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Jake Choi
Jake Choi
Jake Choi
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Jake Choi (born January 14, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Miggy on the ABC comedy Single Parents. He previously starred in Front Cover, an LGBTQ independent film. Choi has also appeared in Younger, EastSiders, and The Sun Is Also a Star.[1][2][3]

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Choi was born January 14, 1985,[4] and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. He is Korean American.[5] He was raised by his single mother, and came from "working-class immigrant roots."[6] During high school he played in the AAU.[7] He graduated from Newtown High School in 2004, where he played on the school varsity basketball team.[7]

After graduating, he moved to South Korea to play basketball at Yonsei University, and subsequently played in the Korean Basketball League.[5][8] He returned to the States and pursued acting, taking classes at Lee Strasberg Institute.[7][8]

Career

[edit]

In 2015, Choi played his first lead role as Ryan in the independent film Front Cover,[9] an LGBTQ romantic comedy that featured two Asian male leads.[10][11][12] Choi's performance received positive critical reviews.[13] According to Sheri Linden at The Hollywood Reporter: "Chen's career-driven Ning defies easy labels, but ultimately the movie is about Ryan's transformation, one that Choi deftly conveys."[14]

Choi has appeared in guest roles on several television shows since 2015, including Broad City, Younger, and Hawaii 5-0.[7] He played a recurring role on HBO's Succession in 2018.[15]

Choi gained wider prominence after he was cast as a series regular on the fall 2018 ABC show Single Parents in the role of Miggy, a 20-year-old single dad.[15][16] The show was cancelled in May 2020 after two seasons.[17]

As of January 2019, he has a recurring role on EastSiders, a Netflix dark comedy.[18] The same year, he played Charles Bae, brother of Charles Melton's Daniel Bae, in the film adaptation of the YA novel The Sun Is Also a Star.[8]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2018, Choi came out as sexually fluid.[8]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Director Notes
2010 Closed Takeout Man Alex Shin, Christopher Zou Short film
2011 The Last Farewell Jerry Girard Tecson Short film
P-Word Pizza Yelena Sabel Short film
Psycho-Path Luke Geraldine Winters
Home Restaurant Boss Seimi Kim Short film
2012 The Contained Victim Ryan Kramer Short film
The Learning Curve Lenny Scott Eriksson Short film
The Friend Mark Cobain Chris Bo Wen Short film
2013 Walkie Buddies Mike Martin Rosete Short film
Benchmark T Vincent Lin Short film
Welcome Home Liam Patrick Chen Short film
Hypebeasts Danny Jess Dela Merced Short film
2015 Front Cover Ryan Ray Yeung Nominated – Golden Koala Award for Best Actor
2016 Wolves Gil Bart Freundlich
Money Monster Korean News Anchor Jodie Foster
A Bear Lands on Earth Dave Hiroo Takaoka, Rob Yang
Meet Ugly Andrew Yasmine Gomez Short film
2019 Ms. Purple Johnny Justin Chon
The Sun Is Also a Star Charles Bae Ry Russo-Young
2020 Keep Home Alive Colton Laura Murphy
Definition Please Richie Sujata Day
2021 Lust Life Love Daniel Benjamin Feuer, Stephanie Sellars
2022 Please Baby Please Lon Amanda Kramer
R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned Slim Paul Leyden
2023 World's Best Mr. Oh Roshan Sethi
The Mattachine Family Jamie Andy Vallentine
2025 Idiotka Jung-soo Nastasya Popov

