'Dr. Ken' Casting Scoop: Margaret Cho to Play Ken Jeong's Sister
Ready the OR, stat! In an inspired casting move, Margaret Cho is scrubbing in for a guest star role as Ken Jeong’s sister on ABC’s new comedy Dr. Ken. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the comedian and actress: In 1994, Cho starred in her own short-lived ABC sitcom, All American Girl, one of the first network series to feature a predominantly Asian-American cast. Flash-forward twenty years and ABC has two such shows on the air: last season’s freshman hit Fresh Off the Boat and now Dr. Ken.
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Loosely based on Jeong’s own pre-acting career as a real-life doctor, the series casts the former Community co-star as Ken Park, a dedicated medical professional and family man prone to freak-outs and mishaps, though he’s always coming from a place of love. Cho will appear on an October episode as Ken’s wildly successful sister, Dr. Wendi, described as “a famous TV doctor with a big, energetic personality.” In other words, she’s more Dr. Oz than ER’s Dr. Ross. And just like Dr. Oz, Cho has already gotten Oprah’s approval.
Dr. Ken premieres Oct. 2 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.