Ken Jeong made the whole world laugh with his stand-up comedy and then later adapted comedic roles in movies and series. Known as the iconic Leslie Chow in Bradley Cooper and Todd Phillip’s The Hangover franchise, Jeong’s life story isn’t as nearly happy as his persona.
Talking about the shooting of the first Hangover film, The Hangover, director Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper, Ken Jeong, and the rest of the cast sat for an interview. During the interview, Jeong revealed that at the time, he was also fighting his own demons while trying to make the world laugh with his Leslie Chow personality.
Ken Jeong Was Fighting His Own Demons With a Happy Face!
Back in 2009, director Todd Phillips had no idea about the success that his movie was going to make. Starring Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and more in The Hangover, the film truly became one of a kind.
But before he was cast in the role of Leslie Chow in the 2009 film, Ken Jeong’s career wasn’t going that great. In a 2013 interview, the actor talked about how he was fighting his own demons in his chat with The Hollywood Reporter.
“It was a very magical shoot. My wife was going through bre*st cancer and chemotherapy at the time. [She recovered.] It was part of the reason I was so unhinged in the character; I think I was working out my own demons. Todd and Bradley were the only people who knew. Hangover got me through the most difficult time in my life.”
Although Ken Jeong had trouble with his personal life, that didn’t stop the comedian from creating the iconic character of Leslie Chow.
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When Ken Jeong Jumped Naked On Bradley Cooper
Fans may remember the iconic (and surprising) moment when Ken Jeong jumps out naked of a car trunk in 2009’s The Hangover. Well, Leslie Chow wasn’t supposed to jump out naked but Ken Jeong had the brilliant idea of doing it!
“Bradley [Cooper] volunteered for me to jump on him. My genitals and Bradley’s neck are very good friends. Todd [Phillips] said midway through filming, “Bradley, if this is too uncomfortable for you, let me know.” And Bradley said something to the effect of, “Todd, until you brought it up, I really didn’t realize how creepy this actually is.”
Although the actors had to fight their demons, The Hangover became one of the most iconic movies ever created. With a rating of 7.7/10 on IMDB and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, the iconic film is available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
