Jo Koy

Jo Koy studied at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Henry Foss High School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is Asian American culture, everyday life and popular culture. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are observational comedy, black comedy, insult comedy and surreal humour. Distinctions recorded are Asia's Most Influential Philippines.

• Name — Jo Koy • Birth Name — Joseph Glenn Herbert • Born — 2 June 1971 • Birthplace — Misawa Air Base, Misawa, Japan • Education — University of Nevada, Las Vegas • Medium — * Stand-up • television • film • Genre — * Observational comedy • black comedy • insult comedy • surreal humor • satire • Subject — * Asian American culture • everyday life • pop culture • current events • gender differences • human behavior • human sexuality • Years Active — 1989–present • Children — 1 • Website — JoKoy.com

Koy was born to an American father, John C. Herbert, who was in the United States Air Force stationed in Japan when he married Koy's Filipina mother, Josie Harrison. His stepfather, Fredrick Harrison, also helped raise him. His family moved from Spanaway, Washington, to Tacoma, Washington. He originally attended Spanaway Lake High School and then Foss High School in Tacoma. Soon after he finished high school, the family moved to Las Vegas to be near his ailing grandmother. Jo Koy enrolled in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but dropped out to pursue stand-up comedy. Koy has said that his stage name comes from a nickname his family gave him when he was growing up. It was said during his stand-up routine in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 22, 2019, that back in 1989 he was talking to his cousin about making a stage name when his aunt called him to come to dinner, shouting "Jo Ko, eat!" (Ko means "my" in Tagalog, so Jo Ko means "my Jo"), which he misheard as "Koy," and, deciding that it was a good name, has used it ever since.

section In 2019, Augustus Welby, writing for the Beat Magazine in Melbourne, described Koy as having performed comedy for 30 years. Soon then moved to open mic nights, before landing regular gigs. The regular appearances included Catch a Rising Star at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. After that, he rented the Huntridge Theater, also in Las Vegas, and went door to door to sell tickets to his comedy shows. Koy's appearances as a regular guest at Chelsea Handler's Chelsea Lately was reported by David Tusing of the Gulf News as having given "him prominence in the US". (Koy appeared on that late night show regularly. Koy hosts the weekly podcast, The Koy Pond with Jo Koy, where he "riff[s] on various topics with... fellow comedians". In 2019, Koy released another Netflix special, entitled Jo Koy: Comin' in Hot, which was filmed before a crowd of about 8,000 at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. As of September 2019, plans were being made to have Koy's next Netflix special, to be based on his 2020 Just Kidding world tour, recorded at the Blaisdell as well. On February 23, 2019, Koy performed two shows on stage at the Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, Colorado, for the closing night of Aspen Laugh Festival. Joy's subsequent 2020 Just Kidding World Tour took him to the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. On June 12, 2020, Netflix released Jo Koy: In His Elements, a comedy special featuring Filipino American comedians, DJs, and B-boys. On July 28, 2022, Koy, alongside film producer Dan Lin appeared in the Rise for Comedy festival, where they raised a $75,000 donation to the nonprofit Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA). Koy was a regular guest on the podcast, The Adam Carolla Show. In 2025, Koy participated in the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that the Saudi government is using the comedy festival to whitewash its human rights abuses.

