same neighborhood. 00:10:36.340 --> 00:10:38.960 But instead of mocking, he actually talked to 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.159 people. Conducted interviews properly. In Mandarin 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:44.740 and Cantonese. Yes. Treating them like intelligent 00:10:44.740 --> 00:10:47.440 people with valid perspectives. Not like props 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.860 for cheap laughs. Right. The contrast was incredibly 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:53.279 powerful. One segment punched down, the other 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:55.460 lifted up. And it went absolutely viral. Got 00:10:55.460 --> 00:10:58.519 huge coverage. Washington Post, Slate, everyone 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:00.940 picked it up. It showed how his fluency, his 00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:03.460 cultural understanding could be used as this 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:07.059 powerful tool on a national stage to call out 00:11:07.059 --> 00:11:09.539 ignorance. It was his superpower, really. That 00:11:09.539 --> 00:11:12.139 perfect blend of the law school analysis and 00:11:12.139 --> 00:11:16.700 the global identity. But satire, especially identity 00:11:16.700 --> 00:11:19.500 -based satire, it's tricky territory, isn't it? 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:21.980 Extremely tricky. And even someone as skilled 00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:25.669 as Chang can sometimes hit a nerve. Maybe unintentionally. 00:11:25.669 --> 00:11:26.990 We should probably talk about the Rishi Sunak 00:11:26.990 --> 00:11:30.190 controversy. Right. October 2022, when Sunak 00:11:30.190 --> 00:11:32.690 became the UK's first prime minister of Asian 00:11:32.690 --> 00:11:34.789 descent. And Ching made a comment on The Daily 00:11:34.789 --> 00:11:37.649 Show about it that caused quite a stir. We should 00:11:37.649 --> 00:11:39.129 probably get the quote right. OK, what was it 00:11:39.129 --> 00:11:41.690 exactly? He said, I know everyone is excited 00:11:41.690 --> 00:11:43.649 that this is the first Asian prime minister, 00:11:43.809 --> 00:11:47.570 but let's be clear. Indians are not Asians. OK, 00:11:47.710 --> 00:11:50.309 they're still people, great people, just not 00:11:50.309 --> 00:11:55.080 Asian people. And their reaction. Immediate and 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:57.299 strong. A lot of criticism online, especially 00:11:57.299 --> 00:11:59.139 from people of Indian descent and others who 00:11:59.139 --> 00:12:01.539 use the broader geographical definition of Asian, 00:12:01.720 --> 00:12:03.779 which definitely includes South Asia. They felt 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:06.159 excluded by the comment. Right. The argument 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.600 was that he was essentially gatekeeping the term 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:11.720 Asian. narrowing it down to maybe just East Asians, 00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:14.259 which is a common, though often contested, usage 00:12:14.259 --> 00:12:16.539 in some contexts like the U .S. or Australia 00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:18.980 sometimes. Whereas geographically, India is absolutely 00:12:18.980 --> 00:12:22.440 part of Asia. Undeniably. So the comment hit 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:23.940 that fault line, the difference between geographical 00:12:23.940 --> 00:12:27.360 Asia and the cultural or racial shorthand often 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.580 used in the West, which tends to focus on East 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:32.120 and Southeast Asians. Now, was he being serious 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:34.659 or was it satire about that very distinction? 00:12:35.230 --> 00:12:37.970 That's the complexity. His defenders would say 00:12:37.970 --> 00:12:40.629 he was satirizing that narrow definition, highlighting 00:12:40.629 --> 00:12:43.389 the absurdity of these internal cultural divisions. 00:12:43.789 --> 00:12:46.429 But for many listeners, especially in the rapid 00:12:46.429 --> 00:12:48.690 fire world of social media. It just landed as 00:12:48.690 --> 00:12:52.250 exclusionary or maybe arrogant. Exactly. The 00:12:52.250 --> 00:12:55.009 new ones got lost. Yeah. So you have this duality, 00:12:55.009 --> 00:12:57.450 right? Huge praise for the Chinatown segment 00:12:57.450 --> 00:13:00.230 where he used his identity to unify and correct 00:13:00.230 --> 00:13:03.129 misinformation. and then significant backlash 00:13:03.129 --> 00:13:05.769 for the Sunak comment, which was seen by many 00:13:05.769 --> 00:13:08.350 as using his identity to divide. It really shows 00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:10.990 the tightrope satirists walk today, especially 00:13:10.990 --> 00:13:13.509 when dealing with global identities and definitions. 