Ronny Chieng likens his new US citizenship to joining the ‘evil empire’
By Ryan General
Comedian and “The Daily Show” correspondent Ronny Chieng recently likened becoming a U.S. citizen to joining an “evil empire” during an appearance on Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast.
- A practical decision: Chieng, who was born in Malaysia, moved to the United States in 2015 to pursue his comedy career. He applied for citizenship while President Barack Obama was in office and officially became a citizen in April. He explained the decision was primarily practical, aimed at avoiding travel complications.
- Life in the “Death Star”: “It’s like you’re joining this evil empire, but that’s not why you joined it,” Chieng said. “It just so happened, the evil empire had some really nice TV shows and they do stand-up comedy in the Death Star.”
- Daily disaster: Chieng also reflected on the political climate during his time in the U.S., noting that since his arrival, President Donald Trump’s influence has been a constant presence. He likened covering Trump’s second term on “The Daily Show” to working in an emergency room, describing it as a “car wreck every day.”
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