Rafu Wire and Staff Reports
Actor/comedian Ken Jeong received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a ceremony held Oct. 23 at 1708 Vine St. near Hollywood Boulevard.
Jeong’s star, the 2,794th on the Walk of Fame, is in the Television category.
The ceremony, emceed by ABC 7’s Sophie Flay, featured:
Joel McHale from the sitcom “Community,” where Jeong played Spanish teacher Ben Chang from 2009 to 2015 (109 episodes) as well as eight webisodes from 2010 to 2020;
Robin Thicke from the singing competition “The Masked Singer,” where Jeong has served as a panelist since 2019;
Randall Park, who guest-starred on “Community” and Jeong’s 2015-17 sitcom “Dr. Ken.” Jeong in turn played Park’s brother in three episodes of the 2015-20 sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat.”
“Ken … loves his comedy community, his medical community. He loves his country, he loves his city. He loves his beautiful family,” Park said. “The reason why I love Ken so much is because he’s also a great friend.”
Jeong thanked his celebrity friends but was especially grateful to his fans.
“This is all about you,” he said. “This is not about me. This is about the fans. You know why? Because I was a doctor at Kaiser Permanente for like seven freaking years … I didn’t think I could be an actor. I just wanted to be a working actor. … But I didn’t know if it was possible and I really thought once I started doing acting full-time, that’s why I still kept my (medical) license. I still keep it to this day, just in case … I need to go back.
“But because of you, I never have to go back. It’s because of the fans. It’s because of you. I’m not the funniest guy in the world. I’m not the most talented. According to Joel, I’m not the tallest guy. But I’m the most grateful guy, and I’m the most grateful person to my fans, to any audience member watching me.
“Because at the end of the day, you are putting bread on my table. You are letting me do what I love to do more than anything else in the world. So from the bottom of my heart, I cannot articulate how much I thank the fans. And this is your star, because you are my stars. Thank you so much.”
Jeong also said that his wife, Tran Ho, was responsible for his success: “She was the first to insist that I quit my day job to pursue acting the whole time. She said, ‘I married a comedian. I married an entertainer at heart. You have to do it.'”
Jeong was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife and their twin daughters, Zooey and Alexa.
On a somber note, as a long-time Dodgers fan, Jeong expressed sadness over the passing of legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela the day before, calling him “a true pioneer.”
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to honor Ken Jeong with a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ken’s incredible journey from medicine to entertainment is a testament to his remarkable talent and dedication,” stated Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “In short, the doctor is in!”
Known for his scene-stealing abilities, the actor, producer, writer and comedian has established himself as one of today’s top comedic stars. Since his feature film debut playing Dr. Kuni in Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up” in 2007, Jeong has gone on to create memorable roles in both TV and film, most notably “The Hangover” franchise, “Community,” and “Crazy Rich Asians.”
He created, wrote, executive produced and starred in ABC’s “Dr. Ken,” and can currently be seen as a panelist on the hit Fox TV series “The Masked Singer,” and as the host and executive producer of “I Can See Your Voice.”
The actor is set to appear in Season 2 of Fox’s critically acclaimed legal anthology series “Accused,” starring in the episode “Eugene’s Story,” directed by Michael Chiklis, in which he plays a kind-hearted jewelry store owner who confronts his wife’s secret past.
Jeong can be seen in “A Great Divide,” which explores the wave of anti-Asian racism that occurred in the wake of COVID; in Kevin Smith’s coming-of-age comedy “The 4:30 Movie,” alongside Justin Long, Rosario Dawson and Jason Biggs; and in the action-comedy sequel “My Spy: The Eternal City,” starring Dave Bautista and Anna Faris.
Recently, the actor made a splash in AppleTV+’s acclaimed murder mystery comedy series “The After Party,” produced by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Anthony King. Jeong also had a starring role in Charlie Day’s directorial debut, “Fool’s Paradise,” starred in Mike Myers’ “The Pentaverate,” and had a memorable role in Will Arnett’s “Murderville.”
Fans also know Jeong from his Netflix standup special “You Complete Me, Ho,” which earned him a People’s Choice nomination, as well as such films as “Role Models,” “Pineapple Express,” “Step Brothers,” “Ride Along 2,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” “Couples Retreat,” “Goosebumps 2” and “Tom & Jerry.”
The actor has lent his voice to the Oscar-nominated “Over the Moon” and “Despicable Me 2,” and recurs as Dr. Yap in the beloved animated series “Bob’s Burgers.”
Jeong’s career path started off on a different course. Born in 1969 in Detroit to Korean immigrant parents, he earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University and went on to get his medical degree at the University of North Carolina. He completed his internal medicine residency at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans while developing his comedy.
Jeong dedicates his spare time to volunteering with Stand Up 2 Cancer, which is a cause very close to his heart. He has also been very outspoken on the rise in racism and hate crimes against the AAPI community over the last year. He is using his platform to call attention to these issues and advocate for change in hopes of having a lasting impact.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebration of art, entertainment, and all things Hollywood. Star ceremonies are broadcast worldwide, connecting fans with their favorite artists. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has administered the Walk of Fame on behalf of the City of Los Angeles since 1960.
Honorees are selected by a committee of their peers. Sponsors fund the star, the ceremony, and the maintenance of the legendary attraction. To learn more and find your favorite stars, visit www.walkoffame.com.