00:13:13.789 --> 00:13:16.870 Who gets to define Asian and how does humor navigate 00:13:16.870 --> 00:13:20.350 that? It's messy. So The Daily Show gave him 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:22.370 this incredible platform, but he didn't just 00:13:22.370 --> 00:13:24.610 stay in that lane, did he? He really branched 00:13:24.610 --> 00:13:26.529 out into acting. Massively. He transitioned pretty 00:13:26.529 --> 00:13:29.370 smoothly into film and TV, became more than just 00:13:29.370 --> 00:13:30.850 a correspondent, started getting substantial 00:13:30.850 --> 00:13:33.309 roles. His film debut was quite high profile, 00:13:33.429 --> 00:13:36.340 wasn't it? Yeah. Crazy Rich Asians in 2018. He 00:13:36.340 --> 00:13:39.320 played Edison Eddie Chang. The obnoxious banker. 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:42.259 Memorable role. Definitely. It established him 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:45.059 in Hollywood right away as this sharp, funny 00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:47.500 character actor. Played perfectly into those 00:13:47.500 --> 00:13:49.679 cultural stereotypes about wealth and status, 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.259 but with a comedic twist. And then he jumped 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:56.360 into the biggest franchise around. The MCU. Marvel. 00:13:56.460 --> 00:13:59.399 He played John John in Shang -Chi and The Legend 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:02.220 of the Ten Rings in 2021. The sort of fast -talking, 00:14:02.220 --> 00:14:04.360 well -connected guy. Exactly. And getting into 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:07.179 Marvel, well, that guarantees global visibility, 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:10.179 cements you as a known quantity internationally. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.580 And he kept popping up in big projects after 00:14:12.580 --> 00:14:14.460 that. Yeah, he's built a really diverse resume. 00:14:14.620 --> 00:14:18.600 Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021. That horror hit M3GN 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:21.960 in 2022. Oh, he was in M3GN. Right. Yeah. Then 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:25.990 Joyride, the comedy, in 2023. Jerry Seinfeld's 00:14:25.990 --> 00:14:29.250 unfrosted in 2024. Plus voice work like Captain 00:14:29.250 --> 00:14:31.769 Fish and Kung Fu Panda 4. He's really versatile. 00:14:31.970 --> 00:14:34.289 Moving between action, horror, comedy, animation. 00:14:34.750 --> 00:14:36.509 Seemingly without much effort. And alongside 00:14:36.509 --> 00:14:38.710 the acting, he really doubled down on his stand 00:14:38.710 --> 00:14:40.929 -up and creative deals, especially with Netflix. 00:14:41.049 --> 00:14:42.450 His first special with them did really well, 00:14:42.490 --> 00:14:44.649 right? Asian Comedian Destroys America. Huge 00:14:44.649 --> 00:14:47.450 hit in 2019. Led to a bigger deal. What did that 00:14:47.450 --> 00:14:50.809 involve? Signed in early 2021. It was for two 00:14:50.809 --> 00:14:52.769 more stand -up specials, plus something they 00:14:52.769 --> 00:14:55.259 called a docu -comedy. Showed Netflix really 00:14:55.259 --> 00:14:57.419 believed in him, not just as a performer, but 00:14:57.419 --> 00:14:59.419 as a creator. And we saw those come out. Yep. 00:14:59.659 --> 00:15:02.940 The next special, Speakeasy, dropped in April 00:15:02.940 --> 00:15:06.720 2022. And that docu -comedy, Ronnie Ching Takes 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:10.320 Chinatown, also came out in 2022. Takes Chinatown. 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:12.980 Sounds like a follow -up to the viral segment. 00:15:13.139 --> 00:15:15.279 It definitely felt like it. He co -starred with 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.840 David Fung, the YouTuber, and they explored the 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:19.720 neighborhood more deeply. Any interesting guests? 00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:22.940 Yeah, big names. Simu Liu, his Shang -Chi co 00:15:22.940 --> 00:15:26.080 -star. popped up, and Jeremy Lin, the NBA player. 