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Mysteries at the Museum MIT Student Episode: "Annabelle Doll, Bridge Collapse, Whale Attack"
2011–2012 CollegeHumor Originals Person 4/Son Rearden 2 episodes
2012 Jest Originals Jeremy Lin Episode: "Jeremy Lin Picked Last in Pickup Game"
2012 School Spirits Daniel Hooven Episode: "Frat House Phantom"
2012 Steel Wulf: Cyber Ninja Sniper 6 episodes
2013 Golden Boy Gunman Episode: "Pilot"
2013 Unforgettable Waiter/Uncover Agent Episode: "Day of the Jackie"
2014 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ty Lee Episode: "Gridiron Soldier"
2014 Gotham Gunman #2 Episode: "Arkham"
2015 Broad City James Episode: "Mochalatta Chills"
2015 Younger Roman 3 episodes
2016 The Mysteries of Laura Calvin Wu Episode: "The Mystery of the End of Watch"
2016 Difficult People Restaurant Host Episode: "36 Candles"
2016 Lethal Weapon Richie Kim Episode: "Fashion Police"
2016 Next Big Thing Beau TV movie
2017 Hawaii Five-0 Lee Sung Episode: "Ka 'Aelike"
2017 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders The Booker Episode: "Pretty Like Me"
2018 F*ck Yes N/A Episode: "Toys"
2018 Succession Tatsuya 2 episodes
2018–2020 Single Parents Miggy Park Main role
2018 Untitled Gamer Comedy Show Beau Chang Episode: "Pilot: Clan War"
2019 EastSiders Clifford 4 episodes
2020 The Magicians Shinjiro Episode: "The Wrath of the Time Bees"
2021 American Housewife J.D. Recurring role, 5 episodes
2021 In Treatment Notary Episode: "Eladio - Week 3"
2021 American Horror Stories Stan Episode: "Ba'al"

Music Video Appearances

[edit]
Year Title Artist Reference
2016 Good Loco, Gray Ft. ELO [19]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Jake Choi

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Jake Choi (born January 14, 1985) is an American actor of Korean descent, recognized primarily for his lead role as Miguel "Miggy" Park, a 21-year-old single father, in the ABC Single Parents (2018–2020). Born in , New York, to Korean immigrant parents, Choi excelled in during high school as co-captain and starting , securing an athletic scholarship to in , where he continued playing at the college level. After semi-professional pursuits, he transitioned to upon discovery by a talent manager, hosting the Korean cooking program Cuisine Tour after outcompeting 450 applicants. Returning to the , Choi trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in , debuting on television with in 2010 and securing guest spots on series including : and Unforgettable. His breakthrough came with Single Parents, where he appeared in all 45 episodes alongside actors such as and , portraying a character balancing immature antics with nascent parenting responsibilities. Additional credits encompass a recurring role as Tetsuya in HBO's Succession, the independent film (2015), and supporting parts in Wolves (2016) and The Sun Is Also a Star (2019).

Early life

Family background and upbringing

Jake Choi was born on January 14, 1985, in , New York, to working-class Korean immigrant parents. His family settled in the diverse neighborhood, characterized by a high concentration of immigrant communities from , , and elsewhere. When Choi was 10 years old, his father left the family, leaving him to be raised in a single-mother amid economic challenges typical of many working-class immigrant families in the area. This structure exposed him to the realities of self-sufficiency in an urban environment with limited resources, as his mother managed the alone. During his childhood and adolescence, Choi engaged in sports as a key activity, focusing on within ' competitive youth and school leagues. As a senior at Newtown High School, he served as co-captain and starting for the , demonstrating leadership on the court before graduating in 2004. Following high school, he briefly played semi-professional , including opportunities tied to athletic pursuits in New York and abroad, prior to pivoting from sports.

Education and formative experiences

Choi attended Newtown High School in , graduating in the class of 2003, where the diverse urban environment of the borough exposed him to a multicultural setting that broadened his early perspectives. During his senior year, he served as co-captain and starting for the school's team, channeling significant energy into athletics amid a background of street-level challenges in his neighborhood. Following high school, Choi relocated to to study at , continuing his pursuit of basketball with ambitions for a professional athletic career, including play. He later returned to the , undergoing a self-driven pivot from sports to after recognizing basketball's limitations as a path forward, independent of primary external influences. In , Choi enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, focusing on techniques to develop emotional depth and character immersion skills essential for his craft. He supplemented this with private training under instructors Bob Krakower and Ted Sluberski at the T. Schreiber Studio, refining his approach through intensive scene work and . This period solidified his foundational abilities in the , bridging his athletic discipline with interpretive artistry.

Acting career

Early training and initial roles

Following his training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in , where he studied alongside instructors such as Bob Krakower and Ted Sluberski, Jake Choi pursued opportunities in New York theater and entry-level film and television work during the early 2010s. Unable to afford extended formal classes, Choi supported himself through odd jobs while auditioning aggressively for any available roles, including commercials, stage productions, and short films. Choi's initial screen credits included minor parts in short films, such as the role of a takeout man in the 2010 crime short Closed, followed by appearances in The Last Farewell (2011) and For The Win (2011). His first television role came in an episode of the History Channel series Mysteries at the Museum, marking his entry into broadcast work. In theater, he performed in New York stage productions, including the off-Broadway play Carnival Kids (2014), where he portrayed Mark and earned recognition as part of a New York Times Critics' Choice selection. These early efforts occurred against a backdrop of limited opportunities for Asian American actors, particularly men, whom Choi has described as frequently desexualized and typecast in Hollywood narratives that marginalize their romantic or leading potential. In interviews, Choi highlighted the persistence required to build a resume amid such industry biases, noting that Asian male performers often faced narrower casting pools compared to their peers, compelling him to diversify across shorts, theater, and commercials to gain visibility.

