Dancing with the Stars Season 11: Margaret Cho

Moran “Margaret” Cho is a San Francisco-born Korean American stand-up comedian and actress.

FAMOUS FOR: Cho is known for her socio-political humor, generally liberal political humor, humor supportive of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. She also touches on issues of race. In the beginning of her standup career, Cho opened for Jerry Seinfeld and appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show. She won the 1994 Best Female American Comedian Award. During the same year, she starred in “All American Girl” a comedy show about an East Asian (Korean) family. The show had only one season (19 episodes).

DRUG ADDICTION: Cho suffered substance abuse problems which she detailed in her 2002 book “I’m The One That I Want.” Once she was so strung out, she was booed off the stage in Louisiana. The book takes the name of her 1999 one-woman show about her substance abuse problems, the pressures of being in show business as an Asian American and issues surrounding her weight. In 2002, she also had a show called “Notorious C.H.O.” which dealt with life in San Francisco in the 1970s and her bisexuality. She made a stand-up documentary, “Revolution, in 2004. Her 2005 book was about global issues, “I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight.” Her 2008 tour was called “Beautiful.”

AGE: 41

BIRTHDAY: 5 December 1968 (Sagittarius)

Website: www.MargaretCho.com

DANCING: Cho took up belly dancing in 2004 and for a while sold a line of bellydancing belts on her Website in 2006. It should come as no surprise that in 2007 her “The Sensuous Woman” tour was burlesque inspired. She is also known to have tattoos covering most of her back so it will be interesting to see if this effects the costuming.