Many of us might have a fear of failure, but comedian Jimmy O. Yang takes his to the next level. In a recent interview with Mr. Feelgood, Yang stated, “I’m so scared of failure that I prepare a lot. Even when I’m playing video games with my friends, I don’t like to play games I’m not good at. If we play a game of Madden, I’ve probably trained at Madden in my own house already for a few months.” This fear of failure might explain Yang’s recent workload: Since 2018, Yang has acted in television shows and movies including Silicon Valley, Crazy Rich Asians, Space Force, and Fresh Off the Boat; he wrote a memoir, How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents; and formed the production company Crab Club, Inc. with writer-producer Jessica Gao and fellow comedian Ken Cheng. Not bad for someone who started stand-up the moment he was old enough to perform in venues that served alcohol. At 35, Yang will return to his stand-up roots with two back-to-back shows at Lincoln Theatre on Nov. 12. Anyone familiar with his style of comedy knows that the Hong Kong-born Yang, who moved to the U.S. at 13, will continue making his case that he’s as American as the next guy. As Yang once told the authorities who detained him at the Mexican border: “I’m every bit American! I can recite every single Jay-Z lyric if you want me to!” Jimmy O. Yang performs at 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 at Lincoln Theatre. thelincolndc.com $40.50–$60.50.
For more comedy recommendations, check out our calendar.