Jesse Appell
Jesse Appell (Ai Jiexi (艾杰西) is an American comedian who performs for Chinese and Chinese American audiences, combining traditional Xiangsheng and American-style standup.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Appell went to Brandeis University where he joined the Global China Connection (GCC) and regularly performed stand-up comedy.[2]
Career
[edit]In 2012, Appell started on his journey with Xiangsheng.[3] He went to China in September 2012 to study Chinese at Tsinghua University as a Fulbright Scholar.[4] There, he improved his Chinese and was awarded the Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA).[5] As part of his Fulbright Scholarship, he studied Xiangsheng with a master of the craft, Ding Guangquan (丁广泉).[6] Appell founded a comedy center, LaughBeijing, that hosted over 300 shows per year in Beijing from 2016 to 2020.[2] His work helped bring aspects of Western-style stand-up comedy to China.[7] He viewed himself as a cultural ambassador, combining his talents with the power of the Internet to help U.S.-China relations and bridge cultural gaps.[8][9]
Appell's 2026 book This Was Funnier in China: An American Comedian's Cross-Cultural Journey described how he built his comedy career, reaching over a million followers on Douyin.[1][10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Deb, Sopan (2026-03-01). "The American Comedian Who Became a Funnyman in China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
- 1 2 Team, GCC Global (19 February 2021). "Alumni Feature – Jesse Appell – Global China Connection". Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "Comedian Jesse Appell Presents "The Great LOL of China"". www.umass.edu. 2016-11-30. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "Jesse Appell - Laowai in Beijing". One in a Billion. 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "Find Programs". exchanges.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ↑ "点击过亿！师从丁广泉的"洋北漂"艾杰西生动演绎中国人乐观抗疫_相声". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2021-09-29.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ 新华网 (2021-02-23). ""美国东北人"艾杰西的中式喜剧情缘". finance.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ↑ Team, GCC Global (19 February 2021). "Comedy, Intercultural Communication and Global Diplomacy: An Interview with Jesse Appell – Global China Connection". Retrieved 2021-09-29.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Kanthor, Rebecca. "Amid increasing US-China tensions, humor is serious business". The World.
- ↑ Boyd, Alexander (2026-03-03). "Chinese Comedy with Jesse Appell". China Books Review. Retrieved 2026-04-15.