When Jo Koy was announced as Golden Globes host on Dec. 21, it was just a little over two weeks to air. “When they asked me, it was an immediate yes, I couldn’t believe this was happening,” Koy tells Variety. “And then I woke up and went, ‘Wait a minute. I have two weeks to write jokes!’
“Actually, I think I had less than two weeks because I didn’t get my writers until five days later,” he adds. “When Tiny [Fey] and all those other hosts got the gig, they had months to prepare. I’m literally looking at just days! It’s been a crash course in hosting.”
But Koy is relishing this moment. The comedian, who recently sealed a deal to bring his next two stand-up comedy specials to Netflix (his fifth and sixth for the streamer), says he’s aware of the symbolism behind hosting a major awards show ceremony.
“This is everything. It’s different for me. You hear that a lot right now, but it means a lot for someone that looks like me,” says Koy, who is half Filipino. “There’s a kid that’s Asian out there, or that’s half white/half Asian, any ethnicity. Being able to see this, it will indirectly inspire them. This is one of those ‘finally’ moments. I don’t want to address that when I’m on stage, but I think me just being on stage is enough.
“And that’s the kind of weight on my shoulders that I have. Because I need to represent them well,” he says. “So, I want to make sure my job is done right. I want to make sure I’m funny. And this wasn’t just a fluke. I worked hard for this moment. And I know that my family is watching, and my culture is watching and there’s a lot of kids that are going to be inspired by this.”
Koy was recently on his “Jo Koy World Tour,” which included taping his next Netflix special in Brooklyn this past November. His most recent Netflix special, “Jo Koy: Live At The Los Angeles Forum,” premiered in September 2022. His June 2020 Netflix special “Jo Koy: In His Elements,” was shot in…
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