Ali Wong was born on April 19, 1982, to parents Adolphus and Tam Wong. As for Ali Wong ethnicity, she is of Vietnamese, Chinese-American descent.
In 2000, Wong completed her education at San Francisco University High School, where she served as the student body class president.
Following high school, she attended UCLA, majoring in Asian-American studies. During her junior year, she had the opportunity to spend time in Hanoi as part of her studies.
After graduating from college, she furthered her education in Vietnam through a Fulbright program.
After completing her college education, Wong ventured into stand-up comedy at the age of 23.
Later, she relocated to New York City to pursue her comedy career more seriously, performing up to nine times a night.
In 2011, Wong was recognized by Variety as one of the “10 Comics to Watch.” This acknowledgment led to appearances on big comedy shows such as The Tonight Show, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, and Dave Attell’s Comedy Underground Show.
She also secured a series regular role in the NBC comedy series Are You There, Chelsea? and made appearances on Chelsea Lately.
Her career continued to gain momentum as she appeared on VH1’s Best Week Ever and MTV’s Hey Girl in 2013.
Additionally, Wong appeared in Oliver Stone’s Savages and played the role of Kate in the film Dealin’ with Idiots.
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Ali Wong Ethnicity & Parents: Family
Alexandra Dawn Wong aka Ali Wong was born in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California, on April 19, 1982. She is the youngest of four children.
The seasoned comedian, who belongs to a mixed ethnicity of Vietnamese and Chinese heritage, is currently experiencing a significant career surge following the widespread acclaim of her popular Netflix series, Beef.
Her mother, Tam “Tammy” Wong, originally from Huế, Vietnam, moved to the U.S. in 1960 to work as a social worker.
Her father, Adolphus Wong, was Chinese-American and worked as an anesthesiologist at Kaiser Permanente for 30 years. Sadly, her father died from cancer in 2011.
Over time, Wong has reminiscences about her parents and their unwavering support during her early career.
She highlighted moments such as her late father’s enthusiastic presence at her shows, where he would proudly cheer her on.
More recently, Wong has honored her parents, particularly during significant milestones such as receiving accolades for her role in Netflix’s Beef.
At the 75th Emmy Awards, she specifically mentioned her late father as she accepted the award for outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, paying tribute to his memory.
While accepting the Emmy, Wong made a heartfelt acknowledgment of her parents, expressing her wish that her father could have been present to witness her receiving the prestigious honor.
On stage, the actress expressed her gratitude highlighting the great impact her parents had on her life.
She particularly mentioned her deep longing for her father’s presence during the momentous occasion, emphasizing his unconditional love and the valuable lessons he imparted, notably teaching her the significance of embracing failure.
Ali Wong: Siblings
Ali Wong is the youngest among her siblings, with a brother and two sisters- Mimi Wong and Andrew Wong. The identity of the third sibling is still not disclosed.
In an interview on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, Wong revealed that her siblings are all significantly older than her, with age gaps of “10 years and up.”
Mimi, the oldest sister, is a writer, editor, and professor residing in New York. She holds a degree in literature and creative writing from New York University and has garnered recognition for her contributions to the art field.
As for Wong’s elder brother, Andrew has been a significant source of encouragement for Ali, especially when their parents didn’t initially support her career choice in comedy.
In a feature with The Hollywood Reporter, Wong acknowledged her parents for actively involving her and her three older siblings in the Asian American community and fostering their creative expression from an early age.
This upbringing ultimately influenced her decision to pursue Asian American Studies as her major at UCLA.
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