The Hidden Trauma Behind This Comedy Star's Rise to Fame | Margaret Cho

About this episode

Margaret Cho shares her transformative experience with a teacher who believed in her during a challenging time in her youth.

Before Margaret Cho became a legendary comedian, Emmy-nominated actor, and one of the most influential voices in stand-up comedy, she was a 15-year-old kid who had just been expelled from one of San Francisco's most prestigious high schools for truancy and bad grades, with parents who had essentially given up on her. Then James Jackson, an English teacher with a Southern drawl, a speech impediment, and a vintage motorcycle, started writing notes in the margins of her essays that changed everything: A+, so great, brilliant, funny. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the trailblazing comedian sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in her when she was just trying to blend into the walls. Margaret opens up about meeting Mr. Jackson at the School of the Arts in San Francisco, a teacher who rode a motorcycle, wore a leather jacket with cigarettes in the sleeve, and spoke like a Southern Barbara Walters. She talks about the composition book he gave her at the beginning of the year, how his handwritten encouragement in the margins reignited the excellent student she had forgotten she was, and why his gentle belief felt so tender it was…

People in this episode

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: Margaret Cho

Topics covered

• comedy
• education
• personal growth
• trauma
• influence
• mentorship

Keywords

• Margaret Cho
• David Begnaud
• James Jackson
• comedy
• mentorship
• trauma
• San Francisco

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: School of the Arts

Places: San Francisco

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