Hello there!
Comedian Diana Nguyen is one of the most joyful people you can meet. Her energy is uplifting and infectious, and underpins her purpose in life to spread the joy with all those she meets. But in this raw conversation, Diana reveals how being the daughter to Vietnamese refugee parents and having a childhood of trauma left her with crippling shame – and how she has courageously leant into her pain, to now find peace. This episode is powerful in it’s vulnerability, and in true Diana style, brings as many laughs as it does tears.
This episode contains material of a highly sensitive nature including sexual abuse that may be triggering for some individuals. If you’re currently in distress, please head to 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for support.
Resources:
Origin story of first joke.
About Diana Nguyen
Diana Nguyen is a joyous standup comedian, writer and entrepreneur. Since 2016, Diana has been making audiences laugh, touring across Australia, Edinburgh Fringe, and the Garden Grove (USA), with acclaimed standup shows ‘Chasing Keanu Reeves’, ‘Naked’, and ‘Dirty Diana’.
Notably, Diana is the co-creator, co-lead actor, and executive producer of Phi and Me TV, the first ever Vietnamese Australian family comedy series. Starting as a hit at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2014, the idea evolved into a web series through crowdfunding, raising $27k. Screen Australia later contributed $52k for post-production, and on June 16th, 2019, www.phiandme.tv premiered.
Diana is a unique MC and international speaker who combines comedy, performance and dance into her work to engage audiences.
In 2020, Diana delivered an incredibly recived TedxTalk titled ‘Joy is my Caffeine- Joyful’.
Her screen credits include Underbelly, Jack Irish, Please Like Me, and more recently, appearances on Fat Pizza (Channel 7) and 5 Bedrooms (Channel 10). She has also appeared on The Project, ABC Q&A in 2012, Fox Footy and Friday Front Bar as guest panelist. Beyond television, Diana has graced feature films, including the Bollywood hit “Chak De India” with Shah Rukh Khan and Sagarika Ghagte, and “The WhistleBlower.”
Find the moment you're seeking
2:55 What is comedian Diana Nguyen’s purpose? Embracing joy and failure in everything.
3:46 Unpacking Diana’s first failure, not meeting her mother’s expectations as the eldest daughter, and comprehending the sacrifices her mother made.
6:20 The trauma of trying to bring 58 kilos onto a Jetstar flight.
10:51 How our parental relationships shape us and how we shape our parents in return.
13:25 Diana’s early years- growing up around domestic violence, finding solace in Ballet, and shouldering adult responsibilities.
15:32 School as a place to escape and be heard and the incredible educators that lifted Diana up.
16:55 Diana’s journey through depression, facing shame, and healing from childhood sexual abuse.
21:01 How a Facebook ad led Diana down a spiritual path of self-love and finding freedom from the shame.
24:21 The power of dance to process and find joy; Diana’s creation of The JoyFool.
27:27 “Sure, fame’s great. But my work is just that feeling that I can make someone’s day a little different”, Diana on being a Dr Sunny, the clown doctor.
31:11 Processing heartbreak on the Camino Trail and grieving the lives we envision for ourselves.
37:00 “I’m grateful that I am unique and I get to do whatever the fuck I want”; Diana on owning herself and paying it forward.
41:33 Jo shares an Origin Story of a Well-Known Thing, the first ever recorded joke.
44:31 Diana’s first big break, connecting audiences in her remarkable and successful show Phi and Me.
45:41 What is Diana Nguyen’s Be?
Meet Jo
Jo Stanley is Founder and CEO at Broad Radio – radio for women, by women. Comedian, author, MC, speaker. Co-host of The House of Wellness TV and Radio. Hope messenger. Equality warrior. Mother, wife, awesome friend.
Broad Radio Insta • Broad Generation Insta • Broad Radio Web
Say hi to Mimi
Mimi is the Author of House of Kwa, Journalist, MC, Facilitator, Keynote, Mum of four, studying to become a mindfulness mediation teacher, also did architecture at university and didn’t become an architect. Quite a good friend.
BUY House of Kwa • Mimi Kwa Web