Jes Tom

This article is about the American comedian. For the American chef, see Jess Tom. For the British artist and comedian, see Jess Thom.

Jes Tom
Born	1990 or 1991 (age 34–35) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Smith College
Occupation(s)	Comedian, actor, writer
Website	jestomdotcom.com

Jes Tom (born 1990/1991)[1] is an American comedian, actor, and writer based in New York City.[2] Their work explores themes including sex, gender identity, and Asian American representation.[2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

Tom was born and raised in San Francisco, California.[5][6][7] They enjoyed acting in high school, and later joined the improvisation team at Smith College.[7]

Tom graduated from Smith in 2013.[1][2] In 2016, they completed a two-year acting program at the Maggie Flanagan Studio.[8]

Career

In 2011, Tom started performing at open mics in San Francisco.[1][5][9] In 2013, they moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy.[1][2][10]

In 2021, Tom was named a New Face of Comedy at the Just for Laughs comedy festival.[11][12]

In 2022, Tom's solo show, Less Lonely, had its off-Broadway premiere at the Cherry Lane Theatre.[3][7] The show returned to off-Broadway in 2023 for a limited engagement at the Greenwich House Theater, presented by their friend Elliot Page.[1][3][8][13]

Tom worked as a story editor for the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death.[1][2][8] Their other credits include the animated series Tuca & Bertie,[2][7] the Netflix/Funny or Die short film Soojung Dreams of Fiji,[14][15][16] and an Instagram live advice show for Netflix, Dear Jes.[2][5][7]

In March 2024, Tom appeared in a Netflix comedy special, Gender Agenda, hosted by Hannah Gadsby and also featuring fellow genderqueer comedians Alok, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Krishna Istha, Asha Ward, and Mx. Dahlia Belle.[17]

Personal life

Tom is a fifth-generation Asian American, of Japanese and Chinese descent.[2][13][14] They are non-binary and transmasculine,[2][13][10] and go by they/them pronouns.[8][14][18]

References

1. Factora, James (January 5, 2024). "Jes Tom's Wayward Tales of Transsexual Horniness". them. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
2. Cherelus, Gina (December 14, 2023). "The Trans Comic Looking for Love 'at the End of the World'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
3. Masseron, Meg (October 31, 2023). "Jes Tom's One-Person Comedy Less Lonely Will Return Off-Broadway For Limited Engagement". Playbill. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
4. Turner, Kyle (January 18, 2024). "Jes Tom Tells Us How to Maneuver the "Dyke to Fag Pipeline"". Interview. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
5. Lange, Maggie (March 31, 2021). "Jes Tom, How Are You So Hot?". Vice. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
6. "Spotlight: Jes Tom". Women in Comedy Festival News. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
7. Chambers, Julia (December 14, 2023). "Jes Tom Wants to Make People Feel Less Lonely at Their Off-Broadway Comedy Show". Playbill. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
8. Chance, Patches (December 4, 2023). "Jes Tom Talks Less Lonely, the Joy of Change, and Gay Pirate Lube in Our Flag Means Death". Paste. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
9. "Jes Tom: Twitter's Favorite (Unintentional) Public-Facing Pervert". Vulture. November 4, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
10. O'Neill, Shane (June 25, 2020). "Five Nonbinary Comics on This Moment: 'I'm Not Some New Buzzword'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
11. Woods, Mel (September 21, 2023). "Comedian Jes Tom on the art of being horny online". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
12. "New Faces of Comedy - Jes Tom". Just for Laughs. August 18, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
13. Cramer, Jude (December 20, 2023). "Elliot Page & Jes Tom are having a bromance as the world ends". Into. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
14. Escandon, Rosa (September 29, 2019). "28-Year-Old Jes Tom Doesn't Need To Explain Themselves". Forbes. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
15. Werder, Corinne (November 16, 2017). "Seven Minutes In Heaven With Comedian Jes Tom". GO Magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
16. Nastasi, Alison; PJ, Nastasi (2021). Queer Icons and Their Cats. Chronicle Books. p. 57. ISBN 9781797206233.
17. Hailu, Selome (February 12, 2024). "Hannah Gadsby's Netflix Special 'Gender Agenda' Sets Lineup of Genderqueer Comedians: Jes Tom, Alok and More (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
18. "Comedian Jes Tom Wants to See More Non-Binary Trans People in Media". NowThis. April 30, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via YouTube.

External links

• Jes Tom on Instagram
• Jes Tom at IMDb