From Fulbright scholar to Xiangsheng comic: how Jesse Appell found his voice in China
US comedian spent 8 years mastering Chinese comedy, navigating culture, language and fame before Covid forced a return home
In 2012, American Jesse Appell stepped off a plane in China on a Fulbright scholarship to study an unusual subject: the art of Chinese comedy.
Over the next few years, Appell, then in his 20s, found himself telling jokes in clubs across China, studying traditional comedy under a master, and even appearing on television. The country’s comedy scene and cultural footprint expanded in ways he could not have predicted – and Appell was along for the ride.
“There were so many opportunities to be a part of building that country,” he said, adding that “comedy was my small way, but I really made an impact in the early days of the comedy scene there … I was able to be part of the comedy history of a huge country”.
Long interested in languages and new cultures, Appell’s curiosity drew him to China. He had first visited in 2010, before returning in 2012 to live there for eight years.
His journey to China, however, began long before he touched down in Beijing. As a teenager, he was interested in learning new languages and making his classmates laugh, always hoping to find a way to combine the two. He first started learning Mandarin Chinese at school in a language class.
“A lot of people in America, they hear like, ‘oh, I have to study a foreign language’, and they’re kind of upset about it. I always liked it. I thought it was fun,” he said.