Interview with Michael Yo

Michael has steadily expanded his repertoire in Hollywood and branched out into stand-up comedy and acting. There does not seem to be any limit in the entertainment world for this self-described “half-black brother with a Korean mother.”

We were able to catch up with Michael and discuss his background and entertainment career and are pleased to present this interview.

Please note that HalfKorean.com comments/questions are in BOLD.

Background: The Basics on Michael

Where and when were you born, raised and currently reside?
I was born on November 20th in Houston, Texas. I’m not going to tell you the year but I look young because I’m half black and half Korean! I currently live in Los Angeles but was discovered in Miami. Houston is my hometown and Miami is my second hometown.

How did your parents meet?
My dad is black and has a PhD in Nuclear Physics and my mom is Korean. They met when my dad was stationed in Korea. They started dating the first month he was out there and they dated for a couple years and then came back to America.

Do you have any siblings?
No, I’m the only child.

We have to ask about your stage name. Where is the Yo from?
It’s funny because my middle name is Yo. So, growing up, everyone just called me “Yo” or “Michael Yo.” I asked my mom why she gave me that name and she told me that it is part of her maiden name. She said she worked too hard to push me out to not have her name in my name. It was pretty funny.

How much Korean can you speak?
Zero. I know annyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요/”hello”) and mool (물/”water”) and a couple curse words that I learned from other kids. But, really, when my mom came to America she was just nervous to teach me Korean because she thought I wouldn’t learn English that well. She was concentrating on learning English at the same time and never really spoke to me in Korean. She had no family members around either. Usually people learn Korean when there is others to talk to and are around Koreans but she was just by herself and was trying to learn English. Now that I look back, I’m so mad at my mom because I could have been a lot smarter by now.

What is your favorite Korean food?
I love bulgogi (불고기) and kalbi (갈비). I don’t like kimchi (김치) and I never got over the smell of it. You know what I mean? I’m not a big kimchi fan at all. My mom had so much of it in the house refrigerator that it stunk up the house so they ended up moving to the garage refrigerator and then it smelled up the garage and the car. So when you would get into the car, you would smell the kimchi! It was awful! That kinda turned me off on kimchi. I love rice. My mom would cook rice with every meal.

What is weird to me that when I moved to LA that Korean BBQ is so big here. I’m from Texas and I would go there and just see people cooking food and I was wondering where is the BBQ sauce? I was thinking that in my house this is just called dinner. It’s a weird name. I guess they tried to gear it more to Americans by calling it BBQ but I was like I don’t understand this concept. To me it is just cooking and not BBQ.

Did you grow up around other mixed Koreans?
None. I was pretty much the only mixed kid in school. In Houston, I went to a predominantly white school and if you were black you were black and if you were Asian you were Asian. There was no mixed kids. It was different times back then, especially in that area. I got called all kinds of racist names. When kids don’t know what you area they can be very mean. They were trying to be mean but they didn’t know how it affected me. I was very insecure growing up being both.

Did you ever experience any identity issues while growing up?
Absolutely. When I hung out with Asian kids, the black kids would get mad. When I grew up I guess I connected most with the black and white kids because I played sports and I wasn’t a great student. It’s so funny because growing up everyone pretty much followed the stereotype. The Asian kids were super smart and we had one on our basketball team then a couple black kids and then mostly white. I didn’t really connect with my Asian side until I started doing stand-up. I can honestly say that stand-up has really made me connect more than I ever have because telling the stories about my mom. My stand-up is all about my dad, my mom, how I grew up, dealing with racism and finding my identity. So, the whole show is about that. Me and my mom have always been super close and I feel that telling these stories, Asian people are starting to come out and relate to it. I find it weird because I didn’t connect to it while I was going through it but it is more that I’m connecting to it now.

Have you ever been to Korea?
Nope. My mom lied to me! She said she was going to take me to the Olympics, this is going to age me, in 1988 and I was a little kid and she said was going to take me and she lied! I still remember that lie too! I remind her about it all the time and ask her, “You remember when you said you were going to take me to Korea during the Olympics?” and she says, “No, I didn’t say that!” I’m like, “Yeah you did!” So, I didn’t go, but she went. When she got back she gave me a jacket.

