Leslie Liao
Leslie Liao is an American stand-up comedian. She formerly worked for Netflix in their human resources department while learning to perform stand-up.
Early life and education
Liao was born on March 11, 1987 to Chinese immigrant parents and raised in Orange County, California. She describes originally wanting to be a ballerina from a young age, before being drawn to the entertainment industry. She recounts envisioning herself more as an agent or in some other support role.Liao graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Career
After completing college, one of Liao's first jobs was as an assistant producer at Universal Studios in comedy production. She also volunteered to be a talent scout, attending stand-up shows in the evenings to discover new comedy talent. Liao became motivated to try her own hand at stand-up comedy after seeing performances she didn't like: "It all clicked that night, where I realized how much I understood it and loved it, and was so protective over it. I remember almost standing up and being like, 'Give me the mic.'"Liao took a "calculated approach" to beginning her career, first enrolling in a writing class. While beginning to perform stand-up at local comedy clubs, Liao took a position at Netflix in their human resources department. Liao describes working a 9 to 5 shift, performing at a late night show, and then needing to be ready for an early meeting the next day. Liao made her television debut on the The [Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon|Jimmy Fallon Show] and was featured in the Netflix comedy showcase Verified Stand-Up. Liao resigned from Netflix in January 2024. She said her bosses were "so cool and supportive" and encouraged her to pursue her comedy career: "My bosses at Netflix saw me on Netflix. They saw me on Jimmy Fallon. They were like, 'Go be a star.' They didn't fire me, but they were like, 'It's your time.'"