It took nearly 40 years for the Golden Globes to first introduce hosts to its format, but these days the award ceremony’s selected hosts are among the best.
In the nearly four decades since the program first started placing a celebrity at the forefront of its ceremony, it’s leaned on a range of talented stars. Favorites from the iconic matchup that is Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to seasoned hosts like Ricky Gervais have all graced the ceremony with their presence over the years, and 2024 quickly joined its predecessors in tapping a comedic powerhouse.
The year’s celebration invited first-time host Jo Koy into the mix, bringing his unique comedic talent to task for the event’s 81st ceremony.
Who is Jo Koy?
Koy rang in more than 80 years worth of Golden Globe ceremonies as host of its 81st event. A treasured, but lesser-known, comedian, Koy first rose to fame several decades back, but didn’t start leaving a major mark until the late 2000s. He released his first comedy special in 2009, and soon after saw a major surge in popularity.
Within a few years, Koy was appearing in projects left and right. In the years since that first Comedy Central standup, Don’t Make Him Angry, dropped, he’s released five more comedy specials, cameoed in several popular television shows, and even starred in a movie or two. Add to that his recent ascension to join the ranks of major award show hosts, and it’s clear Koy’s career is on a fast upward trajectory.
Jo Koy’s previous appearances
Golden Globe fans may not have universally enjoyed Koy’s opening monologue, but pretty much any viewer under the sun is likely to enjoy at least one of the 52-year-old comedian’s previous appearances. He’s paired up with some of comedy’s greatest — including Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, and Awkwafina — to produce the bulk of his on-screen appearances so far.
As a result, Koy boasts a small handful of television appearances stacked on top of less than a dozen film appearances, but nearly all of them are noteworthy. He first appeared on the small screen with the release of his first comedy special — followed in 2012, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022 by more comedy specials — and in the midst branched off into comedic acting.
Koy fans, or viewers who will soon become Koy fans, will recognize the American and Filipino star from releases like 2020’s Mr. Iglesias and 2022’s Easter Sunday, but it was 2023 that really saw the comedian blossom on screen.
He was in a full five releases in 2023 alone, including two television series (adding Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens to the Globes), and three films. Those include the new Haunted Mansion, The Monkey King, and Leo, two of which feature Koy’s new talents as a voice actor. He’ll continue this fresh streak in popularity into 2024, which already has a film lined up for release. Look for Koy in yet another voice role with the release of 2024’s The Tiger’s Apprentice, in which he plays a currently unnamed character.