Meet Stephanie Cherng

We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Cherng recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose rather organically even though it was a journey to discover what my true purpose was. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. I’m thankful for all the people I’ve encountered in my life who I feel that were my spirit guides to remind me of my true purpose. When I was in third grade, my teacher pointed out that I was a great writer and that I should hone onto this gift that I have. I had a rough childhood growing up so I escaped that world into the world of books. I constantly always wrote short stories as a child too but I didn’t think tap into my creativity until I was in high school when I got dragged into a filmmaking program. Ever since then I knew filmmaking was my purpose because it combined my love for storytelling with images and sound.

In 2023 I had a random dinner with famous comedian and he urged me to try out stand-up comedy because he saw that I was funny but I shook my head because stand-up just seemed too scary for me. Later on in the year, my best friend took me to see a show at the Comedy Cellar and all the comedians there told me how funny I was and to be a comic. I never really had dreams to be in front of people because I was always a filmmaker first but ever since that fateful year I’ve been trying my best to perform comedy non-stop. It’s been a wild ride but stand-up comedy has changed me for the better no matter how difficult it was in the beginning for me.

My purpose is to be a storyteller in any capacity I can.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a filmmaker, writer, and stand-up comedian born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I use to be obsessed with limiting myself to one label but I’m embracing that I’m an artist and that I can be multiple identities all at once. I use to try to limit myself to one thing but I’m learning that I’m multi-faceted when it comes to the arts. I’m a daughter of a family of refugees from Cambodia and an immigrant mother from Malaysia. My family background has shaped who I am today especially how I make my art! I’m learning that I get my humor from my family because they’ve always used humor to cope with their traumas and it fuels my comedy.

I consider myself a filmmaker first because it’s something I’ve always pursued since high school. I made my first documentary in high school and ever since then I’ve worked in the film/tv industry in any way capacity I could. I did a lot of internships, I got coffee for some big name directors, I was a production assistant, and a video editor. My work resume is mostly in post-production which is a good skill to have nowadays.

I recently directed and wrote my short film, Kingdom of Demons. It’s my first film I’ve made after a five year dry spell of not making a film. It’s currently having a few screenings around New York City later on this year. The most exciting thing about the film is that I directed it on 16mm. It taught me how to be a better director. I’m excited to keep making films because it’s all that I know how to do.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities to have that have been the most impactful in my journey is grit, hard-work, and discipline. In my early 20s I was not putting my creativity as my first priority. Fast forward to the present I’ve been focusing on doing the inner work for myself and I feel the most creative and the most authentic. I stopped partying and drinking and now I feel high on life now. It’s a great feeling to be clear minded and to be alone with my own thoughts and creativity. I can create from a space of authenticity and tap into my own voice as an artist. I also am very stubborn. When I have a passion and a goal I would do whatever it takes to achieve them and that requires a lot of discipline.

My only advice to folks who are early in their journey is to never give up! Work hard but also don’t be so hard on yourself. I know I was always so hard on myself and I still am to this day! Have fun with the process and enjoy life too!

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impact thing my mother did for me was to allow me to be an artist. She cheered me on when I decided to be a filmmaker and would rally everyone to come to my film screenings. When I first did comedy she was my first audience member when I started doing comedy club open-mics. She even invited her friends to come see me perform stand-up, I remember it being so embarrassing because I would say some dirty jokes. When I was younger she tried her best to enroll me in different things because she wanted me to be well-rounded. She enrolled me in dance classes, piano classes, and swimming classes. She even let me dye my hair crazy colors as a kid. She always wanted me to shine and be confident because she didn’t have the chance too. I know there’s a stereotype that Asian parents want their kids to be doctors, lawyers or engineers but I have a cool mom who allowed me to live the life that I want as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephycherng.com
• Instagram: stephycherng
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-cherng-a79b9585/

Image Credits

Photos by Cindy Sung (www.cindysung.com)

Soju Comedy Festival

Stills from the film, Kingdom of Demons