Breakthrough in independent cinema

Choi's entry into feature filmmaking occurred with his lead role in the 2015 independent drama , directed by Ray Yeung, where he portrayed Ryan Yu, an openly gay Chinese-American fashion stylist navigating cultural clashes and personal identity in a romance with a closeted Chinese actor visiting New York. The film premiered at the on June 26, 2015, and received a on August 5, 2016, earning recognition for its exploration of Asian experiences often underrepresented in cinema. Critics highlighted Choi's performance for its authenticity and emotional nuance, with noting he was "especially good" in conveying Ryan's internal conflicts and professional frustrations amid ethnic and sexual tensions. This role marked Choi's first starring turn in a narrative feature, building on his prior short-film and stage work to demonstrate range in indie contexts by embodying a character who rejects simplistic of Asian through subtle and . Reviews praised the naturalistic delivery that grounded the film's romantic and cultural themes, as observed how Choi immersed viewers in Ryan's world of fashion and self-acceptance, fostering believable chemistry with co-star James Chen. Variety commended the portrayal for bridging cultural gaps without resorting to , emphasizing depth over in depicting intra-Asian dynamics. Such acclaim positioned —which holds an 83% approval rating on based on 12 reviews—as a pivotal showcase for Choi's ability to humanize multifaceted identities in low-budget arthouse projects. Through Front Cover, Choi challenged prevailing Hollywood tropes by centering a lead who openly integrates his ethnicity and sexuality without tragedy or assimilation as the sole arcs, a departure evidenced by the film's festival circuit success, including awards for narrative feature at events like the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival. This indie breakthrough elevated his visibility in circuits prioritizing diverse, character-driven stories, setting the stage for further roles that prioritized psychological realism over typecasting.

Television prominence

Choi's television breakthrough came with his casting as the series regular Miggy Park, a immature yet endearing 20-year-old single father, in the ABC ensemble comedy Single Parents, which premiered on September 26, 2018. In the role, Choi portrayed a Korean-American character navigating parenthood alongside more seasoned parents, showcasing his comedic timing through physical humor and naive charm that highlighted Miggy's growth from reluctant caregiver to devoted figure. The series emphasized diverse casting, with Choi's character contributing to representation of young, minority single fathers in network sitcoms, though it drew from ensemble dynamics rather than solo cultural narratives. Single Parents aired for two seasons, producing 33 episodes before ABC canceled it on May 21, 2020, primarily due to mediocre viewership ratings averaging a 0.6 in the key 18-49 demographic and insufficient retention from lead-in programs like Modern Family. Despite critical praise for Choi's performance and the show's fresh take on co-parenting, the network's decision reflected broader performance shortfalls rather than external factors unrelated to audience metrics. Beyond the lead role, Choi demonstrated versatility in guest appearances, including as J.D., a luxury hotel manager, in the fifth-season episode "The Heist" of ABC's on February 10, 2021. This spot allowed him to flex dramatic-comedic range in a supporting capacity, interacting with the lead family amid schemes for free perks, underscoring his adaptability outside ensemble leads. Such roles marked his transition from indie features to broader network exposure, leveraging honed timing for quick-witted banter.

Recent developments and challenges

Following the conclusion of Single Parents in 2020, Choi's visibility in major network television diminished, with subsequent roles primarily in independent productions amid a saturated acting market. In March 2024, he secured the lead role in the indie dark comedy The Late Night Creep, portraying an unhappily married man navigating late-night escapades, under writer-director Jamal Dedeaux; the film screened to favorable reviews at the 2025 American Black Film Festival. In July 2025, Choi was announced for the ensemble comedy Reunion, co-starring , , and , produced with involvement from late executive producer Fred Roos; the project underscores his continued pursuit of diverse genre work. Speculation in online discussions, including threads from early 2024, has linked Choi's lower profile to possible industry repercussions from union conflicts involving former co-stars, such as perceived ; however, these claims remain unverified by primary sources, with no public statements from Choi or official union records confirming barriers, and his booking of recent films evidences ongoing professional engagement and adaptability in a field where opportunities fluctuate based on casting trends and project financing.