Do you plan to visit Korea anytime soon?
You know what it is, is that my mom’s family has moved to America so she no reason to go back. You would think that a parent would want to show where they are from but she really has no desire to do that. After her parents died, it hit her really close and she hasn’t wanted to go back.

Has your Korean family been accepting of you?
My mom’s mom lived with us for like 13 years and then she went back to Korea. I got close to her but there was the language barrier but she was one of the sweetest ladies. My mom’s brothers I’m not that close to but I know them. When they moved to America was when I went to college, so I was never around. When I was a kid, I knew my grandmother well.

What do people who meet you think your ethnicity is?
You know what is crazy? It depends on where I am. In Miami, I’m Puerto Rican. In New York, I’m Dominican. In LA, the just don’t know what I am. In Texas, they have a different word that I cannot say. But that is what I love about being half black and Korean and looking the way that I do.

I’ve ran into people who are racist against black people or other people and sort of like accept you because they don’t really know what you are. It’s weird because it’s almost like you are a chameleon where you can kind of be a part of every conversation even if it is with the biggest racist. I don’t know, it is just weird. It’s hard for them to know what you are so it’s hard for them to stereotype you. They don’t know what category to put you which is great. But then, you’ll hear lots of Asian jokes because people will think I’m Dominican or whatever. It’s a good and bad thing all in one.

Career: TV personality / Comedian

Has your current career path always been something you have always been interested in?
Never. I was doing radio in Miami and had a really big show for six years. I then got a call from E! and Ted Harbert, who was president of E! at that time. Then Tiffany and Marie from casting gave me a call and brought me in. They liked me and offered me a job. I never went after it and they kind of found me. It’s like I tell everybody that it is the worst success story because I never even wanted to be on TV. It just kind of happened.

But, once I got here, I saw the opportunity and thought let’s start hustling. I started out on TV going on once or twice a week and then I tried to be on every day and then let me go to network with Extra and then now I’m at CBS on OMG! Insider as a correspondent and fill-in anchor. It’s the best job I’ve ever had. I also have the Yo Show on Yahoo! which dominates the web traffic. I want to be on the web every single day and Yahoo! is the best company for that. I want to be on CBS since it is the biggest and number one network.

So you combine those and then being on Chelsea Lately and being around great comedians and Chelsea dared me to do stand-up. I did it and fell in love with it after the first time. Jo Koy has been my mentor through the whole thing. He’s like the guy that sat me down and said this is how you do it. I’ve known Jo for a while and he told me that I had great stories about my parents and that is where comedy comes from, real life. Not about people writing jokes but what really happened in your life. Growing up in the situation I am from, that is automatic comedy. Having a mom, we all know Asian moms and how they say the craziest things no matter who is around and it can sound racist at times. But they don’t think it is racist and they are just honest people, you know what I mean? So, I talk about the the crazy things my mom says about other people. My mom’s name is crazy too. Her name is Kum. I’m on stage talking about how my mom’s name is Kum. My dad doesn’t tell my mom what her name means in English because he thinks it is funny. On top of that, he would make me introduce my mom to people just so he could laugh more about it and puts me in that weird situation. That’s my life, so Jo would be cracking up. It’s the funniest thing, I put some videos up on YouTube of my parents and of my mom trying to tell a joke and then my mom and dad arguing about Asian drivers. My parents basically have their own sitcom.

You mentioned how you also do stand-up. How long have you been doing it now?
I’ve been doing stand-up for two years and I gotta say that with Jo being a mentor, I’ve grown so much in the two years that I’m up to 45 minutes to an hour of material. It’s just fun to be on stage. It’s natural because I was never nervous. I was used to being on radio and then I was on TV for a good four years or so before I tried stand-up. The first time I went up, I did 15 minutes and I just told all the stories that I had told to Jo and different friends about my parents and I saw that it worked. It is an amazing rush being on stage. As soon as I got off stage, I told my mom that this is what I was born to do. I love stand-up! I guess it is just the live performance and getting that immediate reaction, both good and bad. It’s awesome.

