Ken Jeong stopped his comedy set to help an audience member having a seizure

Dr. Ken Comedy Night
Getty Images | Rich Polk

Before Ken Jeong played a doctor on TV in “Dr. Ken,” the actor and comedian was actually a physician in real life. The training from his former profession came in handy when he was performing at Stand Up Live in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 5.

Jeong noticed that a woman in the audience was having a seizure and he jumped off the stage to help his fan before paramedics arrived. Jeong stayed with the woman until she was taken to the hospital, at which point he resumed the show. What a stand-up guy (no pun intended)!

Heather Holmberg was at the show and was impressed by the comedian’s kind action. She took to Twitter to praise Jeong for his quick response.

“A woman had a medical emergency during the show. Ken thinks it’s heckling when people are asking for his help,” she captioned the photo. “He jumps off stage to assist. An EMT helped, too. Then on with the show! Great night! He is gracious and grateful…AND flipping funny!”

“He’s a very funny man but you were able to see a side of him that’s very compassionate,”Holmberg told USA Today. “You don’t often see that in comedians.”

Jeong earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked as a general practice physician while pursuing comedy as a hobby to “let off some steam.” Despite his obvious comedic chops, he says his patients saw him in a completely different light.

“I was so intense as a doctor, and I was always stressed out, patients were surprised I did stand-up comedy on the side,” Jeong told TV critics at an ABC press tour in 2015.

ken jeong photo
Getty Images | Charley Gallay

After breakout roles in “Knocked Up” and “The Hangover,” Jeong decided to leave the medical profession to focus on entertainment full-time.

Warner Bros.

He was happy working as a physician, but deep down he wanted to go into acting. He actually filmed “Knocked Up” during a week off of work. In that film, he plays a high-strung obstetrician who fills in for Katherine Heigl’s regular doctor.

Universal Pictures

Jeong credits his wife, Tran, with encouraging him to pursue his passion.

“My wife was like a good college coach telling the star player it was time to go pro. She knew I had the secret ambition to want to act full time,” Jeong told People in 2015. “I just didn’t know if I could do this full time. It was really my wife’s confidence in me that encouraged me to do this full time. I owe my whole career to her.”

Jeong did ultimately make the leap into show business.

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He played Spanish teacher Ben Chang on “Community,” a comedic series about a lawyer who goes back to community college after it’s revealed the he lied about having a bachelor’s degree. The show, which starred Joel McHale, aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015.

Krasnoff Foster Productions

Jeong went on to star in “Dr. Ken,” a sitcom about a doctor who lacks bedside manner, despite his medical knowledge. The show debuted in 2015 and aired for two seasons on ABC.

ABC Studios

We’re so glad this multitalented funny man was there to save the day when one of his fans needed real-life medical assistance!

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About the Author
Kate Streit
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything.

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