“All pretty faces look the same; one interesting soul is to be found among a million.” This is just one of many popular quotes by Dan Li, China’s father of stand-up comedy.

Born in Inner Mongolia, Li had no entertainment background when he joined the team of the pioneering Tonight 80’s Talk Show in 2012 as screenwriter and performer, helping introduce stand-up to mainstream audiences in China. When the show ended in 2017, Li co-founded the Fun Factory (Xiaoguo Culture Company) and launched Roast! on Tencent. The show became a big success and won him an Artist of the Year Prize at the China Variety Arts Summit Awards. Subsequently, Li launched Rock & Roast, which received millions of views online and established stand-up comedy as a mainstream entertainment genre popular among young audiences.

Over time, Dan Li has also been noticed for his street style, promoting Chinese independent designers’ works through numerous appearances in real life and online, making him an unconventional and refreshing male presence in Chinese fashion.