Ken Jong (Kendrick Ken-Joe Zhong) is known to moviegoers for such a film as “The Hangover”. After the success of the first film, the artist was invited to take part in two subsequent parts of the comedy. In total, this actor has over 90 paintings, including the sound of cartoons.
Actor Biography
Jung Gang-jo, which is exactly what the actor’s name sounds in Korean, was born on June 15, 1969. The boy’s parents, D.K. Zhong and Young Zhong, emigrated from Korea to Detroit, Michigan. Shortly after the birth of his son, the Zhong family moved to North Carolina, and Kendrick's father took up the post of professor at the University of Greensboro.
Ken's childhood passed in Greensboro, where he began to learn to play the violin and go to Walter Hines school. At this school, the boy joined the intellectual team and participated in competitions with it. For excellent academic success Ken was admitted to the student council.
The beginning of an acting career
At the age of 16, Zhong graduated from high school with excellent results and entered Duke University. After a brilliant graduation from the university and receiving a bachelor's degree in 1990, Zhong became a doctor and received a doctorate in medicine from the University of North Carolina. The intern was held in New Orleans, at the Osher Medical Center. Along with medical practice, Ken Zhong began to try himself as a stand-up comedian.
It turned out that Ken has a real talent, and he began to receive awards in prestigious competitions. After Zhong won the Big Easy Laff-off contest in 1995, he was spotted and invited to perform in Los Angeles. There Ken Zhong played on the stages of the comedy clubs The Improv and Laugh Factory for several years. In the same period, the artist worked as a doctor in a hospital in Woodland Hills. Gradually, Ken's popularity began to gain momentum, and soon he began to be invited to shoot television projects.
Work in the cinema
In 1996, Zhong made his debut in the television series Crazy Television and in a small role in the show New Orleans. Ken also proved to be a talented voice actor and worked a lot in dubbing cartoons and animated series. In Ken’s creative baggage, there are cartoons like American Dad, Despicable Me and others.
One of the successful projects in which Ken-Joe Zhong starred was the multi-part comedy “Office”. In 2007, director Judd Apatow invited Ken to the prominent role of Dr. Cooney in the movie "A Little Pregnant." The role in this picture was successful, and offers poured on the actor. Zhong's career began to develop actively, and he was able to leave medicine. In 2008, David Gordon Green's crime comedy “Pineapple Express: Sitting, Smoking,” was released. In this film, Ken Zhong played a prominent role.
The most successful actor
In 2009, the actor played the role that made him famous throughout the world. He got the image of the odious “Chinese from the trunk”, Mr. Chow in the comedy “The Hangover”. Ken Zhong was nominated for the MTV Channel Award for Best Villain for this work. In 2010, the artist received an award from MTV for the “Craziest Episode”. The role of the Chinese Chow turned out to be so funny and memorable that this episodic character became the key. Zhong was invited to shoot first the second, and then the third part of the franchise.
Despite the fact that both subsequent films received critical reviews and were nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award, the comedy franchise The Bachelor Party in Vegas found its audience. Ken has acquired a huge number of fans around the world. The filmography of Ken Zhong includes works in such films as Revenge of the Fluffy, Vampire Hickey, My Boy from the Zoo, and Mission in Miami.
The personal life of the actor and hobbies
In 2015, Kendrick Ken-Joe Zhong tried his hand as a screenwriter and producer, taking part in the creation of the comedy series "Dr. Ken." In this project, as the name implies, Zhong played a major role. The project lasted on the screens for two seasons. In addition, Ken regularly takes part in various comedy and documentary television shows, as well as engaged in charity work.
Ken's personal life turned out to be the best - he is married to Vietnamese Tran Ho. In 2007, he became a father, and now the couple bring up two charming twin girls, Zoe and Alex. To date, 8 films with the participation of Ken Zhong are in production.