Editing Margaret Cho (section)

==Career==
===1992–95: Early stand-up and ''All-American Girl''===
After doing several shows in a club adjacent to her parents' bookstore, Cho launched a [[stand-up comedy]] career and spent several years developing her material in clubs. Cho's career began to build after appearances on television and university campuses. In 1992, she appeared on the unsuccessful ''[[Golden Girls]]'' spin-off ''[[The Golden Palace]]'' in a small role. In 1993, Cho won the [[American Comedy Award]] for Best Female Comedian.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://theenvelope.latimes.com/search/env-past-winners-search,0,1243372,results.formprofile?Query=margaret+cho&selectsearch=pastwinners&target=article&Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt+cdb_01_num&SortBy=COMPOSITE_RANK+desc&PageSize=10&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&x=0&y=0 | author = TheEnvelope.com | title = Margaret Cho search results | work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In 2010, on ''[[The View (U.S. TV series)|The View]]'', she discussed her nervousness about doing ''The Golden Palace'' and thanked the late [[Rue McClanahan]] for her help with rehearsing. She also secured a coveted spot as opening act for [[Jerry Seinfeld]]; at about this time, she was featured on a [[Bob Hope]] special, and was also a frequent visitor to ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]].''<ref name=adsample>{{cite web |last=Tang |first=Jean |url=http://www.jademagazine.com/Ad_sample_large.html |title=No Laughing Matter – Margaret Cho sounds off on political correctness, Asians in the media, and defying her parents |work=Jade Magazine |date=October 2002 |access-date=November 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007051920/http://www.jademagazine.com/Ad_sample_large.html |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

That same year, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] developed and aired a sitcom based on Cho's stand-up routine. The show, titled ''[[All-American Girl (TV series)|All-American Girl]],'' was initially promoted as the first show prominently featuring an East Asian family, although the short-lived sitcom ''[[Mr. T and Tina]],'' which had starred [[Pat Morita|Noriyuki "Pat" Morita]] as Mr. T., preceded it by nearly two decades.

Cho has expressed subsequent regret for much of what transpired during the production of the show, specifically:
* After network executives, especially [[executive producer]] [[Gail Berman]], criticized her appearance and the roundness of her face, Cho starved herself for several weeks. Her rapid [[weight loss]], done to modify her appearance by the time the pilot episode was filmed, caused [[kidney failure]].<ref name="ITOTIW-NYDN">{{cite news |author=Rush |first1=George |last2=Molloy |first2=Joanna |last3=Baram |first3=Marcus |last4=Malkin |first4=Marc S. |date=July 18, 1999 |title=Cho Tells A H'wood Horror Story |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1999/07/18/cho-tells-a-hwood-horror-story/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |newspaper=New York Daily News |quote=Cho says executive producer Gail Berman [...] told her, "The network has a problem with the fullness of your face." Cho's dieting got so bad she lost 30 pounds in two weeks that she made a secret trip to an emergency room when her kidneys failed.}}</ref>
* The show suffered criticism from within the U.S. East Asian community over its perception of [[Stereotype|stereotyping]]. Producers told Cho at different times during production both that she was "too Asian" and that she was "not Asian enough." At one point during the course of the show, producers hired a coach to teach Cho how to "be more Asian."<ref name=adsample />
* Much of the humor was broad and coarse, and at times, stereotypical portrayals of her close Korean relatives and gay bookshop customers were employed.

The show was canceled after suffering poor ratings and the effect of major content changes over the course of its single season (19 episodes).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Anderson |first=Sam |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2136087/ |title=Saved by the Gong: The sitcom that turned Margaret Cho into a cultural hero |magazine=Slate |date=February 23, 2006 |access-date=November 7, 2011}}</ref>

After the show's 1995 cancellation, Cho became addicted to drugs and alcohol. As detailed in her 2002 autobiography, ''[[I'm the One That I Want]],'' in 1995, her substance abuse was evident during a performance in [[Monroe, Louisiana]], where she was booed off the stage by 800 college students after going on the stage [[drunk]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.asianweek.com/2001_11_09/feature.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202150117/http://www.asianweek.com/2001_11_09/feature.html|url-status=dead|title=Margaret Cho's mix of raunch and self-help conquers America|archive-date=February 2, 2007}}</ref>

