Sheng Wang

Sheng Wang
Wang in 2024
Birth nameSheng Wang
Born (1980-01-08) January 8, 1980 (age 45)
Taipei City, Taiwan
MediumStand-up, Television
NationalityTaiwanese American
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley
Years active2002–present
GenresObservational comedy
Notable works and rolesSweet & Juicy
Websiteshengwangtime.com

Sheng Wang (born January 9, 1980, in Taipei) is a Taiwanese American stand-up comedian and was a staff writer for ABC sitcom series Fresh Off the Boat from 2015 to 2018.[1] He grew up in Houston, Texas.[2]

Early life and education

Wang was born in Taipei[3] and grew up in Houston, where he graduated from Bellaire High School.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business at the University of California, Berkeley from 1998 to 2002.[4][5] After graduating, Wang began practicing stand-up in San Francisco and New York City.[6]

Career

Wang in 2014

Wang was a featured performer in 2007 at Montreal Comedy Festival. On January 28, 2011, Comedy Central Presents aired his first thirty-minute special broadcast on national television. In January 2011, he won top honors at NBC Universal's Seventh Annual "Stand Up for Diversity" comedy search, including a one-year talent holding deal with that studio.[7] Wang also appeared on Comedy Central's John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show in 2012.[8]

Wang also appeared on Comedians of Comedy, American Eagle's Campus Comedy Challenge and Comedy Central's Live at Gotham.[9]

He competed in the 2015 season of Last Comic Standing, earning a spot in the top 10 contestants. Wang released an album titled Cornucopias Are Actually Horrible Containers in 2015.[10]

From 2015 to 2018 he worked on ABC sit-com Fresh Off the Boat as a staff writer, story editor, and executive story editor.[11] He appeared as "Hank" in two episodes.

In 2019, Wang appeared on the HBO Special 2 Dope Queens.[12] He also performed at Clusterfest 2019 opening for headliner John Mulaney.[13]

In September 2022 he released his first Netflix special Sweet & Juicy.[14] It was the first comedy special directed by Ali Wong. It was released to wide praise: The New York Times noted that Wang "has a droll and relaxed delivery, which makes the focus and inventiveness of his material land even better."[15]

Sheng Wang lives in Los Angeles, California.[16] He cites Maria Bamford, Dave Attell, and Robert Hawkins as influences, and his work has often drawn comparisons to the stand-up of Mitch Hedberg.[17]

References

  1. ^ CAAM (2015-11-30). "It's Sheng Wang's Time". CAAM Home. Archived from the original on 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  2. ^ a b Oliveros, Beatriz (2021-04-29). "Houston Comedian Sheng Wang helps kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month". KPRC. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  3. ^ Szalai, Georg (2007-07-17). "Just for Laughs lines up Masters showcases". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  4. ^ Huang, Fan (2014-02-18). "Alumnus talks professionally clowning around in stand-up comedy". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  5. ^ Mcfaul, Erin (2017-05-21). "Q&A: BruinFest Comedy Show performer Sheng Wang shares advice on stand-up". Daily Bruin. Archived from the original on 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  6. ^ Evans, Bradford (2014-07-22). "Sheng Wang on New York and San Francisco's Standup Scenes". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  7. ^ Sheng Wang Wins NBC's STAND-UP FOR DIVERSITY Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved April 30, 2011.
  8. ^ "Sheng Wang | Stand-Up Comedian | Comedy Central Stand". Comedy Central. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  9. ^ Blackwell, Mary Alice (2011-05-27). "Sheng Wang spins mundane living into comedy gold". The Daily Progress. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  10. ^ BWW News Desk. "LAST COMIC STANDING Finalist Sheng Wang Announces Debut Album". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  11. ^ "Sheng Wang's IMDB Page". IMDB. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  12. ^ HBO (2018-03-19), Talkin' Trash About Safety w/ Sheng Wang | 2 Dope Queens | HBO, archived from the original on 2024-09-21, retrieved 2019-04-24
  13. ^ Menzies, Maisy (2019-06-26). "Big names, bigger laughs at Clusterfest 2019". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  14. ^ Martin, Clare (2022-09-15). "Sheng Wang's First Netflix Special Is a Sweet and Juicy Treat". Paste. Archived from the original on 2022-09-19. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  15. ^ Lyons, Margaret (15 September 2022). "How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  16. ^ "Sheng Wang at Brea Improv". Brea Improv. Archived from the original on 2022-09-20. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  17. ^ Fan, Christopher (30 November 2015). "It's Sheng Wang's Time". caamedia.org. Center for Asian American Media. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.