Barney Cheng

Barney Cheng (traditional Chinese: 鄭伯昱; simplified Chinese: 郑伯昱; born February 1, 1971) is a Taiwanese-American actor, director, writer and producer. Cheng was born in Taipei, Taiwan. His family emigrated to the United States when he was 12 years old and he grew up in Brea, California. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien fluently. After graduating from Brea Olinda High School, Cheng attended Stanford University and received a degree in political science in 1993. His focus was initially on a career in law, and he studied political philosophy at Oxford University for his junior year abroad in England. While at Oxford, he was attracted to the West End stage and spent nights and weekends in London. In 1994, Cheng moved to New York City, where he studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. He was featured in two Off-Broadway plays by playwright Prince Gomolvilas, Donut Holes in Orbit and Big Hunk o’ Burnin’ Love, and was a big hit with the audience. He appeared in a variety of stage and television roles, including Shakespeare’s Puck, Bill Clinton’s political adviser on Saturday Night Live and George W. Bush’s voice on Late Night with David Letterman. After four movie appearances, Cheng co-starred opposite Woody Allen in ()