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Leslie Liao

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American comedian
Leslie Liao
Born (1987-03-11) March 11, 1987 (age 37)
Orange County, California
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUSC School of Cinematic Arts
OccupationComedian

Leslie Liao is an American stand-up comedian. She formerly worked for Netflix in their human resources department while learning to perform stand-up.

Early life and education

Liao was born on March 11, 1987 to Chinese immigrant parents and raised in Orange County, California. She describes originally wanting to be a ballerina from a young age, before being drawn to the entertainment industry. She recounts envisioning herself more as an agent or in some other support role.

Liao graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Career

After completing college, Liao's first job was as an assistant producer at Universal Studios in comedy production. She also volunteered to be a talent scout, attending stand-up shows in the evenings to discover new comedy talent. Liao became motivated to try her own hand at stand-up comedy after seeing performances she didn't like: "It all clicked that night, where I realized how much I understood it and loved it, and was so protective over it. I remember almost standing up and being like, 'Give me the mic.'"

Liao took a "calculated approach" to beginning her career, first enrolling in a writing class. While beginning to perform stand-up at local comedy clubs, Liao took a position at Netflix in their human resources department. Liao describes working a 9 to 5 shift, performing at a late night show, and then needing to be ready for an early meeting the next day. Liao made her television debut on the Jimmy Fallon Show and was featured in the Netflix comedy showcase Verified Stand-Up. Liao resigned from Netflix in December 2023. She said her bosses were "so cool and supportive" and encouraged her to pursue her comedy career: "My bosses at Netflix saw me on Netflix. They saw me on Jimmy Fallon. They were like, 'Go be a star.' They didn't fire me, but they were like, 'It's your time.'"

Reception

Liao's comedy style focuses on her experience as a single Chinese-American woman living in Los Angeles. Brian Logan of The Guardian praised Liao as well suited to performing stand-up, while also saying her set was "neither adventurous nor well crafted" but her "open and engaging manner it a perfectly companionable hour". Her act has also been called relatable and "hilarious in her execution and perspective".

Awards and honors

Liao was selected as one of the New Faces of Comedy for the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.

References

  1. Brodsky, Rachel (2024-04-17). "How Leslie Liao left Netflix's HR department to become a rising star in stand-up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  2. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  3. De Los Santos, Brian (May 2, 2024). "Dating In LA Can Be 'Aggressive' — And Funny. Comedian Leslie Liao Has Thoughts". LAIst.com. Gothamist. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (April 17, 2024). "How Leslie Liao left Netflix's HR department to become a rising star in stand-up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Howard, Courtney; Laffly, Tomris; Plunkett, Paul; Riley, Jenelle (July 16, 2024). "Troy Iwata, Jackie Fabulous and Ralph Barbosa Among Variety's 10 Comics to Watch for 2024". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 15, 2023). "Comedian Leslie Liao Breaks Down Her Journey From Netflix HR Gig To Netflix Special: "It Almost Was Like A Superman-Clark Kent Thing"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Yuccas, Jamie (December 11, 2023). "Comedian Leslie Liao talks creative process, growing up in Orange County as child of immigrant parents". CBS News. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  8. "Leslie Liao: "I remember thanking myself for going to so many open mics"". Square Mile. March 12, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  9. Paul, Tyson (October 26, 2023). "Leslie Liao Announces "NightTime Routine" Comedy Tour". WeOwnTheLaughs.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  10. Solomon, Matt (February 28, 2024). "5 Weirdly Awesome Ways Working in Netflix HR Helped Leslie Liao Blow Up in Comedy". Cracked. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  11. Logan, Brian (March 20, 2024). "Leslie Liao review – heard the one about the Netflix staffer turned standup?". The Guardian. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  12. Melero, Angela (February 14, 2024). "Comedian Leslie Liao Talks Dating & The Importance Of "Text Chemistry"". TheZoeReport.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
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