Las Vegas — Mild-mannered Ken Jeong lives a double life: Good Asian dad and loving husband in reality; crazy, unhinged, psychotic Asian lunatic on screen. Unlike most comics who usually play a heightened version of some part of themselves, it’s hard to imagine the two as the same person.
Polite, slight-framed and smiling in a neat, long-sleeved shirt, the 43-year-old Korean-American looked every bit like the doctor he was for seven years before he quit to become an actor. As he discusses the intricacies of his frequently naked character Mr Chow in The Hangover III, leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him, one pretty much has to fight the urge to consult him on any strange burning sensations or embarrassing itches.
“In this movie, you realise Chow is Lucifer, you know? It’s a metaphor for good and evil, and consequences of doing a deal with the devil,” he said. “The devil — Chow — keeps haunting their lives for years, as a consequence of that unfortunate incident in Vegas.”
Jeong’s Mr Chow is indeed evil-er than he has been in the previous two instalments of the popular Hangover franchise. In Part III, he even gets a promotion from supporting character to what is pretty much a leading role opposite Zach Galifianakis’ constantly inappropriate man-child Alan. The rest of the Wolfpack, Phil and Stu, played by Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms, are still around, but they’re mainly left to hang back this time.
And while this third film is apparently the final chapter in the Hangover trilogy, Jeong is crossing his fingers that it doesn’t mean the end of Chow. “I’d love a Mr Chow spin-off. That would be quite satisfying. I think the character has a lot of room to develop and grow. And to see his origins and back story — that would be fascinating to see.
“Who knows? Maybe he was like a normal kid before.”
And then, like all good origins stories, one singular event changed the entire course of his life? “Hey, that happened to me in real life,” said the star of television’s Community. “The Hangover changed my life. I mean, it really did. It’s possible!”
Does your wife Tran get script approval, or is she happy to have you attacking random people without your clothes on?
Ken Jeong: I run everything by my wife. All the nudity, I run it all through my wife. Especially the first movie. She has always been secure about herself, about us, about me. She’s not embarrassed. She knows I’m a comedian at heart and she gets it. For her to be so unequivocally supportive, it means the world to me.
How are your parents dealing with the raunchiness of the films?
I was nervous with my mum, because my mum’s more traditional Korean. Actually, I didn’t want my mum to see the first movie for a couple of months, and that turned out to be the best reverse psychology ever. She was like: “It wasn’t that bad. It was great, I loved it. How come you underestimate me? I wish you were more nude.” (Laughs)
My dad has a collection of just about every interview — he’ll probably collect this one, too — every newspaper article, every time I’m on a talk show. Basically, he has a museum in my old bedroom. It’s very sweet … He’s always reminding me: “What you’ve got right now is so rare, and not many people have experienced this.” He’s always telling me to just enjoy it right now and have fun. They are very, very supportive.
That’s the thing about Asian parents — they might not initially be happy with your choice to do something that’s not part of the plan, but they’re so proud of you after that.
Oh, absolutely. When I quit my medical job (to become an actor), I thought it would really disappoint my dad, but he just reminded me: “You have to think about your family before you make sudden moves. What does Tran think?” I said: “Well, she’s the one who told me to quit.” And he said: “There’s your answer.” It was a very unselfish act of love, implying that the family that I have to respond to is not him — it’s my wife. If my wife 100 per cent supports me, then everybody else will fall into place.
Congratulations on Community getting renewed. Are you going to have time to continue doing the show with your movie schedule?
If Hangover is my movie family, then Community is my TV family. Community was very great to allow me to film Hangover 3, because I was shooting the fourth season while shooting this. And they’re really great people. It’s like Hangover — it’s an ensemble and there are no egos in that cast. I mean, I’ve been texting Joel McHale all day today. They’re just good people and I love them. I’m just very blessed.
Is Community creator Dan Harmon returning for Season 5?
I don’t know … I’m in the dark about everything. I didn’t even know we got renewed until it was in the trades yesterday. That’s the amazing thing about Internet media. (Laughs) I get my information the same time (as you do)! When Community was put on hiatus two years ago, someone put that on Twitter: “Ken, what a bummer that your show’s on hiatus.” I didn’t know! My agent, my manager — no one told me! Even the producers didn’t know!
Who would win Celebrity Apprentice: The Hangover’s Mr Chow or Community’s Senor Chang?
Mr Chow would win. Mr Chow would eat Chang alive. (Laughs) Chang lives in an air vent, for god’s sake. Chow would look at him and literally eat him. (Laughs) Chang is pathetic, whereas Chow is just badass. That’s a great question.
What’s next for Ken Jeong?
Honestly, I just want to be happy and continue doing more of the same. I just want to work as an actor. I just want to keep getting jobs. That really is it. I don’t have some grand design. I mean, I would love to do a Chow spin-off, I would love to do more Community. I’m a pretty simple man. I have a couple of animated films (Despicable Me 2 and Turbo) coming out this summer that I have small parts in, so I’m pretty excited about that. I just wanna keep working. I love what I do, and that to me is greater than any fame or fortune that I have at this point in my life.
The Hangover Part III is in cinemas now.
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