{{Short description|American comedian and actor}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = James Tom<!-- include middle initial, if not specified in birth_name --> | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|33|2024|01|05}}<!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year unless the exact date is already widely published, as per WP:DOB --> | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S. | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = Smith College | occupation = Comedian, actor, writer | years_active = | era = | employer = | organization = | agent = <!-- Discouraged in most cases, specifically when promotional, and requiring a reliable source --> | known_for = | notable_works = <!-- produces label "Notable work"; may be overridden by |credits=, which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by |works=, which produces label "Works" --> | style = | spouse = <!-- Use article title or common name --> | partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) --> | family = Edison Uno (grandfather) | awards = | website = | footnotes = }} '''James Setsuo Tom''' (formerly '''Jes Tom''', born {{birth based on age as of date|33|2024|01|05|noage=1|slash=y}})<ref name="them-5jan2024">{{cite web |last1=Factora |first1=James |title=Jes Tom's Wayward Tales of Transsexual Horniness |url=https://www.them.us/story/jes-tom-less-lonely-comedian-profile |website=them |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=5 January 2024}}</ref> is an American comedian, actor, and writer based in New York City.<ref name="nyt-14dec2023">{{cite news |last1=Cherelus |first1=Gina |title=The Trans Comic Looking for Love 'at the End of the World' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/style/jes-tom-less-lonely.html |access-date=14 February 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=14 December 2023}}</ref> His work explores themes including sex, gender identity, and Asian American representation.<ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="pb-31oct2023">{{cite news |last1=Masseron |first1=Meg |title=Jes Tom's One-Person Comedy Less Lonely Will Return Off-Broadway For Limited Engagement |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/jes-toms-one-person-comedy-less-lonely-will-return-off-broadway-for-limited-engagement |access-date=14 February 2024 |work=Playbill |date=31 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="im-18jan2024">{{cite magazine |last1=Turner |first1=Kyle |title=Jes Tom Tells Us How to Maneuver the "Dyke to Fag Pipeline" |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/comedy/jes-tom-tells-us-how-to-maneuver-the-dyke-to-fag-pipeline |access-date=15 February 2024 |magazine=Interview |date=18 January 2024}}</ref><ref name="vice-31mar2021">{{cite news |last1=Lange |first1=Maggie |title=Jes Tom, How Are You So Hot? |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/jes-tom-netflix-dear-jes-how-are-you-so-hot/ |access-date=15 February 2024 |work=Vice |date=31 March 2021}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Tom was born and raised in San Francisco, California.<ref name="vice-31mar2021" /><ref name="wicf-jt">{{cite web |title=Spotlight: Jes Tom |url=https://daily.wicf.com/spotlight-jes-tom/ |website=Women in Comedy Festival News |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref><ref name="pb-14dec2023">{{cite news |last1=Chambers |first1=Julia |title=Jes Tom Wants to Make People Feel Less Lonely at Their Off-Broadway Comedy Show |url=https://playbill.com/article/jes-tom-wants-to-make-people-feel-less-lonely-at-their-off-broadway-comedy-show |access-date=15 February 2024 |work=Playbill |date=December 14, 2023}}</ref> Tom’s grandfather is Japanese American activist Edison Uno.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tom |first=James |date=March 31, 2025 |title="any wikipediaheads wanna link my page to my grandfather, japanese american activist Edison Uno? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_..." |url=https://bsky.app/profile/jamestomxo.bsky.social/post/3llpxlthhfs2t |website=Bluesky}}</ref> He enjoyed acting in high school, and later joined the improvisation team at Smith College.<ref name="pb-14dec2023" />
Tom graduated from Smith in 2013.<ref name="them-5jan2024" /><ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /> In 2016, he completed a two-year acting program at the Maggie Flanagan Studio.<ref name="paste-4dec2023">{{cite magazine |last1=Chance |first1=Patches |title=Jes Tom Talks Less Lonely, the Joy of Change, and Gay Pirate Lube in Our Flag Means Death |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/jes-tom/jes-tom-talks-less-lonely-the-joy-of-change-and-gay-pirate-lube-in-our-flag-means-death |access-date=14 February 2024 |magazine=Paste |date=4 December 2023}}</ref>
==Career== In 2011, Tom started performing at open mics in San Francisco.<ref name="them-5jan2024" /><ref name="vice-31mar2021" /><ref name="vul-4nov2021">{{cite web |title=Jes Tom: Twitter's Favorite (Unintentional) Public-Facing Pervert |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/jes-tom-comedians-you-should-know-2021.html |website=Vulture |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=4 November 2021}}</ref> In 2013, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy.<ref name="them-5jan2024" /><ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="nyt-25jun2020">{{cite news |last1=O'Neill |first1=Shane |title=Five Nonbinary Comics on This Moment: 'I'm Not Some New Buzzword' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/arts/nonbinary-comedians-pride-coronavirus.html |access-date=14 February 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=25 June 2020}}</ref>
