In this week’s episode of Young Rock, NBC’s new comedy series chronicling the formative years of pro-wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Johnson reflected on a memorable day he shared with a wrestling legend and the beginning of a huge divide in his family. Let’s find out Who Is Greg Yao Based On?
According to IMDb, in episode six, titled “My Day With Andre,” The Rock’s grandma Ata (Ana Tuisila) plans to make a statement against her rival promoter Greg Yao, who has been systematically eliminating her best wrestlers. Dwayne (Adrian Groulx), a young boy of ten, and his family travel to Hawaii in anticipation of the Island Battle Royale.
Yao even sets up a dinner date for The Rock’s dad to meet him and Yao. Perhaps you recognize “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson as played by Joseph Lee Anderson, but you have no idea who plays Yao in Young Rock. We know who plays the show’s flashy bad guy, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Who Is Greg Yao Based On?
Greg Yao appeared to be playing John Wakayama, a former employee of Lia’s who played a significant role in an FBI investigation into extortion charges against her and two associates, as noted in a review of a prior episode.
Despite the fact that Lia was ultimately exonerated of all accusations, tonight’s episode went further than it had seemed poised to do with the real-life drama and began openly exposing the concerns that would finally force her expulsion from Hawai’i.
In particular, Lia and her business partner Bob’s demand that Yao pays a $5,000 tribute fee and book all of his venues and rings via her were lifted verbatim from the original headlines of the Hawaiian wrestling incident.
Almost everything in this episode actually occurred, only this time, Yao was wearing the recording device. After Wakayama wore a wire during his meeting with Lia, the FBI was able to record her demanding $5,000 in tribute from him.
The essence of each story is communicated, whether it be Johnson’s first car, his extracurricular activities at the University of Miami, or Lia Maivia’s dire legal jeopardy. Despite the fact that the show’s plots, locales, and characters sometimes diverge from historical reality, this has been a common point of discussion in recaps.
The show is upfront about how it plans to convey Johnson’s life narrative, so it’s up to the audience to decide if they want to hear these tales in a documentary format or not.
As Rival Promoter Greg Yao, Ronny Chieng Is Portrayed By Young Rock’s Ronny Chieng
According to Slam Wrestling, Ronny Chieng plays Greg Yao, Young Rock’s flashy rival promoter, and his cameo in episode six seems to be setting the stage for a larger part in a future season.
Apparently, the Malaysian actor got his start in the business as a stand-up comedian and is now a journalist on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. On the other hand, he has been in quite a few films and TV shows in recent years, as evidenced by his extensive IMDb credits.
Chieng is most known for his appearances as Eddie Cheng in the groundbreaking comedy Crazy Rich Asians and Ronny Chieng in the TV series International Student.
The Los Angeles Times claimed in a review that Chieng is “born to play” the role of “one of the many colorful cousins” in Crazy Rich Asians because of the “hilariously uptight, status-obsessed investment banker” he plays.
In subsequent episodes, we can’t wait to see what he brings to Yao. On NBC every week at 8 p.m. EST, new episodes of Young Rock premiere.
Ronny Chieng’s Film and TV Roles
In addition to his role in the MCU’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Chieng also appeared in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. In 2021, Ronny Chieng also portrayed wrestling promoter Greg Yao on the TV show Young Rock, which, as the name suggests, follows the early life of former wrestler Dwayne Johnson. Wrestling promoters Yao and Johnson’s grandma Ata are rivals.
Source: Techstry
Chieng is still there; he simply looks different because of the spectacles and mustache.
Ronny Chieng plays a reoccurring role in the medical comedy Doogie Kameloha, M.D., which follows a child prodigy (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) who manages to juggle being a teenager and practicing medicine.
Based on the Doogie Howser, M.D. series, Cheing plays Dr. Lee, a cardiac surgeon. In the near future, the actor will voice the titular role in Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow and co-star with Allison Williams in the James Wan-produced horror film M3GAN.
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