Yesterday morning, March 29, 2026, I woke up in London, about to fly home, when I discovered that fellow comic Robin Tran had posted a photo of herself with Alex Duong. As I scrolled further through Facebook, I realized that he had passed after his battle with cancer. Sadness and shock overcame me—I knew he was so young, younger than me. He passed at 42.
What makes it even sadder for me is that I knew Alex at the start of his career. I always thought he was an interesting performer and comic, and I had always wanted to work with him. The last project we collaborated on was the talk series Midnight Snack with Julie Chan, which I co-created with hostess-with-the-mostest Julie Chan and my PGA colleague Kevin Huie in July 2024.
Alex appeared on the show as the guest comic on Episode 103, alongside actor Tohoru Masamune and Emmy®-winning producer Luci Kwak. You can watch the entire episode on AAM.tv.
Last year, before the end of the year, I reached out to Alex to see if he wanted to be part of Comedy InvAsian III, which we’re shooting over Valentine’s weekend 2026. He agreed, and we signed the contract.
Being Asian in Hollywood, I feel that Alex and I shared an unspoken understanding and camaraderie—that we needed to work together and support each other. Having been in this industry for over three decades, I know that Asian men have historically been among the least respected and least empowered… even today.
Justin Lin, with whom I co-directed our first feature Shopping for Fangs, once told me that while directing either Fast III or Fast IV, he went out for a lunch meeting during the shoot. On his way back to the Universal lot, security stopped him and asked for his credentials. When he said he was the director, the guard laughed and told him to “get out of here.” It wasn’t a joke—he ended up having to remove the guard.
Right before the new year, Alex wrote to tell me he had to bow out of the show because his cancer treatment would overlap with our shooting schedule. I told him I understood and that I looked forward to finding another opportunity to work together.
And then, yesterday, he was gone.
In memoriam, Alex.
