Jesse Appell

Jesse Appell (Ai Jiexi (艾杰西) is an American comedian who performs for Chinese and Chinese American audiences, combining traditional Xiangsheng and American-style standup.

Early life and education

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Appell went to Brandeis University where he joined the Global China Connection (GCC) and regularly performed stand-up comedy.

Career

In 2012, Appell started on his journey with Xiangsheng. He went to China in September 2012 to study Chinese at Tsinghua University as a Fulbright Scholar. There, he improved his Chinese and was awarded the Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA). As part of his Fulbright Scholarship, he studied Xiangsheng with a master of the craft, Ding Guangquan (丁广泉). Appell founded a comedy center, LaughBeijing, that hosted over 300 shows per year in Beijing from 2016 to 2020. His work helped bring aspects of Western-style stand-up comedy to China. He viewed himself as a cultural ambassador, combining his talents with the power of the Internet to help U.S.-China relations and bridge cultural gaps.

Appell's 2026 book This Was Funnier in China: An American Comedian's Cross-Cultural Journey described how he built his comedy career, reaching over a million followers on Douyin.

References

  1. 1 2 Deb, Sopan (2026-03-01). "The American Comedian Who Became a Funnyman in China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  2. 1 2 Team, GCC Global (19 February 2021). "Alumni Feature – Jesse Appell – Global China Connection". Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  3. ↑ "Comedian Jesse Appell Presents "The Great LOL of China"". www.umass.edu. 2016-11-30. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  4. ↑ "Jesse Appell - Laowai in Beijing". One in a Billion. 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  5. ↑ "Find Programs". exchanges.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  6. ↑ "点击过亿！师从丁广泉的"洋北漂"艾杰西生动演绎中国人乐观抗疫_相声". www.sohu.com. Retrieved 2021-09-29.[permanent dead link]
  7. ↑ 新华网 (2021-02-23). ""美国东北人"艾杰西的中式喜剧情缘". finance.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  8. ↑ Team, GCC Global (19 February 2021). "Comedy, Intercultural Communication and Global Diplomacy: An Interview with Jesse Appell – Global China Connection". Retrieved 2021-09-29.[permanent dead link]
  9. ↑ Kanthor, Rebecca. "Amid increasing US-China tensions, humor is serious business". The World.
  10. ↑ Boyd, Alexander (2026-03-03). "Chinese Comedy with Jesse Appell". China Books Review. Retrieved 2026-04-15.