How supportive have your parents been with your career?
What’s interesting with my parents is that they are supportive in whatever I do. Like when I played sports as a kid, I did well but my parents are very laid back and never tried to push me to hard. I could have told them that I wanted to be a garbageman and my dad would just tell me to be the best garbageman you can be. My dad’s line was always, “Don’t talk about it, be about it.” My dad didn’t want to hear about what I was going to do, he would be like just do it. That’s the way they’ve supported me. I’m on TV and yeah, they’re proud and they’ll watch me but they are not overly proud. You know what I mean? It’s not like, “Hey, there is our son!” or anything like that. Unless they do it when I’m not around, which my mom probably does because she’s Asian and they like to brag about their kids. My mom never bragged about me when I was in school because I made bad grades. Other parents would say how their kids had good grades and my mom would say, “My kid is good… at football.” Now, I guarantee you that those other parents say that their kids are doctors or lawyers and my mom says, “My son on TV! Turn on TV, you can watch my son now.” That’s just the way Asian moms are.

Is acting something you plan to pursue more of in the future?
In Hollywood, what I notice is that when I was just a host that you would go and audition for stuff but their mentality would be like, “Oh, you are just a host.” Now that I do stand-up and it has gone really well, they are like, “Oh, he’s a comedian that can host.” Nothing puts that more true to life than when I went to the set of Modern Family and I was with Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen and they would ask me how I did stand-up. I was like, wait a minute, you are on the number one show. But then they said that someone writes their lines. They were amazed at how it just me and a mic. Every industry person respects the stand-up comedian because it is the truest form. It is even more truer than singing because you have a band to back you up. With stand-up it is just you and a mic and I think that is what I love about it. Sometimes I sit back and watch other comedians and think about what I am doing. It is really odd too, if you think about it, because you are on stage in front of tons of people that are just judging you and you have to make them laugh. It’s a weird concept but I love doing it! You get so much respect because every other industry in Hollywood you have some form of help. But, when you are up there on stage, it is just you. You can have the best joke but if you don’t perform it right, it doesn’t work. If your timing is not right and so many different factors. But there is nothing to go to but to yourself onstage. It is sort of like the only child mentality as I’m so used to do everything on my own, so this is just an extension of that. If it goes wrong, gotta fix it right here.

Out of all the jobs you have done, what is your favorite?
I love doing stand-up. I love interviewing people and getting them to say things that they normally wouldn’t say because they feel so comfortable. I love everything that I do from stand-up to acting to reporting to my show on Yahoo. I love everything because I consider it one thing. A lot of people ask me how I do so many things at once and I just see it all as entertainment. It’s really the same job and just different levels of the job. It’s not like I am a lawyer and a doctor as that is two totally different things. It’s all entertainment from being on stage to interviewing, it all works together.

Do you have a particular interview with a celebrity that you enjoyed most?
I love Will Smith and Tom Cruise. I know that Tom Cruise gets a bad rap at times but, let me tell you, those people are there to make you look good. When they are there to work, they are there to work. I’ve interviewed many celebrities, big and small, who are just there to do an interview. But, these two guys want you to do a great interview because they are there to make you look good because they know that you are there to make them look good. They get it and that is why they are so successful. Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best too. It’s funny how the people who are super successful, they get that. They know that if they are going to do an interview that they are going to have fun because they have to do like 200 of them, so they might as well have fun with all of them and make the product look good. Because, guess what, as a reporter it’s all about giving positive vibes to them and they give positive vibes.

Obviously being in the industry you have probably met many mixed people. Has there been a mixed Asian that has stood out to you?
One of the most interesting ones has been Tiger Woods and just having a drink with him and picking his brain about different things. This was a long time ago when he first won the Masters and it was in Houston, Texas. It was right after he had told Oprah that he was not black, but was Cablinasian. I was like, I’m Blasian and I don’t even know what that means. I had asked him why he didn’t say that he was just black because you know a lot of black people got mad. He said that if he said that he was just black that it would be disrespecting his mom because she’s Thai. I love my mom as much as I love my dad so I know what he meant. So, dealing with racial issues, I knew exactly where he was coming from because I was confused growing up. He had made a stand by saying that he was not just black, but both. I thought that was great.

