485 - What Does It Take To Be A Good Comedian? - Will Pepper

About this episode

In this episode, Kenneth Nguyen interviews comedian Will Pepper about his life experiences and journey in comedy.

Upcoming Headline Show: Will is headlining his biggest show yet at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco on April 24, 2026. You can find tickets in the following link: https://willpepper.komi.io/ In this episode, Ken sits down with Will Pepper (born Will Tieu). You might know him from his viral cooking videos with his "Daddy Pepper," his work managing Jimmy O. Yang’s TikTok, or as the "loan shark" in Uncle Roger’s skits. Will opens up about a life that sounds like a dark comedy script: growing up as a "nail salon kid" in Utah and Phoenix, navigating his father’s past struggles with addiction and gambling, and the surreal moment his family name was changed to "Pepper" overnight just to secure a business loan. In this episode, we explore: The "Pepper" Strategy: The wild story of how Will's dad changed the family's last name on a random Tuesday in high school to sound "more American" for credit applications. Healing Through Ayahuasca: A vulnerable look at how Will and his father used psychedelics to process intergenerational trauma and reconcile their past. The Comedy Grind: Will’s journey from "boring" pre-med student to moving to LA, managing major stars, and finally finding his own…

People in this episode

Host: Kenneth Nguyen

Guest: Will Pepper

Topics covered

• comedy
• intergenerational trauma
• personal growth
• Vietnamese culture
• mental health
• family dynamics

Keywords

• comedy
• Will Pepper
• intergenerational trauma
• ayahuasca
• Vietnamese culture
• Cobb’s Comedy Club
• emotional intelligence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cobb’s Comedy Club, Uncle Roger

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