{{Short description|American stand-up comedian and writer (born 1986)}} {{Use mdy|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox comedian <!-- see Template:Infobox comedian for usage --> | pre-nominals = | name = | post-nominals = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|05|13}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | medium = {{ubl|Stand-up|Television}} | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | education = University of California, Irvine | alma_mater = | years_active = 2012–present | employer = | genre = {{ubl|Observational comedy|Improvisational comedy|blue comedy|surreal humor|sarcasm|satire|black comedy|roast}} | subjects = {{ubl|American culture|everyday life|human sexuality|pop culture|mental health|religion|gender differences|self-deprecation|gender|Asian American culture|LGBTQ culture| Transphobia}} | spouse = {{marriage|Siege Gary|2013}} | domestic_partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | notable_works = | memorials = | signature = | website = | footnotes = | module = }} '''Robin Tran''' (born May 13, 1986) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actress, and producer. She is known for her stand-up comedy routines and roasts.
== Early life == Robin Tran was born on May 13, 1986. Her parents are Vietnamese immigrants. She was raised in Garden Grove, Orange County, California, and has stated that she grew up in "poverty".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-01 |title=US comedian Robin Tran 'doesn't hide from the darkness' in her Fringe debut |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/23694955.edinburgh-festival-comedian-robin-tran-fringe-debut/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref> She has stated that her father "used to do comedy"<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=|first= |date=2021-11-04 |title=Not to Humblebrag, But Robin Tran Knows She's a Genius |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/robin-tran-comedians-you-should-know-2021.html |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> and "used to do a Vietnamese radio show in Little Saigon here in California, so he was paid to be funny".<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |date=2022-05-04 |title=Exclusive Interview: Netflix Is A Joke rising stand-up comedy star Robin Tran "I try to be my own hero" |url=https://thequeerreview.com/2022/05/04/exclusive-interview-netflix-is-a-joke-rising-stand-up-comedy-star-robin-tran/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=The Queer Review |language=en-US}}</ref>
As an adolescent, Tran was influenced by Chris Rock’s ''Bigger & Blacker'' comedy special on HBO.<ref name=":8"/> She has also stated, "In terms of other people who've been influential, I try to be my own hero."<ref name=":8"/>
In 2004, Tran auditioned for her high school talent show and "bombed", but she got into the talent show because "they didn't have enough acts".<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Veitch |first=Mara |date=2022-06-09 |title=Margaret Cho and Robin Tran Are Cosplaying as Comedians |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/margaret-cho-and-robin-tran-are-cosplaying-as-comedians |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Interview Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why comedian Robin Tran says comedy saved her life |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/video/why-comedian-robin-tran-says-comedy-saved-her-life-1370522179873 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> She ended up receiving a standing ovation and won the talent show.<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":4"/> In 2012, she began performing stand-up comedy at open mic nights.<ref name=":8"/>
She studied English at the University of California, Irvine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seabaugh |first=Julie |date=2018-07-31 |title=Why Trans Comic Robin Tran Is OK With Transgender Jokes |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/why-trans-comic-robin-tran-is-ok-transgender-jokes-1131257/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2015, she came out as a transgender woman.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Allen |first=Samantha |date=2018-08-19 |title=Robin Tran: How You Tell an Irreverent Transgender Joke, Respectfully |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/robin-tran-how-you-tell-an-irreverent-transgender-joke-respectfully |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> She describes her experience coming out to her Vietnamese mother with a language barrier in her stand-up routine, which is known as her "born boy, brain girl" bit.<ref name=":5"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch That's My Time with David Letterman {{!}} Netflix Official Site |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81236173 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=www.netflix.com |language=en}}</ref> She has said of her experience being the first employee at her then-employer to come out as transgender, "Don't ever be the first employee in your company to ever do anything. It was the worst experience of my life."<ref>{{Citation |title=Robin Tran {{!}} Don't Look at Me (Comedy Special) | date=18 November 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emb4jS7Yy2M |access-date=2023-09-30 |language=en}}</ref> She refers to herself as an Asian transgender lesbian.<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":5"/>
== Career == In 2016, Robin Tran released a self-funded comedy special on YouTube, ''Santa Doesn't Like Every Kid''.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Comedy Invasian – Robin Tran Live |url=http://comedyinvasian.com/2017-2/robin-tran |access-date=2023-09-30 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, Robin Tran's first one-hour comedy special, ''Don't Look at Me'', was released on Hulu, Spotify, and iTunes.<ref name=":8"/><ref name=":2"/> She has appeared on Jeff Ross' Comedy Central series ''Roast Battle'', ''Comedy InvAsion'', OnlyFans TV's ''The Roast of Whitney Cummings'', Logo TV's ''Logo Variety Hour'', Netflix's ''That's My Time with David Letterman'', Fuse TV's''We Need to Talk About America'', ''The Talk, Howie Mandel & Friends: Don't Sneeze on Me'', Netflix's ''Are You Still Listening?'', and Comedy Central's ''Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Tyson |date=2022-03-03 |title=Robin Tran "Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring" Performance [Video] - We Own The Laughs |url=https://weownthelaughs.com/2022/03/robin-tran-comedy-central-stand-up-featuring-performance-video/,%20https://weownthelaughs.com/2022/03/robin-tran-comedy-central-stand-up-featuring-performance-video/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=weownthelaughs.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
She has written for Netflix's ''Historical Roasts'' and the Just for Laughs comedy series ''Straight Up, Stand Up''.