00:15:26.340 --> 00:15:28.759 Give it extra weight, connecting back to that 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:30.580 community narrative he championed. He's also 00:15:30.580 --> 00:15:32.679 doing significant voice acting work beyond just 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:35.000 one -offs, isn't he? Took over a pretty iconic 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:38.440 role. Huge role. Conn Salfanusenphone on King 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:41.399 of the Hill. For the revival, season 14 onwards. 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:44.629 That's the one. Replacing Toby Huss. That's a 00:15:44.629 --> 00:15:46.710 big deal, stepping into the shoes of such a well 00:15:46.710 --> 00:15:49.190 -known animated character, especially one representing 00:15:49.190 --> 00:15:51.470 the Laotian American experience. Requires real 00:15:51.470 --> 00:15:54.129 sensitivity, not just vocal talent. Absolutely. 00:15:54.210 --> 00:15:56.389 And he's done other voice work, too, like Seven 00:15:56.389 --> 00:15:58.350 and Scissor Seven, Kublai Khan, and History of 00:15:58.350 --> 00:16:01.970 the World Part II. His voice is becoming as recognizable 00:16:01.970 --> 00:16:05.309 as his face. And looking ahead, he's moving behind 00:16:05.309 --> 00:16:08.009 the camera, too, writing and producing. Yeah, 00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:11.230 seems like the next logical step. He's co -writing 00:16:11.230 --> 00:16:13.929 a martial arts action comedy film. Oh, interesting. 00:16:14.110 --> 00:16:17.470 With who? For which studio? With Sebastian Donatel, 00:16:17.610 --> 00:16:20.289 who he works with a lot. And it's for Sony. Martial 00:16:20.289 --> 00:16:22.149 arts action comedy. That sounds like a perfect 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:24.190 fit, actually. Merging his physical interest, 00:16:24.230 --> 00:16:25.669 we'll get to that with his comedy and action 00:16:25.669 --> 00:16:27.809 roles. Exactly. Seems like he's creating projects 00:16:27.809 --> 00:16:30.450 tailored perfectly to his unique skill set. And 00:16:30.450 --> 00:16:32.470 for fans wanting to see him live, there's something 00:16:32.470 --> 00:16:35.669 big coming up, too. Yes. A co -headlining tour 00:16:35.669 --> 00:16:40.620 announced for July 2025, North America. With 00:16:40.620 --> 00:16:43.659 Hasan Minhaj. Oh, wow. That's a powerhouse pairing. 00:16:43.779 --> 00:16:45.460 What's the tour called? It's got a great title. 00:16:45.580 --> 00:16:48.320 Hasan hates Ronnie. Ronnie hates Hasan. OK, so 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:50.480 we can expect some friendly fire. Definitely. 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:53.139 There's this funny anecdote where Minhaj called 00:16:53.139 --> 00:16:56.860 Chang a sadistic pervert because of his Instagram 00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:59.460 antics. Yeah. So, yeah, expect that kind of sharp, 00:16:59.580 --> 00:17:02.240 witty, probably insult heavy dynamic on stage. 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:04.779 Should be brilliant. OK, so we've covered the 00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:08.019 career trajectory. But the deep dive always looks 00:17:08.019 --> 00:17:11.339 for those personal details, the hobbies, the 00:17:11.339 --> 00:17:14.079 things that maybe make the public figure feel 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:17.720 a bit more grounded. And interestingly, his personal 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:19.740 life ties right back into that academic foundation 00:17:19.740 --> 00:17:21.779 we talked about. He's married to Hannah Pham. 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:24.000 They got married in 2016. And how did they meet? 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.940 Get this. They met while they were both studying 00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:29.319 commerce and law at the University of Melbourne. 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:32.579 No way. both doing those intense dual degrees. 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:35.200 So their relationship started from that shared 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:38.220 experience of intense academic work and presumably 00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:41.319 ambition. That's quite a foundation. Did she 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.359 also pivot away from law? Actually, no. She stayed 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:46.599 on that track. Got her master's in law at NYU 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:49.319 and works as an attorney in the U .S. Wow. So 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:51.319 he has someone at home who truly understands 