===1995–2002: Stand-up, acting, and writing===
[[Image:MargaretChoSanFrancisco.jpg|upright|thumb|Cho doing stand-up in June 2005.]]
Though her career and personal life were challenging after the show's cancellation, Cho eventually sobered up, refocused her energy, and developed new material. She hosted the [[Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve|''New Year's Rockin' Eve 95'']] show with [[Steve Harvey]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Margaret Cho with Steve Harvey hosting New Year's Rockin' Eve 1995 |work=Hollywood.com |url=http://www.hollywood.com/tv/Dick_Clarks_New_Years_Rockin_Eve_95/5175998 |access-date=April 9, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New Year's 1994 to 1995 on ABC|via=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYw1MFdjMnw|url-status=dead|access-date=April 9, 2009|archive-date=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305094015/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYw1MFdjMnw}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Margaret Cho|publisher=Film Reference|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/43/Margaret-Cho.html|access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> In 1997, she had a supporting role in the thriller film ''[[Face/Off]]'' starring [[Nicolas Cage]] and [[John Travolta]], playing Wanda, one of the fellow FBI agents of Travolta's primary character.

In 1999, she wrote about her struggles with ''All-American Girl'' in her first one-woman show, ''[[I'm the One That I Want]].'' That year, ''I'm the One That I Want'' won [[New York (magazine)|''New York'' magazine]]'s Performance of the Year award and was named one of the Great Performances of the year by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]].''<ref name=augsburg>{{Cite web|url=http://www.augsburg.edu/news/news-archives/2000/00,10,24,cho.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017050635/http://www.augsburg.edu/news/news-archives/2000/00%2C10%2C24%2Ccho.html|url-status=dead|title=Comedian Margaret Cho to perform at Augsburg College|archive-date=October 17, 2007}}</ref> At the same time, Cho wrote and published an autobiographical book with the same title, and the show itself was filmed and released as a concert film in 2000. Her material dealt with her difficulties breaking into [[show business]] because of her ethnicity and weight and her resulting struggle with and triumph over body image issues and drug and alcohol addiction.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/margaret_cho.html | title=Cho, Margaret – Comedienne, actress | first=Dominick | last=Miserandino | publisher=The Celebrity Cafe | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828140756/http://thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/margaret_cho.html | archive-date=August 28, 2008 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Cho also appeared in an episode of the [[Home Box Office|HBO]] comedy ''[[Sex and the City]]'s'' fourth season. The episode, titled "[[The Real Me (SATC episode)|The Real Me]]," first aired on June 3, 2001, and also guest-starred [[Heidi Klum]].

In 2004, the show ''Notorious C.H.O.'' (the title was derived from slain rapper [[The Notorious B.I.G.]]) referred to the comedian having been reared in 1970s San Francisco and her [[bisexuality]]. After completing ''Notorious C.H.O.'', she made another stand-up film, ''Revolution,'' released in 2004, and subsequently work on her first self-written film in which she starred. ''[[Bam Bam and Celeste]],'' a low-budget comedy about a "[[fag hag]]" and her gay best friend, co-starred Cho's friend and co-touring act Bruce Daniels. The film premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] in 2005. On Valentine's Day of 2004, Cho spoke at the [[Same-sex marriage|Marriage Equality]] Rally at the [[Sacramento, California|California State Capitol]]. Her speech can be seen in the documentary ''Freedom to Marry.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freedomtomarry.tv |title=Freedom to Marry |publisher=Turtle Time Productions |access-date=November 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whygaymarriage.com/singleimage.php/20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814095842/http://www.whygaymarriage.com/singleimage.php/20 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 14, 2007 |title=Margaret Cho Speaks |publisher=Whygaymarriage.com |access-date=November 7, 2011 }}</ref>

===2005–2010: Other projects and television===
In 2005, Cho released her second book, ''I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight,'' a compilation of essays and [[prose]] about [[global politics]], human rights, and other topical issues. Cho launched a national book tour in support of the collection. An audio reading of the book was also released. A DVD of a live taping of her ''[[Margaret Cho: Assassin|Assassin]]'' tour was released in conjunction with the book. The same year, Cho started promoting and touring with her new show, ''Assassin.'' The show became her fourth live concert film and premiered on the gay and lesbian premium cable network [[here TV|Here!]] TV in September 2005. In this DVD, she notably includes herself when talking about gay people, saying "we" and "our community." Posters for ''Assassin'' featured Cho in paratrooper gear and holding a microphone in the style of an automatic rifle, a reference to the infamous 1974 photo of heiress [[Patty Hearst]].

