From the Boardroom to the Comedy Club

Julie Kim didn’t begin her career in comedy—she initially followed the stereotypically ‘Asian’ path of stable jobs in academia and office work. Born and raised in Toronto to a Korean immigrant family, her upbringing took place in a tight-knit, two-bedroom apartment above her family’s grocery store. “At one point, there were seven people in the apartment,” she recalls. “And for a solid six or seven years, I slept on the pull-out sofa bed in the living room.”

With multiple degrees under her belt—including a Master’s and two attempts at a PhD—she straddled the worlds of business, education, and motherhood. Amidst the hustle and bustle, there remained a silent passion in her for a creative life. “At first, I wanted to speak well to stand out among a sea of old white men in boardrooms,” she says. “I also wanted to do a difficult, admirable thing. It was a checkbox.”

A Dramatic Shift to Comedy

Julie didn’t quit everything overnight to pursue comedy. She experimented with it while holding multiple stable jobs, contract roles, while also pursuing her PhD, oscillating between full and part-time focus on her studies. But passion has a way of growing, and eventually, she did what she had to—crossing what she describes as ‘a bridge between conventional pursuits and creative pursuits.’ She stepped away from academia, turned down secure opportunities, and entered a world full of uncertainty and creative risk.

However, Julie was no stranger to the industry’s harsh stereotypes. She faced mistreatment and discrimination, navigating everything from blatant racism to sexism disguised as condescension.  “One booker tried to push me out of the scene because I winced when someone tried to make me kiss him against my will,” she shares.  “A few local comics hated or resented me from the start because I didn’t ‘need’ to do comedy—as if they deserved it more because I had other options. It was a different kind of discrimination I hadn’t encountered before, but for sure it taught me to stay far, far away from the bitter ones in this industry.”

Despite this, Julie pressed forward like the boss that she’s always been. “I had to learn how to produce and promote my own shows. And that built tenacity,” she says. “Now, I’m centered in my identity. My cultural identity and my confidence in it are central to much of the  success I’ve had in the past few years.”

Today, she’s one of Canada’s most sought-after comedians, performing alongside stars like Ronny Chieng, Atsuko, JR de Guzman, and more as she headlines major comedy clubs across North America. “This is the best time of my life,” she says. 

“I’m having the time of my life. But also, I’m still working on a little scarcity mentality and the feeling of constant survival mode,” she shares. “Part of me really enjoys that and part of me needs a new car and a real vacation.”

Being a Mom on the Mic

Being a mother in comedy isn’t easy—especially when constantly on the road. Julie has faced criticism from all sides: family members, fellow parents, and the weight of societal expectations. ‘I deal with it by blocking people out of my life or turning them into jokes—or both,’ she says with a laugh.

Her journey as a mother isn’t separate from her comedy—it is integral to it. “To do my work well, I need to be grounded, happy, and creative. So I try more and more to take care of myself to be those things,” she reflects. “I think it’s an accomplishment to still be writing and performing after more than a decade of true hustling. It’s taken a lot of grit, perseverance, some audacity, and foolishness.”

Julie Kim’s list of accolades is stacked: writing and producing Simu Liu’s iconic I Am Canadian monologue at the JUNO Awards, winning a 2023 Canadian Screen Award, and headlining four sold-out Just for Laughs shows in Toronto.  She’s also written for Kim’s Convenience and Run the Burbs, two shows centred around Asian Canadian families that have reached global audiences. 

As she continues to tour across North America, Julie is also working on upcoming television and film projects and producing her new podcast, Bothered. Next, she will prepare for a new 2026 tour of her solo storytelling show called ‘No One Special’ and writing her first book. 

Connect With Julie Kim

Website: https://www.juliekimcomedy.com/shows 

Podcast: https://www.juliekimcomedy.com/podcast 

Instagram: @juliekimcomedy

YouTube: @JulieKimComedy 

Facebook: Julie Kim

TikTok: @juliekimcomedy