In 2021, Tom was named a New Face of Comedy at the Just for Laughs comedy festival.<ref name="xtra-21sep2023">{{cite magazine |last1=Woods |first1=Mel |title=Comedian Jes Tom on the art of being horny online |url=https://xtramagazine.com/culture/jes-tom-less-lonely-toronto-257150 |access-date=15 February 2024 |magazine=Xtra Magazine |date=21 September 2023}}</ref><ref name="jfl-18aug2021">{{cite web |title=New Faces of Comedy - Jes Tom |url=https://www.hahaha.com/en/videos/new-faces-comedy-jes-tom |website=Just for Laughs |access-date=15 February 2024 |date=18 August 2021}}</ref>
In 2022, Tom's solo show, ''Less Lonely'', had its off-Broadway premiere at the Cherry Lane Theatre.<ref name="pb-31oct2023" /><ref name="pb-14dec2023" /> The show returned to off-Broadway in 2023 for a limited engagement at the Greenwich House Theater, presented by his friend Elliot Page.<ref name="them-5jan2024" /><ref name="pb-31oct2023" /><ref name="paste-4dec2023" /><ref name="into-20dec2023">{{cite web |last1=Cramer |first1=Jude |title=Elliot Page & Jes Tom are having a bromance as the world ends |url=https://www.intomore.com/entertainment/theater/exclusive-elliot-page-jes-tom-want-you-to-be-less-lonely-this-holiday-season/ |website=Into |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=20 December 2023}}</ref>
Tom worked as a story editor for the HBO Max series ''Our Flag Means Death''.<ref name="them-5jan2024" /><ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="paste-4dec2023" /> His other credits include the animated series ''Tuca & Bertie'',<ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="pb-14dec2023" /> the Netflix/Funny or Die short film ''Soojung Dreams of Fiji'',<ref name="fo-29sep2019">{{cite magazine |last1=Escandon |first1=Rosa |title=28-Year-Old Jes Tom Doesn't Need To Explain Themselves |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rosaescandon/2019/09/29/28-year-old-jes-tom-doesnt-need-to-explain-themselves/ |access-date=14 February 2024 |magazine=Forbes |date=29 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="gom-16nov2017">{{cite news |last1=Werder |first1=Corinne |title=Seven Minutes In Heaven With Comedian Jes Tom |url=https://gomag.com/article/seven-minutes-heaven-comedian-jes-tom/ |access-date=15 February 2024 |work=GO Magazine |date=16 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="qi-2021">{{cite book |last1=Nastasi |first1=Alison |last2=PJ |first2=Nastasi |title=Queer Icons and Their Cats |date=2021 |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=9781797206233 |page=57}}</ref> and an Instagram live advice show for Netflix, ''Dear Jes''.<ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="vice-31mar2021" /><ref name="pb-14dec2023" />
In March 2024, Tom appeared in a Netflix comedy special, ''Hannah Gadsby's Gender Agenda'', hosted by Hannah Gadsby and also featuring fellow genderqueer comedians Alok, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Krishna Istha, Asha Ward, and Mx. Dahlia Belle.<ref name="var-12feb2024">{{cite news |last1=Hailu |first1=Selome |title=Hannah Gadsby's Netflix Special 'Gender Agenda' Sets Lineup of Genderqueer Comedians: Jes Tom, Alok and More (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/hannah-gadsby-netflix-special-gender-agenda-queer-comedy-1235907944/ |access-date=12 February 2024 |work=Variety |date=12 February 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Tom is a fifth-generation Asian American, of Japanese and Chinese descent.<ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="into-20dec2023" /><ref name="fo-29sep2019" /> He is non-binary and transmasculine,<ref name="nyt-14dec2023" /><ref name="into-20dec2023" /><ref name="nyt-25jun2020" /> and goes by ''he/him'' and ''they/them'' pronouns.<ref name="paste-4dec2023" /><ref name="fo-29sep2019" /><ref name="nt-30apr2019">{{cite web |title=Comedian Jes Tom Wants to See More Non-Binary Trans People in Media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htU38RhRmto |website=NowThis |via=YouTube |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=30 April 2019}}</ref> In March 2025, Tom publicly announced his name change to ''James Setsuo Tom'' on Instagram,<ref>{{Cite web |title=I have been out as nonbinary for 14 years... |last=Tom |first=James |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DHqh5vjRjXs/ |date=March 26, 2025 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |website=Instagram}}</ref> referencing that he had been going by James for some time. He subsequently published an article in ''them'' titled ''Why I'm Changing My Name to James'', where he explores moving on from his "placeholder name" of "Jes Tom" explaining the change as a "demand that other people see what I see".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tom |first=James |date=March 26, 2025 |title=Why I'm Changing My Name to James |url=https://www.them.us/story/james-tom-name-change-essay-comedian-pronouns-documents |access-date=March 26, 2025 |website=them |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{instagram|jesthekid}} *{{IMDb name|nm8458488}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tom, Jes}} Category:Living people Category:1990s births Category:American male actors of Japanese descent Category:American male actors of Chinese descent Category:American comedians of Asian descent Category:American LGBTQ comedians Category:American LGBTQ people of Asian descent Category:American non-binary actors Category:American non-binary writers Category:Comedians from New York City Category:Comedians from San Francisco Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state) Category:LGBTQ people from San Francisco Category:Non-binary comedians Category:Smith College alumni Category:American stand-up comedians