Sheng Wang seems like that unassuming dude at a party vibing in the kitchen while loud drunks suck up attention. You’d think, “Oh, he seems chill.” Then you eventually talk to him and become absolutely rapt. His stand-up is genius in that way. With a calm cadence but wild mind, he takes a micr oscope to the most relatable, mundane things in life, and finds all sorts of hilarious chloroplasts and ribosomes of profound takeaways. Wang’s newest special Purple, streaming now on Netflix, tackles the day’s pressing topics, ranging from how wasteful kids are with berries, the shrinking icons when you open too many browser tabs, to nature-based bachelor parties, all articulated with an incredible vocabulary (no, we don’t know what ‘epiphytic’ means). “Purple” comes from a bit about the special nature of getting to use the purple toothbrush from the variety pack you buy in bulk. After his first Netflix special Sweet and Juicy, a Taiwanese friend with great comedy taste blew up our group chat with Wang’s clips, telling us how significant and relatable the show was for Asian millennials like himself. We took his rec and dove into Wang’s catalogue, then caught him live — and found his comedy universal. Wang’s buddy Ali Wong directed and produced both specials. He’s the godfather to her kids, and dedicated his last two specials to his nieces and nephews, family, friends and village. (And to his favorite tree, which so far, remains unspecified.) Sheng Wang (Photo: Dustin Rabin / @dustinrabin) He directs his graciousness also to his audience, who Wang thanks on Purple, telling them how much the ushers love his shows because of the loving, wholesome vibe of the crowd. “You guys are kind, you respect yourselves, you respect others, and you just want to go to bed early,” he says about his audience, before he launches into another hyper-specific and accurate bit about bedtime routines. Of course, the audience is responding to the man they’re watching on stage, wearing a flowy button-up fit, like the best dressed man at a sleepover. His zen-like stage presence stands out in the crowded global comedy scene, and a welcome change of pace, especially if the comic energy you typically gravitate towards is angry, sarcastic or farty. Some stand-ups need to jump around and yell and shock you — and we love that! But it takes a special act like Sheng who can get you in tears with the most subtle and precise act-outs. Wang didn’t become this good at comedy overnight. He’s been doing stand-up well over 20 years, had his first Comedy Central half-hour in 2011, competed on the 2015 season of Last Comic Standing and wrote on Fresh Off the Boat. Born in Taiwan, raised in Houston, college at UC Berkeley, and with stints in SF and NY, we’re thankful Sheng Wang now calls the Westside of LA home, which means we can catch him popping up at shows around town pretty regularly. This week, he was featured at a few shows at the Netflix is a Joke Fest, which took over LA. Read on as we dive a bit into his infatuation with plants, his journey in comedy, and his employment by a Vietnamese cokehead: LA Weekly: You have great diction. How did you become so verbal? Sheng Wang: I’m not a voracious reader in practice, but I really like the idea of books! I love how reading can help you notice things that are part of your world, but went unappreciated until they were revealed by a writer who articulated them. I love the beauty, power, and diversity of language, and finding the perfect word to describe something. Some words I’m currently feeling are “sop,” “deft,” “patina,” and “murmur.” Sheng Wang (Photo: Dustin Rabin / @dustinrabin) Speaking of, in both your last specials, you talk about gluts of information that you never get through — books and browser tabs. (Very relatable!) What is it about information that seems to overwhelm you? There’s so much to learn and so little time! You seem so chill on stage. What makes you laugh out loud? Hearing my friends share stories about their wild and exciting lives. Hanging out with my nieces, nephews, and godchildren and watching them be honest and vulnerable and silly.  What cities have the best gardens?  I’ve yet to visit them all but I do like Portland, Denver, SF area, Dallas, St. Louis, Seattle, Vancouver, BC. What are your favorite gardens in LA?  I love the LA Arboretum for its sizable offerings and accessibility. It was one of my first loves, garden-wise. I do also particularly enjoy the party-like atmosphere of the desert garden at the Huntington Library. So many different succulents with their own looks and personalities.  If you could be a plant, what would you be? A big old oak or redwood covered in epiphytic homies like mosses and ferns. [Ed. note: OK, we looked it up: An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant. So much to learn and so little time!] What was the worst job you ever had? Worst job I ever had was trying to sell newspaper subscriptions door to door in high school. We worked in crews and were driven around town and dropped off at various neighborhoods and apartment complexes by a Vietnamese cokehead. I was terrible at selling and interacting with strangers. Because we worked on commission, I made mostly nothing for months. What kind of person were you in high school?  I was not a class clown. I was pretty timid and avoided pulling attention. I generally was a good kid with good grades, and did what you were supposed to do to apply for college. High school was a relatively calm period between my wannabe bad boy days in middle school and drunken tomfoolery in college. Sheng Wang (Photo: Dustin Rabin / @dustinrabin) Who’s the funniest person in your family?  My dad, according to my dad. My cousins find him funny, too. How was your approach to comedy different in SF vs. NYC vs. LA? Approach is the same. I generally have the same approach in every city. Just try to be the funniest you can be that night. How’d you learn to be a better comedian?  I started out by being very detail-oriented and getting as many reps as I could. But I think comedians grow in different ways during different parts of their career. I still really find joy in writing and articulating a joke, but more recently, I think I’ve started to appreciate being on stage and delivering the material with more thought about the performance and my physicality. Favorite drama movie: Yiyi by Edward Yang. Favorite TV comedy: either the BBC version of “The Office,” or “Stranger with Candy.” Favorite sport to play: pickleball Favorite video game: Rocket League. Favorite song: “Close to Me” by The Cure. Watch Sheng Wang’s Purple streaming now on Netflix and follow him on Instagram @shengwangtime. Sheng Wang on the May 8, 2026, cover of LA Weekly. (Photo: Dustin Rabin / @dustinrabin; cover design: Mark Stefanos) The post Comedy QA: Sheng Wang Wants to Chill with His Epiphytic Homies appeared first on LA Weekly. ...read more read less