485 - What Does It Take To Be A Good Comedian? - Will Pepper

Upcoming Headline Show:

Will is headlining his biggest show yet at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco on April 24, 2026. You can find tickets in the following link: https://willpepper.komi.io/

In this episode, Ken sits down with Will Pepper (born Will Tieu). You might know him from his viral cooking videos with his "Daddy Pepper," his work managing Jimmy O. Yang’s TikTok, or as the "loan shark" in Uncle Roger’s skits.

Will opens up about a life that sounds like a dark comedy script: growing up as a "nail salon kid" in Utah and Phoenix, navigating his father’s past struggles with addiction and gambling, and the surreal moment his family name was changed to "Pepper" overnight just to secure a business loan.

In this episode, we explore:

The "Pepper" Strategy: The wild story of how Will's dad changed the family's last name on a random Tuesday in high school to sound "more American" for credit applications.

Healing Through Ayahuasca: A vulnerable look at how Will and his father used psychedelics to process intergenerational trauma and reconcile their past.

The Comedy Grind: Will’s journey from "boring" pre-med student to moving to LA, managing major stars, and finally finding his own voice on stage.

Honoring Alex Jung: A tribute to the late Vietnamese comedian and the tight-knit community of "Viets in Comedy" who keep the grind going.

The "Retarded" Intelligence of Comedy: Why being a great comic requires high emotional intelligence and the ability to "read the room" rather than traditional book smarts.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

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