Mixed Plate

Book excerpt: A stunning, hilarious memoir from Jo Koy, star of the major motion picture Easter Sunday, creator of the Netflix specials In His Elements and Coming in Hot and “far and away one of the funniest people out there” (Chelsea Handler). Mixed Plate illuminates the burning drive, celebration of his Filipino heritage and the brilliant comedic talent that make Jo Koy one of the world’s most successful comedians. Includes never-before-seen photos. In a memoir that is both surprising in its honesty and not surprising all for being laugh out loud ridiculous, Jo Koy delivers his life story for fans, and for anyone who has defied the expectations of their family and maybe even themselves. If you’ve ever seen Jo Koy’s standup, you know that his road to success has been…well…bumpy. As a half-Filipino, half-white kid with a mom who didn’t think much of his comedy career goals, Jo had a lot to prove. Add in the realities of the immigrant experience, alcoholism, poverty and mental illness and you can understand why Jo Koy found solace in the VHS tapes he made of Eddie Murphy and George Carlin specials. In the end, Mixed Plate is his path to achieving his version of the American Dream, one that he lives out loud today while celebrating his heritage, the life he’s been able to provide for his son Joe, Jr., and all the wonderful craziness of his great big Filipino family …that also happen to be universal. Just like Hawaii’s favorite lunch, the mixed plate, this book takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that from a few cultures and creates a delicious whole.