Filmography

Film roles

  • 2013: Hypebeasts as Danny.
  • 2015: as Ryan (lead role).
  • 2016: Wolves as Gil.
  • 2016: as Korean News Anchor.
  • 2019: The Sun Is Also a Star as Charles Bae.
  • 2019: as Johnny.
  • 2020: as Richie.
  • 2021: Lust Life Love as Daniel.
  • 2022: as Lon.
  • 2022: R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned as Slim.
  • 2023: as Mr. Oh.
  • 2023: The Mattachine Family as Jamie.

Television roles

Choi's television debut came in 2013 with a guest role as an undercover agent named Walter in the CBS procedural Unforgettable. In 2014, he appeared as Ty Lee in an episode of NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and as Gunman #2 in the Fox series Gotham. Subsequent guest spots included James in Comedy Central's Broad City (2015), Restaurant Host in Hulu's Difficult People (2016), and roles in TV Land's Younger and CBS's Hawaii Five-0 during the mid-2010s. He portrayed Tatsuya in the first season of HBO's Succession in 2018. Choi achieved series regular status as Miggy Park, a supportive friend and roommate in a single-parent group, in ABC's Single Parents, appearing in all 45 episodes across two seasons from 2018 to 2020. He followed with a recurring role in four episodes of Netflix's in 2019. In 2020, he guest-starred as Shinjiro in The Syfy's The Magicians and as Colton in the short-form series Keep Hope Alive. Later appearances include five episodes as J.D. in ABC's (2021), a role in FX on Hulu's anthology (2021), and Pete Lee in CBS's FBI: Most Wanted (2023).

Personal life and identity

Family dynamics

Choi has reflected on his upbringing by a single immigrant mother from Korea as a formative influence that cultivated his independence and appreciation for resilience amid economic challenges. In interviews, he has highlighted her long hours working as a waitress to support the family, crediting this experience with embedding a practical and self-sufficiency that persist into his adulthood. These reflections underscore Choi's view of familial perseverance as a model for navigating personal and professional obstacles, without delving into unresolved tensions or idealizations. Public details on his ongoing relationships with , including a who contributed to his early care, remain sparse, with Choi emphasizing in such matters. As of 2025, no confirmed exist of Choi entering or fathering children, aligning with his focus on and individual growth in available statements.

Sexual fluidity and public coming out

In a September 26, 2018, interview with Very Good Light, Choi disclosed his identification as sexually fluid, marking a shift from his prior self-perception as straight. He attributed this evolution to reflections prompted by his role as a gay fashion stylist in the 2015 independent film Front Cover, stating, "When I shot the movie I identified as straight – that’s how I was conditioned." The experience led him to question his attractions more deeply, observing, "Maybe, shit, I’m attracted to everything. Maybe it’s more feminine or more androgynous. I realized yeah, I’m fluid. It’s not black or white. It’s grey." Choi described earlier denials of being , influenced by a hypermasculine athletic background, but noted the fostered greater : "Back when people questioned if I was after the movie, I was like, ‘no, no.’ But after I did ‘,’ it made me think. A lot." This realization emerged through personal rather than external pressures, emphasizing an internal process of examining emotional connections beyond rigid categories. His public disclosure occurred organically during the interview, which Choi later characterized as a "happy accident" of candid responses to probing questions, without intent for or broader . Choi has maintained privacy on romantic partnerships, with no verified public relationships disclosed, regardless of partners' gender.

