Breakout Korean-American comic Ken Jeong whom audiences have recently seen as the raucous mob boss in The Hangover joins Sandra Bullock in All About Steve, a feel-good comedy of unexpected trysts and turns.
The
movie follows an eccentric but brilliant crossword-maker, Mary (Sandra Bullock) who stalks Steve (Bradley Cooper), a news cameraman across the
country after they've gone on one date.
Jeong takes on the character of Angus McCormack, a news field producer
who has been smacked in the middle of Mary and Steve's cat and mouse
chase.
For the
role of harried field producer Angus McCormack, Sandra Bullock who produces the
movie cast comedian/actor Ken Jeong, whose standout role in the Judd
Apatow-directed comedy smash Knocked Up impressed her. "Jeong continued to make audiences laugh
with his roles in the Apatow-produced Pineapple Express and Step Brothers,
as well as in the comedy hit Role Models and the recent smash The
Hangover, in which he played the part of a crazed crime boss," Sandra says.
All About
Steve'soffbeat comic sensibilities appealed to Jeong,
whose fresh-faced field news reporter Angus doesn't quite fit in with veterans
Hartman and Steve. "They treat Angus
pretty much like an intern," says Jeong with a laugh. "Angus desperately tries to fit in with them, often to disastrous
results."
Jeong
notes that he was as attracted to the film's theme as well as its humor. "It has a universal message about being
comfortable with what you are, and I think that resonates with almost
everyone," he notes.
Jeong along with Thomas Haden Church and Bradley
Cooper play partners in field reporting. They settled quickly into an easy,
bantering off-screen relationship, which was often reflected on camera. Their
immediate chemistry was not lost on the actors. "I don't know how they did it,
but Phil, Sandy and Mary definitely got three people who jelled right away,"
says Cooper. "It was a blast and [director] Phil let that play itself out on film." The actors' uncensored, testosterone-fueled bits occasionally
enhanced the scripted dialogue.
Ken Jeong
is quickly establishing himself as the go-to character actor for today's hit
comedies. Since his feature film debut
as the doctor in Knocked Up in 2007, Jeong has gone on to a number of
memorable roles in a series of successful comedies. He was also seen in Role Models, Pineapple Express and Step
Brothers.
Jeong's career path started off on a different course. He earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University and went on to attain his medical degree at the University of North Carolina. Jeong completed his Internal Medicine residence in New Orleans, all the while developing his comedy. In 1995, Jeong won the Big Easy Laff Off. The competition, which was judged by former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff and Improv founder Bud Friedman, turned out to be his big break as Tartikoff and Friedman urged Jeong to head to Los Angeles.
Once in
Los Angeles, Jeong began performing regularly at the Improv and Laugh Factory,
and was seen on a number of television shows including The Office, Entourage,
and MADtv. In 2006 Jeong and
fellow comedian Mike O'Connell also left a mark on YouTube, as "Million Dollar
Strong," a spoof rap duo. Since the
video's posting in 2006, the video has garnered over one million views and Jeong
and O'Connell have been tapped by MTV Films to write and star in the film
version.
All About
Steve from 20th Century
Fox opens November 4 in theaters and is distributed by Warner Bros.