Tran has opened for comedians Margaret Cho and Anthony Jeselnik.<ref name=":4"/> She has performed at the Outside Lands, Just for Laughs' ''New Faces of Comedy'', Howie Mandel's Just for Laughs ''All Star Comedy Gala'' on The CW, Comedy Central's Mental Health Initiative, Moontower Comedy Festival, Netflix's Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival, and Comedy Central's Clusterfest Comedy Festival.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Netflix Is A Joke Fest |url=https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/show/robin-tran |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=www.netflixisajokefest.com |language=en-us |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101193030/https://www.netflixisajokefest.com/show/robin-tran |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":8"/><ref name=":0"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Robin Tran & Stacy Cay Live – New York Comedy Festival |url=https://nycomedyfestival.com/lineup/robin-tran-stacy-cay-live/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |language=en-US |archive-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929093631/https://nycomedyfestival.com/lineup/robin-tran-stacy-cay-live/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2023, she performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland and headlined the Asian Takeover Comedy Show in Vancouver, Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Transgender comedian Robin Tran to headline Vancouver's Asian Comedy Takeover Show |url=https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/05/14/transgender-comedian-robin-tran-vancouver/ |date= May 14, 2023 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=CityNews}}</ref> Tran's upcoming festival appearances include the New York Comedy Festival and San Francisco Sketchfest.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wertzler |first=Jay |date=2021-11-17 |title=2023 Lineup |url=https://sfsketchfest.com/2023-lineup/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=SF Sketchfest |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, Tran was named on Just for Laughs' New Faces of 2021 list,<ref name=":3"/> and Screen Rant's "10 Up-And-Coming Comedians Who Deserve To Be SNL Cast Members".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abbott |first=Moon |date=2021-11-02 |title=10 Up-And-Coming Comedians Who Deserve To Be SNL Cast Members |url=https://screenrant.com/up-and-coming-comedians-should-join-saturday-night-live/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> In 2022, she was featured on Vulture Magazine's annual list, "Comedians You Should and Will Know".<ref name=":5"/> She has won three comedy competitions.<ref name=":6"/>
She has also appeared on several podcasts, including ''This Past Weekend with Theo Von'', ''The Todd Barry Podcast'', ''The Margaret Cho'', ''You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes'', ''Queery with Cameron Esposito'', ''Gettin' Better with Ron Funches'', and ''The Pornhub Podcast with Asa Akira.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Videos - Theo Von - This Past Weekend |url=https://www.theovon.com/videos |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Theo Von - Website |language=en |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003011654/https://www.theovon.com/videos |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-07 |title=The Todd Barry Podcast on Apple Podcasts |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-todd-barry-podcast/id639914956 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Apple Podcasts |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-25 |title=Robin Tran - Top podcast episodes |url=https://www.listennotes.com/top-podcasts/robin-tran/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Listen Notes |language=en}}</ref>
During the COVID-19 pandemic when live comedy venues were closed, Tran gained a social media following on TikTok,<ref name=":5"/> Twitter, and Instagram.
== Personal life == Tran has stated that she has bipolar II disorder,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-11 |title='Like if you won the lottery on 9/11': How comedian Robin Tran's life changed in the last year |url=https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2021-06-10/like-if-you-won-the-lottery-on-9-11-how-comedian-robin-trans-life-changed-in-the-last-year |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Daily Pilot |language=en-US}}</ref> agoraphobia,<ref name=":5"/> autism,<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Robin Tran: Don't Look at Me: 5 star review by James Macfarlane |url=https://broadwaybaby.com/shows/robin-tran-dont-look-at-me/797928 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=broadwaybaby.com |language=en}}</ref> and ADHD.<ref name=":7"/> In 2021, she became engaged to her long-term partner, Siege Gary, formerly known as Cate Gary. In 2023, Gary came out as nonbinary and changed their first name to Siege.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=@CateGary |url=https://twitter.com/Cate_Gary |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=(Siege Gary) on X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|6091501}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tran, Robin}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American people of Vietnamese descent Category:American comedians of Asian descent Category:American transgender comedians Category:American transgender actresses Category:Transgender women entertainers Category:American LGBTQ people of Asian descent Category:American lesbian comedians Category:American women comedians Category:American writers with disabilities Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Autistic LGBTQ people Category:American autistic people Category:Autistic writers Category:Transgender people with disabilities Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Category:LGBTQ people from California Category:Comedians from Orange County, California Category:21st-century American comedians Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people Category:Transgender lesbians Category:American actors with disabilities Category:Autistic actors Category:People from Garden Grove, California Category:Actresses from Orange County, California