Margaret Cho

Margaret started performing stand-up at age 16 in a comedy club called The Rose & Thistle above a bookstore her parents ran. Soon after, she won a comedy contest where first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld. She moved to Los Angeles in the early '90s and lived in a house with several other young performers.

In 2004, Margaret took her politically charged State of Emergency tour through the swing states of the Presidential election. Lauded as "Murderously funny!" by the New York Times, State of Emergency eventually evolved into her fourth national show, Assassin. Her most political and topical work to date, Assassin toured the US, Canada and Australia and was filmed at the Warner Theatre in Washington D.C. The concert film premiered in select theatres and on the gay and lesbian premium channel Here! TV in late 2005 and is now available on DVD.

In addition to her busy touring schedule, Margaret has proven herself an established writer and blogger; her second book, a collection of essays on all subjects political and pop, I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight was published by Riverhead Books, a division of Penguin Group (2005). She has also completed her first narrative feature; Bam Bam and Celeste, written by and starring Margaret, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in late 2005 and has since played at the AFI Fest, Frameline, Fusion, and the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Last year Margaret also returned to her stand-up roots with a brand new tour, Beautiful, which premiered in Australia at The Sydney Theater in February. This was the first time Margaret debuted a tour abroad, and she was honored to be named Chief of the 30th annual Sydney Mardi Gras Parade while down under. After returning to the US, Margaret embarked on a nationwide tour of Beautiful, which was extended through the fall, capped off with a show at Radio City Music Hall, and filmed at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. Beautiful, Margaret's fifth concert film, is slated to premiere on Showtime Friday, July 3rd at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Beautiful explores the good, bad, and downright ugly in beauty, and the unattractive politicians and marketers who shape our world. Armed with something more potent than lip gloss — a mouth so shocking and raunchy it should be stamped with a warning – Cho says she wants to explore the nature of beauty. "This show is really about how we should feel beautiful. When you feel beautiful, you're going to have more of a willingness to use your voice to speak," says Cho. "And there are a lot of dick jokes. A whole lot."

In other TV news, Margaret is also starring in the all-new comedic drama series, Drop Dead Diva, debuting on Lifetime, Sunday, July 12th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Drop Dead Diva tells the story of a shallow model-in-training who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney. Television newcomer and stage actress Brooke Elliott (Wicked, Taboo) stars as lawyer Jane Bingum, and Margaret plays her gal Friday, Terri.

This show, I absolutely love. It's really funny, but it's also touching. It has a lot of heart, and I think the acting is really incredible. I think people are going to fall in love with Brooke and the character Jane and realize that beauty comes in all sizes. When you look at women in movies and TV, it's an unrealistic view of what women really look like. With the show, we are promoting a real woman who is beautiful with real curves, has a real attitude and is fabulous.

This fall, Margaret will also be touring as she works out a new stand-up show that features a healthy mix of new comedy and live music. In the spirit of Cho's diverse identity and equally diverse career, her workshop tour will feature her burgeoning foray into the realm of comedy music. She will be showcasing songs from her forthcoming album, tentatively titled Guitarded, which will feature guest appearances by Patty Griffin, Jon Brion, Grant Lee Phillips, and others. Cho's workshop shows feature her trademark raunchy, socially relevant and politically-charged comedy, and also offer a unique chance to see her in a more intimate setting as she develops songs from her forthcoming comedy album.

Margaret was the recipient of the Victory Fund's 2008 Leadership Award and the first ever Best Comedy Performance Award at the 2007 Asian Excellence Awards. She also recently received the First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California, and the Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women (NOW). Throughout her career, she has been honored by GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and PFLAG for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of race, sexual orientation or gender identity.

I didn't mean to be a role model. I just speak my truth. I guess speaking from your heart really creates a huge impact, and if I can encourage people to do that, then I would love to be a role model. If I could encourage people to use their voices loudly, then that's my reward. I don't care about winning an academy award; I don't care about mainstream acceptance, because it's never going to be what I want it to be. I just want to do my work and love it.