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:54.079 that analytical legal mindset. Must be a great 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:56.680 sounding board. You'd imagine so. That shared 00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:59.150 background and discipline is interesting. But 00:17:59.150 --> 00:18:01.049 his other interests show different kinds of discipline, 00:18:01.170 --> 00:18:04.849 too, like physical discipline. You mean Brazilian 00:18:04.849 --> 00:18:08.349 jiu -jitsu, BJJ. Exactly. He's quite into it, 00:18:08.369 --> 00:18:10.829 practices regularly. He's currently a blue belt. 00:18:10.990 --> 00:18:13.730 BJJ takes serious commitment, right? Strategy, 00:18:14.049 --> 00:18:16.849 patience. Totally. They call it physical chess. 00:18:17.130 --> 00:18:19.910 It requires that same long -term focus and strategic 00:18:19.910 --> 00:18:22.430 thinking we saw in his studies. And you can see 00:18:22.430 --> 00:18:24.269 how that interest might feed into co -writing 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:26.190 a martial arts movie, right? That's not just 00:18:26.190 --> 00:18:28.819 theoretical for him. Good point. He commits fully, 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:31.579 whether it's law books, comedy stages, or grappling 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:34.339 mats. It seems that way. And speaking of recognition, 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:36.519 he got a pretty cool official honor recently 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:39.140 during his tour. Oh, yeah. What was that? In 00:18:39.140 --> 00:18:42.519 July 2024, while he was in Honolulu for his The 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:45.660 Love to Hate It tour, the mayor, Rip Blanchardy, 00:18:45.700 --> 00:18:48.559 actually proclaimed July 27th as Ronnie Ching 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:52.529 Day. His own day. In Honolulu. Yep. for his contributions 00:18:52.529 --> 00:18:54.369 to entertainment. Think about that journey again. 00:18:54.450 --> 00:18:56.569 The guy who was always the international student, 00:18:56.769 --> 00:18:59.730 never quite settled in Australia, now has an 00:18:59.730 --> 00:19:02.630 official day named after him in a major U .S. 00:19:02.630 --> 00:19:04.970 city, just months after getting U .S. citizenship. 00:19:05.309 --> 00:19:08.029 It's a pretty powerful symbol of arrival, of 00:19:08.029 --> 00:19:10.609 finding that belonging, finally, in the U .S. 00:19:10.690 --> 00:19:13.549 Okay. One last major interest the sources highlight, 00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:16.109 something that speaks to precision, history, 00:19:16.430 --> 00:19:19.690 detail. Watch collecting. Right. Not the most 00:19:19.690 --> 00:19:22.809 common celebrity hobby, maybe. But it fits his 00:19:22.809 --> 00:19:25.309 profile, doesn't it? Yeah. Detail -oriented, 00:19:25.490 --> 00:19:28.670 appreciates engineering, maybe history. And it 00:19:28.670 --> 00:19:31.170 started pretty humbly. How so? His first real 00:19:31.170 --> 00:19:33.950 watch was a Seiko 5. Bought it when he was still 00:19:33.950 --> 00:19:36.109 at university in Australia. Seiko 5s are kind 00:19:36.109 --> 00:19:38.509 of the classic entry point for watch nerds, right? 00:19:38.630 --> 00:19:41.690 Affordable, reliable, mechanical watches. Exactly. 00:19:42.470 --> 00:19:44.450 Shows it started with an appreciation for the 00:19:44.450 --> 00:19:46.809 mechanics, not just the luxury brand. But, of 00:19:46.809 --> 00:19:48.650 course, the collection grew from there. He was 00:19:48.650 --> 00:19:50.710 featured on that Hodinkee series, Talking Watches. 00:19:50.710 --> 00:19:52.390 He was, and the watches he showed were really 00:19:52.390 --> 00:19:54.710 telling. Like what? Well, he had a rare version 00:19:54.710 --> 00:19:58.910 of a vintage Seiko chronograph, the Ref. 61396010. 00:19:59.369 --> 00:20:01.990 Shows he digs into the niche stuff. But the really 00:20:01.990 --> 00:20:05.089 symbolic one was a vintage Rolex GMT Master. 