Jiaoying Summers
Chinese-American actress and comedian (born 1990)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liang Jiaoying (Chinese: 梁娇颖),[2] professionally known as Jiaoying Summers (born January 18, 1990),[3][4] is a Chinese-American stand-up comedian, actress, and producer. She is best known for her TikTok videos focused on AAPI representation and female empowerment. Her stand-up comedy often references her upbringing and East Asian culture.[5]
January 21, 1990
- Actress
- comedian
- producer
Jiaoying Summers | |
|---|---|
梁娇颖 | |
Summers in 2022 | |
| Born | Liang Jiaoying January 21, 1990 Henan Province, China |
| Alma mater | University of Kentucky[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | jiaoyingsummers |
Early life and education
Summers was born and raised in Henan during China's one-child policy, and her parents delivered her at home instead of a hospital "to avoid the shame of having a girl" as their only child.[4] Summers initially aspired to become an actress, inspired by watching films from a video rental shop her mother operated with her cousin.[1] She has described her father as a "non-functioning alcoholic."[6]
Summers came to the United States at the age of 18 and studied at the University of Kentucky,[4] where she earned a Bachelor's degree in economics with a minor in theater.[1] After graduating, she relocated to Los Angeles and studied acting for four years with acting instructor Howard Fine.[1]
Career
In 2013, Summers served as the president for new business development for her family's construction company. She also interned for the IMAX Corporation in Los Angeles. In 2014, Summers won the title of Miss China in the international beauty pageant "Queen of the Universe".[7] She began acting in 2016.[8]
Summers is the founding partner and CEO of Summers Media, an international production company.[9]
Comedy
During an audition for the police drama show Rebel, executive producer John Singleton heard Summers making jokes and suggested that she try performing stand-up comedy.[10] Following his advice, she performed at her first open mic night in 2019.[11] She began posting on TikTok in 2020, and has since gained more than 1.2 million followers and has accumulated over 1 billion views.[12][13]
Summers incorporates personal material into her comedy routines, including her "decision to talk about China's one-child policy as a survivor". Her video went viral, leading to being banned on TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. TikTok cited violation of community guidelines, and restored her account three months later. Summers has spoken about continued deflated viewership, leading her to suspect she had also been shadow banned.[4]
Summers performs regularly at The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, and Carolines NYC, was a headliner at the New York Comedy Festival in 2022 and headlined the Apollo theater in November 9, 2023.[12] She also starred in the Netflix Is A Joke festival's Women in Comedy show.[13] In 2022, Summers released a comedy special as part of the Comedy InvAsian series, on NBC Peacock.[14]
Summers is the owner of two comedy clubs, both located in Los Angeles: The Hollywood Comedy and The Pasadena Comedy.[15]
Personal life
Summers is the Asia ambassador for Operation USA, a non profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education and relief programs. She is also the international ambassador for the Linzhou Charity Federation.[7]
In 2022, Summers was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame.[16]
Summers is the mother of two children.[11][6] She has spoken openly about her struggles with bipolar disorder.[17]
Filmography
As actress
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Major Crimes | Tai Chi Student | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | The Scarlet Thorn | Lin Wu | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | Alex and Lotus | Lotus Wang | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | Hollywood Diversity | Michelle | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2017 | The Missing 6 | Carrie Ling | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2019 | American Bistro | Yu Yang | uncredited |
| 2020 | The Madams | Steph | as Gia Summers |
As producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Scarlet Thorn | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | The Like Challenge | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2019 | An Unforgettable Winter | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2020 | Wo men zhe xie nian |