Irene Tu

Irene Tu (born 1992) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. She has appeared at comedy festivals such as SF Sketchfest,{{cite web|url=https://sfsketchfest2018.sched.com/speaker/irene_tu.1xebtxnl|title=Irene Tu's schedule for SF Sketchfest 2018|website=sfsketchfest2018.sched.com}} the Portland Queer Comedy Festival,{{cite web|url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/comedy/2019/07/18/26818815/our-picks-for-the-2019-portland-queer-comedy-festival|title=Our Picks for the 2019 Portland Queer Comedy Festival|first=Suzette|last=Smith|website=Portland Mercury}} Bridgetown Comedy Festival, and Comedy Central's Clusterfest,{{cite web|url=https://www.sfweekly.com/culture/clusterfest-marred-by-logistical-blunders/|title=Clusterfest Marred by Logistical Blunders|first=Zack|last=Ruskin|date=June 24, 2019|website=SF Weekly}} and on shows such as Take My Wife and Funny How? In 2016, she was named one of KQED's Women to Watch{{cite web|url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/11517480/women-to-watch-irene-tu|title=Women to Watch: Irene Tu|date=July 11, 2016|publisher=KQED}} and SFist listed her as one of the Bay Area's 11 Best Stand Up Comics.{{cite web|url=https://sfist.com/2016/03/14/11_best_bay_area_standup_comedians_1/|title=The Bay Area's 11 Best Standup Comedians: SFist|date=March 14, 2016|website=SFist – San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221232546/https://sfist.com/2016/03/14/11_best_bay_area_standup_comedians_1/|archive-date=December 21, 2019|url-status=dead}} In 2017, the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed her as an "artist on the brink of fame".{{cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Artists-on-brink-of-fame-share-a-common-work-ethic-12271148.php|title=Artists on brink of fame share a common work ethic|date=October 11, 2017|website=San Francisco Chronicle |last1=Hartlaub |first1=Peter }} In 2019, Vulture by New York Magazine placed her on their list The Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2019, tracking "23 comics that industry insiders are watching closely".{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/best-new-up-and-coming-comedians-to-watch-in-2019.html|title=The Comedians You Should and Will Know of 2019|first=Jake Kroeger, Anne Victoria|last=Clark|date=October 29, 2019|website=Vulture}} The same year, SFist listed her as one of 13 San Francisco Standup Comedians to Go See Now.{{cite web|url=https://sfist.com/2019/02/21/best-standup-comedians-san-francisco-bay-area/|title=13 San Francisco Standup Comedians to Go See Now|date=February 21, 2019|website=SFist – San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221231043/https://sfist.com/2019/02/21/best-standup-comedians-san-francisco-bay-area/|archive-date=December 21, 2019|url-status=dead}}

Early life

Tu was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago.{{cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/performance/article/Comedian-Irene-Tu-builds-comic-momentum-12271154.php|title=Comedian Irene Tu builds comic momentum|date=October 11, 2017|website=San Francisco Chronicle}} An only child, her grandparents would stay with the family when they were not in their home country of China. Tu's parents separated when she reached high school.

Tu sang in elementary school chorus for several years and played piano for ten years.Broccoli & Ice Cream podcast, 2:30. She also enjoyed running, soccer, and basketballJV Club podcast, 38:25. and participated in scholastic bowl as well as science club in middle school.JV Club podcast, 43:35. Around this time, she began teasing classmates, which she attributes to her comedic bent. She loved watching Ellen DeGeneres's The Ellen Show every day after school, which inspired Tu to google what Ellen did before she was famous for her show. She discovered that Ellen began her career as a standup comedian; this set Tu on a path toward the same profession.Broccoli & Ice Cream podcast, 3:09. At age 16, she began taking classes in comedy at Second City. A closeted lesbian at the time, Tu only wrote observational comedic routines that did not reflect her personal life.JV Club podcast, 21:30. Ellen DeGeneres was her main comedic inspiration.

=Education=

Tu attended Northwestern University for two years; she considered majoring in environmental science but ultimately found its subject matter too depressing.JV Club podcast, 39:03. She then switched to economics for a semester but found she had trouble understanding the discipline. She next considered gender studies as well as Asian-American studies. However, upon transferring to the University of California, Berkeley,{{cite web|url=https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/spring-2018-edibles-and-potables/funny-girl-irene-tu-and-comer-bay-area-comedy|title=Funny Girl: Irene Tu Is an Up-and-Comer in Bay Area Comedy|date=April 3, 2018|website=Cal Alumni Association}} she found she did not care for the gender studies class offerings there,Broccoli & Ice Cream podcast, 7:00. but it so happened that by then she had accumulated a number of credits in Asian-American studies, so ultimately she majored in that.JV Club podcast, 39:52.

Career

Tu began performing her standup while at Northwestern, which continued while she was still a student at Berkeley.Broccoli & Ice Cream podcast, 8:54.