Views on cultural representation

In a 2016 interview with Salon, Jake Choi criticized Hollywood's portrayal of Asian men as desexualized and emasculated, stating, "Asian men in media are so desexualized and emasculated. I wish I knew why." He rooted this observation in personal audition experiences, including an instance where directors illegally inquired about his , despite legal protections against such questions based on race or age. Choi noted the rarity of Asian men depicted in romantic or sexual contexts, such as kissing scenes, contrasting this with real-life interracial partnerships involving Asians that are commonplace but underrepresented on screen. Choi has advocated for authentic, multidimensional roles over superficial to counter these biases. In discussing his role as the single Korean-American father Miggy Park on ABC's Single Parents (2018–2020), he highlighted the character's departure from stereotypes, explaining, "We rarely see Asian characters like that on TV and , even though they exist in ." He contributed cultural authenticity to the portrayal, such as incorporating elements, and emphasized that representation for marginalized groups must be "truthful and real" rather than performative. While acknowledging persistent barriers—like estimating his odds of landing a lead in a big-budget feature as lower than winning —Choi's trajectory reflects merit-driven progress in countering underrepresentation. His breakout lead in the 2015 Front Cover, which examined Asian identity and earned praise for thoughtfully deconstructing ethnic and sexual stereotypes at events like Frameline, demonstrated viable paths outside mainstream constraints. Similarly, his Single Parents casting proceeded without ethnicity specified in the breakdown, prioritizing performance over quotas. These achievements indicate that, despite critiques of systemic issues, targeted indie and television opportunities reward talent and enable nuanced portrayals.

References

  1. https://ethnicelebs.com/jake-choi
  2. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4007865/
  3. https://www.fandango.com/people/jake-choi-117267/biography
  4. https://caamedia.org/blog/2019/05/06/single-parents-actor-jake-choi-will-be-on-big-screen-in-the-sun-is-also-a-star/
  5. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jake-choi-the-sun-is-also-a-star_n_5cdf1acee4b00e035b8ff69e
  6. https://nationalpublicdata.com/people/c/jake-choi/
  7. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/charles-melton-jake-choi-of-the-sun-is-also-a-star-talk-immigrant-roots_n_5cd36027e4b0a6cb31bcbc8f
  8. https://www.advocate.com/people/2019/6/05/jake-choi-gives-tearful-hrc-speech-lost-lgbtq-kids-me
  9. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4007865/bio/
  10. https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-jake-choi-hollywood/
  11. https://www.newtownhighschool.org/apps/video/watch.jsp?v=354893
  12. https://charactermedia.com/how-actor-jake-choi-went-from-basketball-dreams-to-being-in-hollywood-scenes/
  13. https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Jake_Choi
  14. https://www.salon.com/2016/06/01/asian_men_in_media_are_so_desexualized_rising_star_jake_choi_fights_the_hollywood_odds_against_asian_american_actors/
  15. https://bookingagentinfo.com/celebrity/jake-choi/
  16. https://www.verygoodlight.com/2018/09/26/jake-choi/
  17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ikwqnja3IY
  18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVjxxGl19Oc
  19. https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jake-choi/
  20. http://www.frontcoverthemovie.com/2015/11/04/jake-choi/
  21. https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/front-cover-review-1201816124/
  22. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/front_cover_2016
  23. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/front-cover-film-review-912998/
  24. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/front-cover-2016
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/movies/front-cover-review.html
  26. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019/05/14/my-worst-moment-single-parents-star-jake-choi-on-stinking-up-an-audition-literally/
  27. https://www.facebook.com/coldteacollective/videos/jake-choi-as-miggy-park-on-abcs-single-parents/955229311502964/
  28. http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2020/05/single-parents-canceled-after-two.html
  29. https://deadline.com/2020/05/bless-this-mess-single-parents-schooled-emergence-kids-say-the-darndest-things-cancelled-abc-1202940900/
  30. https://abc7news.com/post/american-housewife-diedrich-bader-greg-otto-katy-mixon/9589444/
  31. https://seat42f.com/american-housewife-season-5-episode-8-photos-encourage-discourage/
  32. https://deadline.com/2024/03/the-late-night-creep-jake-choi-to-star-indie-dark-comedy-1235871677/
  33. http://www.joshsaideman.com/the-late-night-creep
  34. https://deadline.com/2025/07/candy-clark-jake-choi-kelli-garner-madeline-zima-reunion-1236453043/
  35. https://www.reddit.com/r/asianamerican/comments/1aukftv/what_happened_to_jake_choi/
  36. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jake_choi_2
  37. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2241351/fullcredits/
  38. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6423362/
  39. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JakeChoi
  40. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7845644/
  41. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jake-choi/credits/3000109158/
  42. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/i-am-immigrant-video-campaign-brings-faces-voices-immigrant-heritage-n581661
  43. https://www.advocate.com/television/2019/1/08/jake-chois-coming-out-was-happy-accident
  44. https://www.frameline.org/films/frameline40/front-cover
  45. https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2019/10/20/were-very-proud-world/
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