“I think we all know subconsciously what we’re supposed to be doing in this world,” Josol shared with FMT Lifestyle.
Now 49, Josol is one of Canada’s comedic treasures. He has also been captivating global audiences with this distinctive humour by artfully blending Asian experiences with his day-to-day insights on life, culture, and the absurdities of the modern world.
[UPDATED] He had originally planned to make a pit stop in KL for his “Ron The World” global tour on March 16, but the event was cancelled the day prior.
Josol promised more than just laughs. “Outside of the funny, I’m going to drop some gems; you are going to learn something, and see a point of view of a person that travels a world that you’ve never seen before. I’ll give you stories and insight on things you’ve never seen and can’t believe happened.”
The Los Angeles-based Josol is no stranger to the KL comedy scene, having first graced it in 2011. Since then, he’s been back nearly 20 times.
With a suitcase full of jokes from all corners of the world, he’s figured out that understanding local culture is the secret sauce for stand-up success.
“I have to practise the local scenes first,” he said, emphasising that being a travelling comic is not only about telling jokes but connecting with the locals.
Born in Toronto to Filipino immigrant parents, Josol, who graduated in computer graphics, credited his dad as his first comedic mentor, who was “always a funny person and made light of things that were very serious.”
“Seeing my dad as an example of doing that definitely changed the way I approach life, which is more with a smile rather than a growl,” he shared. That’s probably how he faced being booed off stage during his first stand-up gig – with a smile.
“I stayed into it because I loved it. I already loved it. I had no choice. Whether I’m rich, poor, famous, homeless, I love comedy. It’s part of my blood,” he said.
Surprisingly, it was Josol’s team leader at an American Express call centre, where he worked while trying out stand-up, who encouraged him to pursue stand-up comedy full time.
“She said, ‘Ron, we can see this isn’t where you’re meant to be. You’re always talking about comedy,’” he recalled.
Russell Peters, another Canadian comedy maestro, took Josol under his wing during the early days, allowing the young comic to study the scene and learn the ropes “before he introduced me to the biggest comedy clubs in Canada.”
“He taught me that there are two worlds we live in. The white world and the brown world. You have to know the difference,” Josol recalled.
He went on to win the “Just For Laughs” comedy competition in Ontario in 1998 and was even nominated for Best Male Comedian (2011) in Canada. He has also appeared on several TV shows, including “Comedy Now” in Canada, “Last Call with Carson Daly” and “Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud”.
Having been in the business for nearly three decades now, Josol notes the comedy landscape has evolved. No longer about caricatures and eccentric characters, it’s about being as “authentic as we can with our own personality and experiences.”
Describing his own style, Josol said: “I’m a storyteller who speaks through one-liners. I’m like that kid who comes in from recess and tells everybody the story that’s exaggerated but comes from the truth.”
And just when you thought he was spilling the beans, he added with a chuckle: “But I lie a lot!”
And his secret to a killer joke? “Understanding the setup and the punchline. If you don’t have a perfect setup, that punch is going to be out. You have to slow your setup so they can absorb everything, and then that punch is perfect.”
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