Cho launched "The Sensuous Woman,"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.margaretcho.com/sensuouswoman/index.html |title=The Sensuous Woman |publisher=Margaret Cho official site |access-date=October 10, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004212803/http://www.margaretcho.com/sensuouswoman/index.html |archive-date=October 4, 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> a [[American burlesque|burlesque]]-style variety show tour, in Los Angeles on August 10, 2007, with tour dates scheduled through November 3, as of October 10.<ref name="sensuous_woman_tour">{{cite web |url=http://margaretcho.com/tour/tour.htm |title=The Sensuous Woman Tour Dates |publisher=Margaret Cho official site |access-date=October 10, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903151957/http://www.margaretcho.com/tour/tour.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Scheduled tour stops meant to follow Los Angeles were Chicago, Illinois and New York City.<ref name="sensuous_woman_tour"/> On August 10, 2007 the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' reviewed the show, Cho's work, key events in her personal life and characterized the show thus: "In fact, as bawdy and bad-behaving as the cast gets, the whole show feels more like a crazy family reunion than a performance."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/10/10/apop.DTL | title=ASIAN POP / New tricks | first=Jeff | last=Yang | date=October 10, 2007 | newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | access-date= October 10, 2007}}</ref>

Also in 2007, Cho appeared in [[The Dresden Dolls]]' video of their song "[[Shores of California]]," which was [[Master of Ceremonies|MC]]ed by [[Amanda Palmer]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awnjw36mNEs | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211113/Awnjw36mNEs| archive-date=2021-11-13 | url-status=live|title=The Dresden Dolls 'Shores of California' music video |via=YouTube |date=June 10, 2007 |access-date=November 7, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and in [[The Cliks]]'s video for "Eyes in the Back of My Head," in which she appeared as [[Lucas Silveira]]'s lover.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVcvdXJN5no | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211113/dVcvdXJN5no| archive-date=2021-11-13 | url-status=live|title="Eyes in the Back of My Head" by The Cliks |via=YouTube |date=July 31, 2007 |access-date=November 7, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She also provided the character voice for a character named Condie Ling on the Logo animated series ''[[Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World]].'' Her episodes began airing in 2007.

The premiere performance of Cho's "Beautiful" tour was on February 28, 2008, in Sydney, Australia as part of the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras|Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival]]. Cho was also the [[Grand Marshal|Chief of Parade]] for the festival's annual parade along [[Oxford Street, Sydney|Oxford Street]] on March 1. During her stay in Sydney, Cho was filmed shopping for parade outfits in a [[drag queen|drag]] store with [[Kathy Griffin]] and [[Cyndi Lauper]] for Griffin's Bravo series ''[[Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List|My Life on the D-List]].'' The episode featuring Cho aired on June 26, 2008.

Cho and her family and friends appeared in an episode of NBC's series ''[[Celebrity Family Feud]],'' which premiered on June 24, 2008. Later that summer, she appeared in her own semi-scripted reality sitcom for [[VH1]], ''[[The Cho Show]],'' which premiered on August 21, 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asianweek.com/2008/09/04/asian-reality-what-were-watching-this-fall/ |title=What We're Watching This Fall |work=[[AsianWeek]] |access-date=September 15, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906014411/http://www.asianweek.com/2008/09/04/asian-reality-what-were-watching-this-fall/ |archive-date=September 6, 2008 }}</ref> and lasted one season. She next appeared in the supporting cast of the series ''[[Drop Dead Diva]],'' which debuted in July 2009.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stanley|first=Alessandra|title=Chubby Legal Beagle, Meet Your Inner Skinny Siren|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/arts/television/10fat.html|access-date=June 4, 2020|newspaper=The New York Times|date=9 July 2009}}</ref>

