The actor spoke with ET at the 2019 Critics' Choice Awards and dished on the shocking success of his new Fox singing competition.
Ken Jeong cannot believe the wild popularity of his new Fox singing competition series, The Masked Singer.
When the series premiered earlier this month, its bizarre format -- the show turns viewers into detectives trying to crack the mystery of the costumed competitors' secret famous identities -- proved monumentally captivating, and provided Fox with some of its highest ratings in years.
ET's Lauren Zima caught up with Jeong at the 24th Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on Jan. 13, and the comedian said everyone involved in the project was "beyond shocked" by the audience response.
"No one knew," said Jeong, who, with Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger, serves as one of the show's celebrity panelists alongside host Nick Cannon. "We knew it would be wickedly fun show, but [the success] is insane."
The Masked Singer isn't the only wildly popular project Jeong had the good fortune to be part of in recent months. The actor has also been basking in the glow of love for Crazy Rich Asians, and he said the film has been "the gift that keeps on giving."
"It is one of those things where I've been blessed to be a part of some amazing projects, and Crazy Rich Asians is right at the top," Jeong marveled. "No one knew that this movie would be as commercially successful as it is. We all knew it would be a great movie, but for it to have that financial impact as well as a cultural impact, I've never been a part of anything on this level or as special as this."
In the wake of Kevin Hart's Oscars hosting controversy, the internet has been filled with discussion about who should take over as emcee for the night. While Jeong specifically has been suggested as a possible host, the actor said he really likes the notion of the entire cast of Crazy Rich Asians doing the gig together, which is an idea the film's director, Jon M. Chu, supported on Twitter.
"I think that would be an amazing idea," Jeong said with a smile. "That would be really dope."
While the Oscars ceremony still hasn't found a host -- reports are swirling it may forgo a host altogether -- fans can still see Jeong putting on his musical detective hat on The Masked Singer, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
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