00:20:05.369 --> 00:20:09.529 A root beer GMT, right? Ref 16753. That's the 00:20:09.529 --> 00:20:12.410 one. And the GMT Master, its whole purpose was 00:20:12.410 --> 00:20:14.849 for pilots, for travelers, tracking multiple 00:20:14.849 --> 00:20:18.380 time zones. Ah! Perfect for a guy who spent his 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:20.759 life crossing borders, living in different time 00:20:20.759 --> 00:20:23.539 zones, dealing with visas and citizenships. It's 00:20:23.539 --> 00:20:25.779 the ultimate global citizen's watch, isn't it? 00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:28.160 It just fits his narrative perfectly. And there's 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.460 a family connection too with watches. A lovely 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:33.039 one. He inherited a two -tone Rolex from his 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:36.079 late father. Dates back to 1984. And didn't that 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.019 watch end up on TV? It did. He took it on Antiques 00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:42.859 Roadshow, got it valued at $5 ,000. A great little 00:20:42.859 --> 00:20:44.759 story connecting family history, his collecting 00:20:44.759 --> 00:20:47.640 passion, and even his public life. Hashtag tag 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:50.059 outro. So wrapping this up, what's the big picture 00:20:50.059 --> 00:20:52.559 on Ronny Chieng? We've seen this incredible path, 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:55.279 haven't we? From Malaysia, Singapore, the U .S., 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:58.039 then that decade of intense study in Melbourne 00:20:58.039 --> 00:21:01.339 law and commerce, only to, well... Chuck it all 00:21:01.339 --> 00:21:03.720 for comedy. Yeah. And now he's this globally 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:07.380 known figure. Daily Show, Marvel, Netflix specials. 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:09.539 But the key takeaway isn't just the success. 00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:12.220 It's how that background informs it all. That 00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:15.779 nonlinear path. It wasn't accidental. Not at 00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:19.140 all. It feels strategic. And that core characteristic 00:21:19.140 --> 00:21:22.880 is, I think, adaptation built on rigor. He spent 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:24.859 all that time in Australia, got those powerful 00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:27.700 analytical tools, but never really settled there 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:29.940 permanently. Became a huge success there, but 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:32.900 remained legally an outsider. Exactly. And then 00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:35.180 he moves to the U .S., finally gets citizenship, 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:37.779 sacrificing his Malaysian one, gets his own day 00:21:37.779 --> 00:21:40.519 in Honolulu. It's this constant movement, this 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:43.079 constant adaptation that gives him that sharp, 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.160 critical perspective. And the law background 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:48.200 isn't just trivia. No way. It's the engine. It 00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:50.700 makes his critiques structured, logical, informed. 00:21:51.160 --> 00:21:53.960 It elevates the satire beyond just making fun 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:56.380 of things. It's analytical. Which leads us to 00:21:56.380 --> 00:21:58.460 a final thought for you, the listener, to chew 00:21:58.460 --> 00:22:01.279 on. We know about his deep legal training, his 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:03.480 eye for detail, that structured way of thinking. 00:22:03.819 --> 00:22:06.640 How might that continue to shape his work? Especially 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:09.480 now as he's moving more into writing and producing, 00:22:09.640 --> 00:22:12.200 like that martial arts action comedy for Sony 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:14.970 he's co -writing. Right. Are we going to see 00:22:14.970 --> 00:22:18.349 that lawyerly critical thinking merge even more 00:22:18.349 --> 00:22:21.490 directly with mainstream genres, action, comedy, 00:22:21.690 --> 00:22:25.109 but maybe with a deeper, more structured underpinning? 00:22:25.150 --> 00:22:27.589 It makes you think, doesn't it? How skills from 00:22:27.589 --> 00:22:29.970 one area of your life can unexpectedly supercharge 00:22:29.970 --> 00:22:32.829 another. Maybe the lesson here is that no training 00:22:32.829 --> 00:22:35.750 is ever really wasted. That dedication to learning 00:22:35.750 --> 00:22:38.509 something deeply, whether it's law or BJJ or 00:22:38.509 --> 00:22:40.829 comedy. Exactly. Those foundational skills, that 00:22:40.829 --> 00:22:43.130 commitment, can combine in ways you might never 00:22:43.130 --> 00:22:45.450 predict. It's the rigor itself that matters, 00:22:45.569 --> 00:22:47.630 maybe more than the specific field you end up 00:22:47.630 --> 00:22:47.789 in.