===2011–present: Further appearances and tours===
In April 2011, Cho guest starred on the comedy ''[[30 Rock]]'' in the episode "[[Everything Sunny All the Time Always]]." She portrayed [[Kim Jong-Il]], then the leader of North Korea, that required her to speak both Korean and English. She was nominated for a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/30-rock/show/58326/viewer.html?flag=1&i=1&gri=58326&grti=101 |title=Tina Fey – 30 Rock |publisher=TV.com |date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=November 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807190159/http://www.tv.com/30-rock/show/58326/viewer.html?flag=1&i=1&gri=58326&grti=101 |archive-date=August 7, 2011 }}</ref> She later returned to portray Kim Jong-Il's son, [[Kim Jong-Un]]. [S:6, E:21]  In 2010, Cho was a contestant on the 11th season of ''[[Dancing with the Stars]].''<ref>{{cite web|last=Dos Santos |first=Kristin |url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b197540_dancing_with_stars_sources_confirm.html |title=Dancing With the Stars Sources Confirm Margaret Cho and Jennifer Grey—Guess Which One Gets Derek Hough? |publisher=E! |date=August 27, 2010 |access-date=November 7, 2011}}</ref>

Also in 2011, Cho played a lead role in "America 2049",<ref>{{Cite web |title=America 2049 – Breakthrough U.S. |url=https://letsbreakthrough.org/restoring-fairness/america-2049/ |access-date=2024-09-01 |language=en-US}}</ref> a Facebook-integrated game highlighting social inequities in a dystopian future.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED543350 |title=Evaluation of Breakthrough's "America 2049" Game |last1=Diamond |first1=James |last2=Brunner |first2=Cornelia |date=2011-10-01 |publisher=Education Development Center, Inc |language=en}}</ref>

Since January 2013, Cho has been the co-host of the weekly podcast ''Monsters of Talk'' along with [[Jim Short (comedian)|Jim Short]]. Cho embarked on her "Mother" tour in the fall of 2013 and slated it for engagements in Europe in 2014. The title of the tour refers not to Cho's impressions of her own mother, but to Cho herself. It is her nickname for the figure she has played to her many gay friends over the years.{{sfn|Hagen|2013|p=30}} In 2014, she participated in ''[[Do I Sound Gay?]]'', a documentary film directed and produced by David Thorpe.  The film is about stereotypes of gay men's speech patterns.<ref name=thr>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/do-i-sound-gay-toronto-731253 "'Do I Sound Gay?': Toronto Review"]. ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', September 8, 2014.</ref>

In January 2019, Cho competed in [[The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 1|season one]] of ''[[The Masked Singer (American TV series)|The Masked Singer]]'' as "Poodle". She was eliminated in Episode 4.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dicker |first1=Ron |title='The Masked Singer' Unmasks The Poodle And You'll Never Guess Who (Spoiler Alert) |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-masked-singer-poodle_us_5c499415e4b06ba6d3ba9177 |website=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=January 24, 2019 |date=January 24, 2019}}</ref>

In July 2019, Cho started a solo podcast called ''[[The Margaret Cho]]'', which features guests who primarily work in show business. Guests have included ''[[Queer Eye (2018 TV series)|Queer Eye]]'''s [[Jonathan Van Ness]], tattooist and reality TV figure [[Kat Von D]], screenwriter [[Diablo Cody]], drag queen [[Jackie Beat]], and comedian and TV host [[Michael Yo]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-margaret-cho/id1470515305|title=The Margaret Cho on Apple Podcasts|website=Apple Podcasts|date=June 17, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://margaretcho.com/2019/07/10/new-podcast-the-margaret-cho/|title=New Podcast: THE MARGARET CHO &#124; Margaret Cho Official Site|date=July 10, 2019 }}</ref> Cho has a chapter giving advice in [[Tim Ferriss]]' book [[Tools of Titans]].

In February 2022, she was cast in the documentary series ''[[Everything's Gonna Be All White]]'', airing on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Kai |date=2022-02-10 |title=Everything to Know About Showtime's Provocative New Docuseries, everything's gonna be all white |url=https://parade.com/1333519/kaigreen/everythings-gonna-be-all-white-showtime-backlash/ |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays |language=en}}</ref>

In June 2022, Cho co-starred in a [[romantic comedy]] film, ''[[Fire Island (film)|Fire Island]]'', directed by [[Andrew Ahn]], airing on [[Hulu]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fire Island |url=https://www.hulu.com/movie/fire-island-c2abb64a-bf06-48fa-8465-c0958e2b8ecd |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=Hulu |language=en-US}}</ref>

In November 2023, Cho was a guest on [[Today with Hoda & Jenna]]'', as they recounted her career and celebrated her life's work and inspiration to other comedians.