Koy was previously married to Filipino-American singer Angie King. Koy has a son, Joseph Jr., from his marriage to King, born at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, in April 2003. His mother's sister, Evelyn Magluyan, is the first Filipino gymnast to represent the Philippines in the Olympics. For a time, around the production of his Comin' in Hot special, Koy was described as considering Hawaii as "a second home". As of 2023, Koy lived in Los Angeles, and Koy's son lived between the homes of his father and mother, which are "one block down from each other." Koy's stepfather, retired Army Sergeant Fredrick Harrison, died in 2023, and was eulogized by Koy, who said, "He served 20 years... received 2 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars and a CIB [Combat Infantryman Badge] badge... [of which] he was most proud.... He was a hero. My hero." Koy and Chelsea Handler were in a relationship between 2021 and 2022. As of January 2023, Koy was described as being a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2023, Koy got his arm tattooed by mambabatok Wilma "Ate Wamz" Gaspili at Igorot's Charm Cafe across Baguio Botanical Garden.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2001 — Showtime at the Apollo — Himself — Episode: "Episode #15.6" • 2005 — I Love the '90s: Part Deux — Himself — Episode: "1993" • ComicView — Himself — Episode: "Episode #14.6" • Party @ the Palms — Himself — Episode: "Episode #1.2" • 2006 — Laffapalooza — Himself — Episode: "Laffapalooza Volume 7" • 2008 — Comedy Central Presents — Himself — Episode: "Jo Koy" • I Love the New Millennium — Himself — Recurring Guest • truTV Presents: World's Dumbest... — Himself — Recurring Guest • The World Stands Up — Himself — Episode: "Episode #5.2" & "#5.13" • 2009 — The International Sexy Ladies Show — Himself — Main Cast • Live at Gotham — Himself/Host — Episode: "Jo Koy" • 2009–14 — Chelsea Lately — Himself/Panelist — Recurring Panelist: Season 4–8 • 2010 — Just for Laughs — Himself — Episode: "Episode #2.5" • 2011 — Stand Up Live Presents — Himself — Episode: "Stand Up Live Premiere with Jo Koy" • 2012 — Hollywood Uncensored with Sam Rubin — Himself/Panelist — Recurring Panelist • 2012–13 — Big Morning Buzz Live — Himself/Panelist — Guest Panelist: Season 4 & 7 • 2013 — Gotham Comedy Live — Himself/Host — Episode: "Jo Koy" • Family Tools — Berrick — Episode: "Pilot" • 2015 — World's Funniest — Himself/Panelist — Episode: "Gravity: It Kinda Sucks" • The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore — Himself/Panelist — Episode: "Racist Dr Seuss & Nebraska Death Penalty" • 2017 — Idiotest — Himself — Episode: "Episode #4.1" • @midnight — Himself — Episode: "April 27, 2017" • Sean in the Wild — Himself — Episode: "Filipino Food 101 with Jo Koy" • 2018 — Curry Shop — Himself — Episode: "Jo Koy Gives a Filipino Food Crash Course" • 2019 — Treat Yourself — Himself — Episode: "Treat Yourself: Jo Koy" • Dressing Funny — Himself — Episode: "Jo Koy Bets Tan France $20 That He Can't Wear Stripes" • 2019–20 — Lights Out with David Spade — Himself/Panelist — Recurring Panelist • 2020 — Cooked with Cannabis — Himself — Episode: "Grilled Backyard BBQ" • Mr. Iglesias — Bob — Episode: "Food for Thought" • 2021 — Metal Shop Masters — Himself/Host — Main Host • 2022 — Phat Tuesdays: The Era Of Hip Hop Comedy — Himself — Main Guest • Celebrity Family Feud — Himself/Contestant — Episode: "Episode #9.4" • Family Feud — Himself — Episode: "Jo Koy Special" • 2022–23 — The $100,000 Pyramid — Himself/Celebrity Player — Episode: "Episode #6.7" & "#6.16" • 2023 — Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens — Bob (voice) — Episode: "Love & Order" • 2024 — 81st Golden Globe Awards — Himself/Host — Main Host • Hailey's On It! — Eddie Denoga (voice) — Episode: "The Biggest Luger"

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2009 — Don't Make Him Angry — Himself — Comedy Central Stand-Up Special • 2012 — Lights Out • 2017 — Live from Seattle — Netflix Original Comedy Special • 2019 — Comin' in Hot • 2020 — In His Elements — Netflix Original Variety Special • 2022 — Live from the LA Forum — Netflix Original Comedy Special • 2024 — Live from Brooklyn — Netflix Original Comedy Special