About Atsuko Okatsuka
Atsuko Okatsuka (born May 27, 1988) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was named one of Variety's "Top 10 Comics to Watch" in 2022 and is the second Asian-American woman to have a stand-up special on HBO.
Okatsuka was born in Taiwan, the daughter of a Taiwanese mother and Japanese father, and spent her early childhood in Japan. At the age of eight, she was taken by her maternal grandmother to her mother in Los Angeles, where she lived for the next seven years as an undocumented immigrant. She discovered stand-up comedy through a Margaret Cho DVD, attended Venice High School, studied psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and later graduated from the California Institute of the Arts.
Okatsuka began doing stand-up in small clubs around Los Angeles. In 2020, she released her debut album with Comedy Dynamics, But I Control Me, and hosted and executive produced Let's Go Atsuko for the now-defunct Quibi. In 2019, she performed a stand-up set during an earthquake at The Ice House comedy club in Pasadena, which went viral. Her debut stand-up special The Intruder premiered on HBO and HBO Max on December 10, 2022; The New York Times named it Best Debut of 2022, and it won best comedy special at the Gracie Awards. She also started the viral Drop Challenge with her grandmother, and her life story was told on This American Life in September 2023.
Videos (348)
Videos 1 to 24 of 348.
0:24What Mixes are you? Don’t give up on comedians at Award Shows!!
31.9M views
0:48America. The escape room of countries
29.3M views
1:01Atsuko Okatsuka Standup: White Friends
10.9M views
0:26Atsuko Okatsuka stand up: My family chose English names for themselves
7.2M views
0:32What stops you from lying or stealing? And more?
6.7M views
0:48America, the escape room of countries.
6.7M views
0:40Are you husband? From my Hulu and Disney+ special “Father”!
6.1M views
0:36Atsuko Okatsuka Standup: How full is 3/4? Up to my neck?
6M views
1:05Comedian tries to turn the AC on Guess I’m going back to church
5.8M views
0:39How Generational Trauma passes down 3 Generations
4.9M views
1:32Are you like me or my husband?
4.4M views
1:08Singing war songs before sports is VERY theatrical
4.1M views
2:00Some surprises are harder than others
3.7M views
0:45Atsuko Okatsuka Standup: My Family and E.T.
3.6M views
1:14Who has a necklace with their name on it? From my Hulu & Disney+ special “Father”!
3.5M views
0:48Atsuko Okatsuka Stand Up: Normalizing Mental Illness
3.5M views
2:19Duolingo doesn't teach you how to read the room
3.3M views
1:06Taking my allyship to a new level
3.3M views
0:10Me before vs After I see my husband
3.3M views
0:38Undocumented can look like anything.
3.2M views
1:43I’d like to order the idea of a coffee
3.1M views
0:10Nice to not be an outsider for once
3.1M views
1:45Christmas was confusing in our immigrant household
2.9M views
1:27our rom-com meet cute
2.8M viewsGuest appearances (40)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Atsuko Okatsuka.
Guest appearances 25 to 40 of 40.
1:05:06Atsuko Okatsuka (Office Hours Live Ep 234)
Tim Heidecker
35.1K views
2:07:49Atsuko Okatsuka | You Made It Weird
Pete Holmes
29K views
49:13Atsuko Okatsuka | The Dizzy Duo | Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out
Mike Birbiglia
27.2K views
13:02Atsuko Okatsuka Descends from Fashion Icons | Spilling Your Seed
Chloe Troast
21.7K views
10:32Atsuko Okatsuka Explains Her Commitment To The Bowl Cut | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
15.7K views
8:42Atsuko Okatsuka's High School Cheer Squad Fought The Flag Team | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
14.8K views
27:27Atsuko Okatsuka is Not a One Shoe Woman! Creeper's Crib
Frankie Quiñones
12.5K views
34:36Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka (Yo Show) | Michael Yo
Michael Yo
10.9K views
1:05:315 Years Left with Atsuko Okatsuka | Absolutely Not with Heather McMahan | Episode 354
Heather McMahan
7.5K views
1:24Atsuko Okatsuka on the Island Boys
Neal Brennan
6.3K views
1:14:04Breaking Bread with Atsuko Okatsuka and Rachel Feinstein
Tom Papa
5.9K views
1:08:45Bago Matulog with Red Ollero - OPENING FOR ATSUKO OKATSUKA with Issa Villaverde
Red Ollero
5.8K views
1:25:57Tales From the Crypto with Atsuko Okatsuka & Molly White (EP 138)
Francesca Fiorentini
5K views
9:33Atsuko Okatsuka on Japan and How Cities Distract Us | Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
Tom Papa
3.7K views
5:21Singing In American w/ Atsuko Okatsuka | You Made It Weird
Pete Holmes
3.5K views
1:21:15Terminating Presidencies and Pregnancies with Lizz Winstead & Atsuko Okatsuka
Francesca Fiorentini
2.9K viewsChannels on this page: Tim Heidecker, Pete Holmes, Mike Birbiglia, Chloe Troast, Conan O'Brien, Frankie Quiñones, Michael Yo, Heather McMahan, Neal Brennan, Tom Papa, Red Ollero, Francesca Fiorentini
Frequently asked questions
Who is Atsuko Okatsuka?
Atsuko Okatsuka is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer, born on May 27, 1988 in Taiwan to a Taiwanese mother and Japanese father.
What is notable about Atsuko Okatsuka's HBO special?
She is the second Asian-American woman to have a stand-up special on HBO, and her debut special The Intruder premiered on HBO and HBO Max on December 10, 2022.
How did Atsuko Okatsuka go viral?
In 2019, she performed a stand-up set during an earthquake at The Ice House comedy club in Pasadena, which went viral, and she also started the viral Drop Challenge with her grandmother.
What did Atsuko Okatsuka study?
She studied psychology at the University of California, Riverside, before later graduating from the California Institute of the Arts.
What awards has The Intruder received?
The New York Times named The Intruder Best Debut of 2022, and it won best comedy special at the Gracie Awards.
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