Julie Kim is a Vancouver-based comedian whose bold, story-driven style draws from the absurdity of being a woman in the world. Once focused on tightly structured jokes, she has evolved into a fearless, conversational storyteller tackling motherhood, ambition, resentment, sexuality, and the mental load—without softening a thing. Relatable, sharp, and unapologetically herself, Kim recently sold out the iconic Vogue Theatre and now hosts her podcast BOTHERED. Her biggest influence? The chaos of womanhood—and her “reluctant muse” of a husband.
How would you describe your comedy style?
The main engine of my comedy is my experience and perspective as a woman in the world. Some of my biggest fans are men, though. And not necessarily creepy ones.
I try to simply speak as myself, and in the past few years, I have become a bolder and more female-forward version of myself. I have also evolved in the past few years to being more of a storyteller, whereas I started out trying one-liners and very structured short jokes. I love the writing aspect of comedy, but I also like to deliver them conversationally and personally, like I’m letting people in on the real version of my life at a park or cafe or after a pilates class (wow, that sounded so Vancouver).
I talk about childhood, motherhood, resentment, ambition, domestic labour, sexuality, and the mental load without softening it to make anyone comfortable. A man once told me I was the first Asian woman he had heard curse. That was weird, but kind of nice in a way. But again, weird. How am I supposed to not curse and yell when I’m sharing stories from a woman’s perspective? Rage is best enjoyed loudly, isn’t it? 🙂 Somehow I have been called relatable and likeable, and maybe that is what happens when you start speaking from your authentic voice.
Being more comfortable with longer-form storytelling and speaking off the cuff (with crowd work becoming almost expected by audience members) actually led me to podcasting. I have a fairly new podcast where I tell stories about real-life situations that have me BOTHERED (BOTHERED is the name of the podcast). I’m onto Season 2 with a live event in Vancouver on March 8th, and some exciting guests to come!
Who are some of your influences?
My main influence and driver is the absurdity of being a woman.
I call my husband my reluctant muse. He inspires a lot of material simply by existing and by representing the many men who lovingly frustrate their female partners by being themselves.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
I didn’t have a favourite comedian growing up, but I watched a LOT of 80s and 90s sitcoms. My siblings and I were always watching TV because our parents worked and we weren’t allowed out very much. We watched a lot of reruns, but as a child without knowledge of how TV works, I didn’t know which shows or episodes were new. Even though life itself was not all that exciting or happy, there was always a laugh track playing in the background.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Me. I am rooting for me!
What is your pre-show ritual?
Totally depends on the day and where I am. If I’m out of town on my own, I’ll relax and go over my notes and get ready in peace. If I’m at home, I’ll eat dinner with my husband and kid and go out to do shows around town in more of a rushed way. But I’m also motivated by stress (I should get that checked). I do not like to perform when I’m exhausted, because my mind and words get jumbled, and I hate to waste any stage time, whether it’s 5 minutes or 1 hour.
There is no ritual, but it is most respectful to comedy and myself when I take the time to prepare and be in the right mind space.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
My favourite performances are the ones where I’m happy with how I delivered the jokes, how the audience responded, and of course, I’m ecstatic when a new joke lands. It’s been less about the location.
However, headlining and selling out the Vogue Theatre in May 2025 was especially meaningful. There was something incredibly sweet about standing on that stage in the city I call home. I moved here over a decade ago as a brand new comic, and I never could have imagined I would one day headline an iconic theatre like that.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
My favourite bit is always the one I’m working on at any given time. I remember being proud of my JFL Gala set from 2022 because I had never worked so methodically on a few jokes. At the time, I felt that it went as well as it could have.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
I love to come upon clips of comics I’ve never heard of on Instagram and TikTok – that’s the main way I’ve discovered comedians. It’s also my main source of the news, parenting advice, recipes and fitness motivation. What I’m saying is that I’m on my phone all the time.
Tell us a joke about your city.
This is for people who know: Vancouver is like a hot guy with no personality.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
MARCH 8, 2026 – International Women’s Day!
I’ve got my event called BOTHERED IRL with Julie Kim. It’s a women’s day bash with storytelling and a live podcast recording, and audience interaction. Lots of prizes and giveaways.
It’ll be a big Vancouver celebration – with dumplings, donuts, and other treats from local partners! Everyone leaves with a $60+ gift from Organika (also Vancouver-based).
Everyone is invited, but if you’re misogynistic, you might feel uncomfortable.
Tickets here.
Where can we follow you?
EVERYBODY FOLLOW ME PLEASE
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
I’d love to pay it forward to every comic in Vancouver and tell people about the many amazing shows we have around town all the time. Is that ok!?
