Jo Koy asks Chris Rock advice for historic Golden Globes hosting gig
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy had less than a month to prepare hosting the upcoming Golden Globes, but he is making the most out of the opportunity.
This will be the first time in the Golden Globes' tumultuous 81 years that it will be hosted by an individual with Filipino descent.
In an interview with Lacey Rose of The Hollywood Reporter, Jo Koy dove into why he accepted the hosting gig despite the short timeframe and what he's been doing to prepare for it.
The comedian revealed he only had around 10 days to actually prepare, but was still happy about it, "Oh, I'm super excited. I've been smiling ear to ear since the day I found out that I got it. It's surreal, and I'm enjoying every single moment."
Jo Koy acknowledged the burden he is carrying going into hosting the Globes, particularly to represent the Asian community and half-Asians such as himself.
"There's a lot of halfers out there that need some representation, and I fill that void," he said. "And I know that because when I was a kid, all I did was watch awards shows and watch TV, and the one thing you always sought out to be inspired by was someone who looked like you or someone who said something that kind of sounded like you."
He commented further on his affinity for awarding ceremonies, something that he shares with a lot of Filipinos, "We're addicted to talent shows. Growing up as a kid, we would watch awards shows as a family and we would bet who’s going to win what category."
The comedian reached out to former Globes host Seth Meyers for advice, also asking fellow stand-up comedians Ali Wong and Chris Rock, the latter speaking for an hour.
Related: Fil-Am comedian Jo Koy to host 2024 Golden Globes, a 1st for a Filipino
"[Chris] and I have had maybe two conversations in our lifetime, and it was literally just complimenting each other," Jo Koy continued. "So, for him to come on the phone and talk about hosting and giving me his pointers and suggesting writers... it was incredible."
Rose also asked Jo Koy if Rock gave any advice on what to do if someone went up onstage, a reference to infamous Oscars slap from 2022 involving involving Rock and Best Actor winner Will Smith.
Jo Koy laughed after saying no, though he added one thing Rock said was to "watch the entire show" so he could be prepared for any moment that could happen.
The comedian told Deadline he's rooting for Rock to win the inaugural Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television category as Rock is nominated for his Netflix special "Selective Outrage" wherein he finally discusses the Oscars slap.
"The fact that he took on a live performance, that's scary, man. Especially as far as a comic is concerned," Jo Koy told the media outlet.
"Barbie" leads this year's Globes with nine nominations, followed closely by "Oppenheimer" with eight. Other films with five or more nominations are Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Poor Things," and "Past Lives."
A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone are also in the mix, as are Paul Giamatti ("The Holdovers"), Timothee Chalamet ("Wonka"), Natalie Portman ("May December") and Bradley Cooper — as both actor and director of "Maestro."
RELATED: Jo Koy shares 'hosting preparations' for Golden Globes
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