Post-college, Tu worked at Eastwind Books of Berkeley, a small bookstore one of her Asian-American studies professors owned.Broccoli & Ice Cream podcast, 9:03. Also in the Bay, Tu co-founded and hosted a monthly comedy show at White Horse Bar in Oakland called Man Haters. It went on to tour nationally, with different comedians, including Tu, hosting.{{cite web|url=https://www.brava.org/all-events/2019/6/5/man-haters-sf-edition|title=Man Haters SF Edition|website=Brava for Women in the Arts|date=June 5, 2019 }} Additionally, she hosted Hysteria, a weekly comedy open mic for female and queer comics,{{cite web|url=https://www.visitoakland.com/event/man-haters-women-queers-%26-comedy/20948/|title=Man Haters – Women, Queers & Comedy|website=visitoakland.com|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221231044/https://www.visitoakland.com/event/man-haters-women-queers-%26-comedy/20948/|url-status=dead}} which was named the East Bay Express 2016 and 2017 Best Comedy Show. In 2018, she performed at the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center of San Francisco's 21st Annual United States of Asian America Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.apiculturalcenter.org/usaaf2018|title=USAAF 2018|website=Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center}}

Relocating to Los Angeles later in 2018, Tu began performing at a variety of events such as Kids in the Yard,{{cite web|url=https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/event/2019/09/21/kids-in-the-yard-a-stand-up-comedy-party|title=Kids in the Yard: A stand-up comedy party|website=Discover Los Angeles|access-date=December 21, 2019|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221232545/https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/event/2019/09/21/kids-in-the-yard-a-stand-up-comedy-party|url-status=dead}} Very Forward!,{{cite web|url=https://losangeles.eventful.com/events/very-forward-irene-tu-dave-ross-ever-mainard-/E0-001-098208100-3|title=Eventful: Very Forward! (Irene Tu, Dave Ross, Ever Mainard + More!)|website=Eventful}} Woman Crush Wednesdays and Gays 'R' Us at the Hollywood Improv,{{cite web|url=https://improv.com/hollywood/event/women+crush+wednesday/9824775/|title=Women Crush Wednesday ft. Lydia Popovich, Irene Tu, Katie Compa, and more! at Hollywood Improv (9824775)|website=Hollywood Improv}}{{cite web|url=https://improv.com/hollywood/event/gays+r+us+w/+erin+foley+and+more+tba!/9981975/|title=Improv – Where Comedy Begins|website=Hollywood Improv}} and Asian AF Los Angeles's Autumn Moon Rap Battle. She also began performing at venues ranging from Fais Do-Do{{cite web|url=https://dola.com/events/2020/1/10/night-voyage-a-comedy-party-tickets|title=Event Listing|website=DoLA}} and Dynasty Typewriter{{cite web|url=https://www.eventbrite.com/e/84191369653?aff=efbneb|title=Dynasty Tonight! Stand-Up + Variety Show! w/ Max and Nicky Weinbach, Irene Tu, + Mary Birdsong!|website=Eventbrite}} to the Ace Hotel and Geeky Teas & Games. Also in 2018, Tu was featured on Out On Stage: The Series on Pluto TV.

In 2019, Tu toured as part of Minority Retort, a Portland-based, stand-up comedy show featuring only comedians of color.{{cite web|url=https://www.eugeneweekly.com/2019/06/27/vocal-minority/|title=Vocal Minority – Eugene Weekly|date=June 27, 2019 }} Also in 2019, Tu opened for Patton Oswalt on the southwest leg of his comedy tour, hosted the Balboa Theatre's Oscars party, and hosted Comedy x Pop Up Food{{cite web|url=https://dothebay.com/events/2019/6/3/comedy-x-pop-up-food-june-3-at-starline-social-club|website=dothebay.com|title=Event Listing}} on a weekly basis. She performed at Oakland Pride in September 2019. She also continued touring, performing at venues such as Cobb's Comedy Club,{{cite web|url=https://dothebay.com/hometown-heroes-san-franciscos-last-laughs-nye-2020-tickets|website=dothebay.com|title=Event Listing}} Montgomery College's Cultural Arts Center at Silver Spring,{{cite web|url=https://mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/cac/irene-tu-comedy/|title=Irene Tu (Comedy) – Cultural Arts Center|date=July 22, 2019 }} and the Brooklyn Museum,{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/comedy_fsat_november_2019|title=Brooklyn Museum: Comedy FSAT November 2019|website=brooklynmuseum.org}}{{cite web |url=https://www.nylaughs.org/news/pleased-to-welcome-irene-tu-to-the-stage-for |title=Post |website=nylaughs.org |date=October 31, 2019 |access-date=December 21, 2019 |archive-date=December 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221231043/https://www.nylaughs.org/news/pleased-to-welcome-irene-tu-to-the-stage-for |url-status=dead }} among others.

Tu is selected as a performer for the 2020 Southland Comedy Festival. The festival organizers consider the lineup to be "20 of the most talented comedians from around the country".{{cite web|url=https://www.southlandcomedyfestival.com/|title=Southland Comedy Festival|website=Southland Comedy Festival}} Tu is also slated to perform at SF Sketchfest 2020.{{cite web|url=https://sfsketchfest2020.sched.com/artist/irene_tu.20b62jr0|title=Irene Tu's schedule for SF Sketchfest 2020|website=sfsketchfest2020.sched.com}}

Personal life

Tu always knew she was "different" from a young age but did not recognize in what way. She finally realized she was gay while attending summer camp at the University of Chicago; a girl she had a crush on told her she was funny, and the realization was near-instantaneous.JV Club podcast, 25:09. She had also previously had sex with a female best friend, but neither she nor the friend ever put labels of "dating", "girlfriends", or "gay" on their experiences with one another.JV Club podcast, 26:12. Tu also notes that she was always drawn to female characters in cartoons and television showsJV Club podcast, 33:25. and had a crush on Harry Potter actress Emma Watson.JV Club podcast, 33:48.

Filmography

class="wikitable"
style="background:#ccc;"\| Year ! style="background:#ccc;"\| Film
2019 \|Straight Up, Stand Up
2019 \|The Report (Card)
2018 \|The Guest List
2018 \|Out On Stage
2017 \|Take My Wife
2016–2017 \|The Guest List
2016 \|Flophouse

class="wikitable"

style="background:#ccc;"| Year

! style="background:#ccc;"| Film

2019

|Straight Up, Stand Up

2019

|The Report (Card)

2018

|The Guest List

2018

|Out On Stage

2017