Guide Note

Margaret Cho is a comedian, writer, fashion designer and actress known for chronicling her experiences as a Korean-American bisexual woman growing up in San Francisco and making her way in Hollywood. Her shows mix her comedic observations with political commentary and personal anecdotes.

Fast Facts

1. Born: December 5, 1968
2. Birthplace: San Francisco, CA
3. Legal name: Moran Cho
4. 2008 Concert Tour: Beautiful
5. Began performing at age 16
6. Books: I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight, I'm The One That I Want
7. One-Woman Shows: I'm The One That I Want, Notorious C.H.O., Revolution, Assassin
8. Wrote and stared in feature-length film Bam Bam and Celeste
9. TV: All-American Girl (1994),
10. TV: 'The Cho Show to debut on VH1 in 2008
11. Awards: Best Comedy Performance award at the 2007 Asian Excellence Awards; First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California; Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women
12. Dated Quentin Tarantino, Chris Isaak and Garrett Wang

Cho began performing stand-up at age 16 and, after moving to Los Angeles, became a frequent guest on The Arsenio Hall Show. Her stand-up career evolved into a sitcom one. ABC developed the 1994 show All-American Girl around Cho. The network pressured Cho to lose a significant amount of weight in a short period time, which resulted in Cho experiencing serious kidney failure. During this period she also became addicted to drugs and alcohol. Her experiences with the show are documented in her one-woman show, film and book I'm The One That I Want.

Since All-American Girl, Cho has made a living from her stand-up tours, television guest appearances and books. She is an outspoken supporter of gay rights and has been awarded on several occasions for her humanitarian work. In 2008, VH1 went into production on a new television outing for Cho, entitled The Cho Show.

Cho is a tattoo, bellydancing and burlesque enthusiast. She estimates that 15-20% of her body is covered in tattoos, has performed in burlesque reviews including the Miss Exotic World Pageant and introduced her own line of bellydancing accessories called Hip Wear.