Jes Tom (born 1990/1991)[1] is an American comedian, actor, and writer based in New York City.[2] Their work explores themes including sex, gender identity, and Asian American representation.[2][3][4][5]
Jes Tom
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Born | 1990 or 1991 (age 33–34)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
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Alma mater | Smith College |
Occupation(s) | Comedian, actor, writer |
Website | jestomdotcom |
Tom was born and raised in San Francisco, California.[5][6][7] They enjoyed acting in high school, and later joined the improvisation team at Smith College.[7]
Tom graduated from Smith in 2013.[1][2] In 2016, they completed a two-year acting program at the Maggie Flanagan Studio.[8]
In 2011, Tom started performing at open mics in San Francisco.[1][5][9] In 2013, they moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy.[1][2][10]
In 2021, Tom was named a New Face of Comedy at the Just for Laughs comedy festival.[11][12]
In 2022, Tom's solo show, Less Lonely, had its off-Broadway premiere at the Cherry Lane Theatre.[3][7] The show returned to off-Broadway in 2023 for a limited engagement at the Greenwich House Theater, presented by their friend Elliot Page.[1][3][8][13]
Tom worked as a story editor for the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death.[1][2][8] Their other credits include the animated series Tuca & Bertie,[2][7] the Netflix/Funny or Die short film Soojung Dreams of Fiji,[14][15][16] and an Instagram live advice show for Netflix, Dear Jes.[2][5][7]
In March 2024, Tom appeared in a Netflix comedy special, Gender Agenda, hosted by Hannah Gadsby and also featuring fellow genderqueer comedians Alok, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Krishna Istha, Asha Ward, and Mx. Dahlia Belle.[17]
Tom is a fifth-generation Asian American, of Japanese and Chinese descent.[2][13][14] They are non-binary and transmasculine,[2][13][10] and go by they/them pronouns.[8][14][18]