Ken Jeong tries to be 'open' and 'vulnerable' with his twin teenage daughters: 'Kids can smell if you are not being sincere'

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As a comedian, former doctor and dad of fraternal twin girls, 16-year-old Alexa and Zooey, Ken Jeong is passionate about encouraging open lines of communication. Whether they’re discussing health and wellness or the unique career paths his daughters might like to pursue, “knowledge is power,” says the proud father.

“[My] approach is to be open and accessible,” he explains. “Don’t be afraid to make yourself vulnerable, not afraid to be honest. Kids can smell if you are not being sincere. It's really important to always come from a standpoint of honesty.”

Jeong’s passion for truthful and direct conversation is one of the reasons he recently partnered with Cottonelle Toilet Paper as part of its DownThereCare? platform to help spread awareness for the importance of “down there” care. “There's a lot of things — especially ‘down there’ — that people are uncomfortable talking about,” notes the comedian. “I do feel that I'm uniquely qualified to not only talk about the situation, but just keep people comfortable about talking about uncomfortable things. As a father, as a doctor, as a human being, you want to connect with people.”

He understands why people might be “cautious” to talk about their bodies, but when it comes to health, finding ways to feel empowered and open up about your experience is a must. Jeong acknowledges that people are particularly reserved when it comes to discussing screenings, such as a colonoscopy. “As someone who's been very involved with Stand Up to Cancer ... [as well as] the spouse of a cancer survivor, screening is so important,” notes Jeong. It’s for that reason that he’s particularly proud to help “jumpstart the conversation and get more people involved.”

Jeong is also eager to dive into any conversation his daughters want to have and for them to know they can always get in touch with him, no matter what he’s up to work-wise.“I was in Europe filming a movie, and my daughters were able to reach me before my wife, and I was able to answer an [important] question really quickly,” he recalls.

Overall, it means a lot to The Masked Singer panelist to be “present” for his family. “Even if you're not physically there, but if they can feel your presence there, it’s so important,” he shares. “We have a text chain going — just the four of us — and I pride myself on being very clear in communication. I think that is what I want to continue with them for the rest of my life.”

And as his girls swiftly approach adulthood, he encourages them to learn who they are as individuals. “They’re fraternal twins,” he explains. “I always tell them … you really get to have your own identity. They're best friends, they learn from each other and they inspire each other as well.”

Given that he’s been able to explore two very different careers — one in medicine, and the other in comedy — he encourages his daughters to be open-minded about what the future may hold.

“Find what you love to do, find what you're genuinely passionate about," he tells them, explaining, “I didn't discover acting comedy until I was in college. I never did theater in high school. I was a late bloomer. [So I tell them,] ‘Just keep your mind open. Once you know that this is your passion, lock in and commit.’”

Ultimately, Jeong knows he’s “very blessed to have great kids” and, more and more, his professional decisions revolve around them. “For me, it all starts and ends with family,” he notes. “The older I get, the less I start thinking about myself. Like when I did Crazy Rich Asians, for example, I didn't think about it for myself. I thought about it for my kids to have really strong Asian female role models — people like Awkwafina, like Michelle Yeoh, who I’m proud to say are friends of mine.”

It’s because he loves parenting “more than anything else in the world” that he doesn’t think of the tougher moments as “challenging.” Says Jeong, “Life is hard, life is challenging and as long as you love what you do, everything else will follow.”

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