Cheaper than therapy, funnier than your group chat — Jimmy O. Yang isn’t just bringing laughs to Kuala Lumpur this November, he’s bringing proof that South Asian voices are finally breaking into spaces long closed off to us. And he’s doing it on his own terms.
Born Au-yeung Man-sing in Hong Kong, Jimmy moved to Los Angeles at 13, wide-eyed, with immigrant parents who dreamed the classic “doctor, lawyer, engineer” dream for their son. Instead, Jimmy delivered punchlines. The road there wasn’t glamourous — he drove Uber, took odd jobs, performed free sets at dingy clubs, and learned the hard way how to turn struggle into timing, and rejection into material.
That hustle paid off. Hollywood cracked open its doors when he stole every scene as Jian-Yang in Silicon Valley. Audiences loved him, critics couldn’t ignore him, and HBO upgraded him from guest star to series regular. Then came the box-office juggernaut Crazy Rich Asians, where his portrayal of Bernard Tai cemented him as an unstoppable comedic presence. Netflix (Love Hard), Hulu (Interior Chinatown directed by Taika Waititi), Amazon (Good Deal, Guess How Much?) — the Jimmy O. Yang effect spread across platforms. Even his memoir, How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents, became a bestseller by striking that deliciously honest chord: the immigrant kid who chooses comedy over conformity.
And now, November 23rd, 2025, at Kuala Lumpur’s Idea Live Arena, Jimmy is set to bring his sold-out world tour Big & Tall to Malaysia (and Singapore) for the very first time. Presented by Bohm Presents and LOL Asia, it’s a milestone for both performer and audience: a Hong Kong-born, immigrant-bred comedian headlining on his own terms in a region that knows exactly how hard that hustle is.
Jimmy’s rise — from Uber driver to Carnegie Hall headliner — is a narrative so many of us know too well: rags to recognition, fueled by wit, grit, and the refusal to play by other people’s rules. And let’s be honest, South Asian and Asian creators have had to push harder, yell louder, and outwork everyone else to get even a foot in the global door. Jimmy O. Yang represents a new era where our stories, quirks, and truths aren’t just side characters — they’re center stage.
For creators, entrepreneurs, and mould breakers like us – Asian, bi-racial, coloured, multi-ethnic, immigrant parents – Jimmy’s journey is a reminder: authenticity sells, hustle never lies, and platforms can be built if you refuse to wait for permission. Build your own table. This I learnt very early in life too.
So, Malaysia — brace yourself.
Reach out to me to PR Manage/cover a concert/media interview at etheldacosta@gmail.com
