Jimmy O. Yang Spent Years Getting Ready for <em>Crazy Rich Asians </em>

Hong Kong, where the comedian Jimmy O. Yang was raised, is known for being a trade capital. Yang’s father was a businessman, and growing up, Yang wanted to be just like him. He moved to the United States when he was 13 and went on to major in economics at the University of California at San Diego. But after his first internship at the now-defunct Smith Barney—the financial-services company that went on to become Morgan Stanley—he realized that he didn’t want to work a 9-to-5 office job. He tried other paths, including working as a strip-club DJ, before committing himself to stand-up comedy. He plays Jian Yang in HBO’s Silicon Valley and will appear in Crazy Rich Asians, which premieres in August.

I spoke to Yang recently about business, the importance of preparation, and mentorship. This interview has been condensed for length and clarity.

Lolade Fadulu: What did you think as a child of your parents’ careers?

Jimmy O.My mom worked as a manager at a high-end fashion place, so she was always a pretty stylish woman. She sold clothes to rich people. And my dad was a businessman. He worked at Dow Chemical for a while, and then he eventually opened up his own business selling medical equipment.