Being mixed in the entertainment world, do you think it has had any effect on your career?
It has been nothing but positive for me. My experience being in the entertainment field has been nothing but positive. I think what is great about it is that people remember your face. You are not the white guy with blonde hair that gets mixed up with others or the black guy that looks like every other black guy. We are unique looking and I think that is what has helped me gain exposure faster because we don’t look like everyone else. I can’t say anything but good about it.

What are some of your current and future projects that you are working on?
I have several current projects like OMG! Insider on CBS, check your local listings. The Yo! Show on Yahoo!TV. I’m continuing to grow in stand-up. I love stand-up and want to keep growing in that. I am getting in to acting now and we’ll see if that takes off. I’m on Chelsea Lately and The Talk as a regular. I got a bunch of stuff going on but I am never satisfied. You gotta keep working. One thing I love about stand-up is that it is like a moving puzzle. You can say the same line the next night but say it a little different and get a totally different reaction. That is why I love it. It is like an unsolved puzzle.

What do you see yourself doing in the next five years?
I want to have my own talk show. Like a mix between Fallon and Ellen with a little old school Arsenio Hall mixed in. I want a fun atmosphere but you can get serious and have little bits you can do. I also love Kimmel. I just love the new generation of late night talk shows from Fallon to Kimmel. I love Letterman and Leno too. They all bring something that I want to be. You watch people and learn from them. I grew up with my family watching Arsenio Hall. I think he is phenomenal and can’t wait to see him make his comeback. We would watch Arsenio and my dad would tape Letterman. I love late night talk.

Have you had a chance to connect with fellow half Korean comedian Steve Byrne?
Yeah, I know him well. I love how he has Sullivan & Son and I think it opens the door. I would love to have a sitcom as well and talk about my parents. That is another thing I would like to have in five years.

Random

What is your current relationship status and have you ever had any ethnic dating preferences?
I’m single and looking. I think it is time for me to settle down. It is really tough dating in LA because everyone is so career driven. The one thing I don’t like about LA is that there is nothing spontaneous that happens even with friends. It’s all schedules. Even for this phone call, I am on a schedule. When I used to live in Houston or Miami, it could be 4 o’clock and I could call people and ask them if they want to meet at 5:30 for a drink. Here, people are grinding 24/7. I respect that as that is what I like and don’t like about it at the same time. As for ethnic preferences, I’m open for everybody. I’m open for business.

What do you do to relax?
I relax when I’m doing stand-up. Usually when I go to a city to do stand-up, I’ll go take a tour of their city. Really, it is like a vacation because to me performing is fun. If I get a week off I’ll go out of the country and go sightseeing. But, I really like the whole process of going to a city and chilling and going around learning about the city and then performing at night. But, then again, I am single so maybe that will change.

Anybody in particular that you respect and look up to?
Both my dad and my mom.

What did you think about HalfKorean.com when you first heard about it?
I think it is great and hope it continues to grow. I was just on a flight back to LA and the lady sitting next to me was mixed. Honestly, I think that at some point it won’t be just white, black or Asian. The future is blended people. It is a great thing and I want to be a part of that movement and really make an impact. I don’t think anyone questions whether we are talented or not talented. I want to be a role model and an inspiration.

Any words that you would like to pass on to the mixed Korean community?
We should all be proud to be half Korean and whatever your other half is, that is awesome too. We are unique and we have something that nobody else has and I hope we can continue to shine and get better. I love being half Korean and my mom is my inspiration and I think it is great for people to be proud. Don’t be embarrassed about it because I know that growing up at times dealing with other kids that you would get embarrassed because you were different. I think it is great to be different. Why would you want to be like everybody else?

We want to thank Michael for spending time with us for this interview and wish him much continued success.

In addition, thank you to Dana Steere and Metro Public Relations for all of their assistance in arranging this interview with Michael.

Interview by: David Lee Sanders

Posted: 8/16/2013

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