Ramona Young and Kahyun Kim Find Themselves in Comedy

Comedy has long been a space where Asian women are sidelined, cast as punchlines rather than the ones telling the jokes. For actors Ramona Young (“Never Have I Ever,” “The Paper”) and Kahyun Kim (“St. Denis Medical,” “Cocaine Bear”), carving out space in the genre has meant drawing from lived experiences, reshaping familiar tropes, and daring to bring their full selves on screen. 

Mochi spoke with both actors at the 2025 Asian American Journalists Association convention, in Seattle, Washington, where Young and Kim also joined NBCUniversal’s “Asian Women Rewriting Comedy” panel. Off stage, they reflected on the projects they’re most excited to share this year and why comedy remains their favorite way to tell the truth.

Ramona Young: Finding Herself in NBC’s “The Paper”

Young, who starred in the hit Netflix teen drama series “Never Have I Ever,” stars in the inaugural season of Peacock’s “The Paper,” a mockumentary style follow-up to the sitcom “The Office.” Alongside stars Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore, the actor portrays Nicole Lee, a bright-eyed volunteer journalist at the Toledo Truth-Teller.

While “The Paper” builds on the legacy of “The Office,” the new show offers a fresh insider perspective from the newsroom, detailing the ups and downs of a declining Midwestern newspaper run by a group of passionate yet questionably experienced journalists. From urgent deadlines to an overly enthusiastic editor-in-chief, Young said “The Paper” confronts real newsroom challenges while centering the cast’s humor.

“It’s a completely different show [from “The Office”],” Young said. “There’s a lot more at stake.”

To prepare, Young shadowed staff at the Palisadian-Post in Pacific Palisades, California, to study the inner workings of a newsroom and learned to channel her own personality as Nicole — something she hadn’t yet experienced on previous projects.

“I played a lot of bigger-than-life characters in the past, and I really wanted to challenge myself to be more authentic and more vulnerable,” Young said. “It’s way easier to hide behind a character, and this is the first time where I’m like, ‘OK, I want to challenge myself to bring a lot more of myself to the table and see what happens.’ I’m so excited for that.”

Kahyun Kim: Bringing Realness to NBC’s “St. Denis Medical”

For Kim, humor is inseparable from heart. Starring as Serena, a confident travel nurse, on “St. Denis Medical,” Kim leans on her dry wit while capturing the highs and lows of hospital life. 

The show chronicles the lives of an eccentric team of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff as they confront the everyday challenges of treating patients. 

“Hospitals can be such dark and hard places, but there’s also a lot of light to that,” Kim said. “Our show brings that out.”

The ensemble comedy returns Nov. 3 with its second season, where Serena’s dynamic with fellow nurse Matt (Mekki Leeper) promises new comedic sparks. As a painfully unaware Serena repeatedly misses Matt’s hints, Kim imbues her character with a larger-than-life personality that celebrates the real-life overworked healthcare workers who excel at their jobs but are too clueless — or busy — to notice the romantic potential right in front of them. While the show commonly deals with the absurd, Kim said the main objective in her performance is to achieve authenticity.

“That’s always my goal — bring the realness to every character,” Kim said. “Humor — it’s funny, because it’s real. These things happen in real life.”

Comedy as Connection

Both actors trace their love of comedy back to childhood. For Young, whose family moved constantly due to her mother’s Navy career, humor became a way to adapt to ever-changing schools and communities.

Young, who booked her first television role in the ABC sitcom “Super Fun Night,” built most of her early acting experience through real-life scenarios. Jumping from school to school — more than 40 in total — Young developed a keen skill for adapting to new environments, though she rarely stayed in one place long enough to settle into one identity. With each move, the actress altered her personality to mold outsiders’ perceptions of her. As she learned to craft new personas to fit her ever-evolving life, one constant remained: her love for comedy and acting.

“Comedy is a beautiful thing,” Young said. “I always think of comedians as the stunt people of the heart. They really put themselves on the line to connect people together from different points of view, and I think it’s a huge necessity.”

Though Young said her mother initially worried about the actor’s ability to establish a steady career in the entertainment industry, she has since expressed pride in her daughter’s achievements.

Kim, too, saw comedy as a meaningful outlet for learning and self-expression. Growing up in South Korea, Kim was regularly immersed in Korean comedy. However, she was most inspired by the American sitcom “Friends.” Kim shared that she learned English from watching the show and still finds comfort and inspiration from rewatching episodes. After early involvement in classical ballet and musical theater, Kim eventually homed in on acting and attended Juilliard’s drama school.

For Kim, the impact of comedy matters most, whether it’s bridging cultures or bringing joy to audiences. She said she hopes to inspire fellow artists through her acting, but, more importantly, make people laugh.

“Laughter is truly the biggest joy in life,” Kim said. “[Comedy] is a safe place for a lot of people.”

Looking Ahead

As Asian American women in comedy, Young and Kim know how rare it is to see themselves represented — and how important it is to keep pushing for space.

“Being true to yourself is probably the biggest advice,” Kim said. “Be yourself and don’t apologize for it. Unless you’re a bad person — then apologize. Hopefully you’re not.”

Young added, “I always say my favorite role is the role I haven’t played yet. I look forward to seeing what’s next.”

With “The Paper” and “St. Denis Medical” set to premiere this fall, both actors are proving that comedy isn’t just about making people laugh. It’s about making space for new voices, new stories, and new ways of being seen.