All photos courtesy of Charles Hsu.
Charles Hsu wants you to cringe, hard. But it’s exactly those awkward empty glances, flailing arms, loud moans, and aggressive nods that stop you dead in your scroll. The internet’s new favorite comic plays a hilarious assortment of exaggerated characters online, from an overbearing mom and overly enthusiastic dinner date to, most famously, an urgent care receptionist yelling at an entire waiting room about a patient’s “itchy hole.” A longtime super fan of sketch shows like Portlandia and Saturday Night Live, the actor-comedian has a knack for making relatable moments totally absurd, drawing in almost 1 million TikTok followers over the past year alone. While Hsu doesn’t take his social media presence too seriously, his short skits are just small doses of his major creative talent—one that’s landed him a spot at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a leading role in the off-Broadway production This is Government. To get to know the star dominating everyone’s FYP, Interview slid into Hsu’s DMs and heard all about his chronic hives, hatred for goat milk lattes, and obsession with Kristen Wiig in this week’s installment of Search History.
THURSDAY 11:30 AM AUGUST 20, 2026 NEW YORK CITY
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SIENA BERGAMO: Hi Charles!!
CHARLES HSU: Heyyy!
BERGAMO: Welcome to Search History! Thanks so much for doing this.
HSU: Omfg of course thank u for having me.
BERGAMO: How are u??
HSU: I’m goood 😍 need a coffee tho 😂 Can i use emojis? Lol.
BERGAMO: Yes ofc!! What’s ur usual coffee order?
HSU: Usually just like iced coffee with any type of milk. Except not a big fan of oat milk. Tastes like oatmeal to me. HATE goat milk.
BERGAMO: Which coffee shop is serving u goat milk???
HSU: Dunkin.
BERGAMO: Oh ofc 😍. Ok to start off: A/S/L?
HSU: 24/Male/NEW YORK CITY 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🍏🍏🍏🍎. ASL Awesome Sexy Laughter 😂.
BERGAMO: Yesssss!!!! 😍😍😍 What’s ur fav spot in NYC??? Send a pic.
HSU: Omg Apple Store Meatpacking.
BERGAMO: Okkk niche. Why?
HSU: It’s so pretty in there and after you’re done getting your phone u can go to Chelsea Market and get some food.
BERGAMO: Oh cutee ok so it’s the hang out spot.
HSU: Well. Maybe for me 😂😂.
BERGAMO: Ok gatekeeper 🤣🤣🤣.
HSU: 😂😂😂😂 I have to get my computer fixed so everyone just pull up.
BERGAMO: Omg me too. I have a black line on my screen and it’s scaring me. I’ll pull up.
HSU: It’s too late at that point. You gotta get a new device.
BERGAMO: Oh it’s the end for me?
HSU: Yeah 🫤
BERGAMO: RIP. I know u went to NYU Tisch for drama…I’m a Tisch student myself but def not an actor. Did drama school live up to the stereotypes??
HSU: This is a tricky question because NYU has many different mini studios of drama inside of Tisch drama as a whole, so depending on who you speak to, they might have a different opinion on whether or not drama school lives up to its stereotypes. We definitely did roll around on the ground sometimes.
BERGAMO: Oh that’s a requirement I’m sure. Were u Experimental Theatre Wing? U give Experimental Theatre Wing.
HSU: LMFAOOOOOOOOOO.
BERGAMO: Hopefully that’s not an insult.
HSU: No I was Playwrights, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and then Stonestreet.
BERGAMO: Ooooo okay cool cool. Okay moving on to more rapid fire questions.
HSU: Yay.
BERGAMO: What are you wearing rn? If you can send a fit pic 😍
HSU: BRUHHHHHHH. I’m in the ugliest clothes ever because I have to do laundry. I’m laughing. I remember thinking to myself this morning, “Omg you should put on a cute outfit.” And then I was like, “Wait no it’s over DM.”
BERGAMO: LMAOOO. I tricked u.
HSU: 😂😂😂😂😂 Ok give me a sec I’m gonna change.
BERGAMO: Ok perf.
HSU: And now I have to find a mirror.
BERGAMO: I’m gonna customize our DM theme while I wait. [Changes background to glowing dog animation] idk about this one.
HSU: Omfg I love this theme. There’s my outfit.
BERGAMO: Okayyy self timer.
HSU: Yall think I was wearing that 😂😂 I just got that from 2nd street.
BERGAMO: I’m confused is this a trick…
HSU: Everything online is an illusion.
BERGAMO: Oh ok awesome. You never know. Who’s ur fav character to play online??? My personal fav is ur pharmacist and then ur doctor reacts to pharmacist persona. I feel like that’s a classic.
HSU: Ah. Good question. I think my fav character is the mom. Because it reminds me of my own mom and it’s fun to put on the tracksuit.
BERGAMO: Aww cute. It really suits u 😍
HSU: Thx 😏
BERGAMO: Now what are your most recent Google searches? Send a screenshot.
HSU:
BERGAMO: Okay…did you ever find an aesthetic Spongebob costume?? I feel like I can’t imagine that. Like Tumblr 2014 Spongebob vibe?
HSU:
BERGAMO: Ok so ur satisfied. 2.5 stars tho.
HSU: It wasn’t aesthetic enough for them.
BERGAMO: Yeah they don’t get it ig. What’s ur TikTok FYP look like rn?
HSU: Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Heather Gay edit, pokémon, olaf, peppa, and [Tangled] turtle.
BERGAMO: HEATHER GAYYY. She’s iconic.
HSU: Love her so much.
BERGAMO: I haven’t watched since season 2 tho I’m a fake fan.
HSU: Bruh. New season coming. U have to catch up.
BERGAMO: Ok I’m on it trust. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done during an audition or self-tape?
HSU: LMFAO. Pretend to itch myself and then start tearing up because of chronic hives. But the most embarrassing thing you can do in an audition is not commit.
BERGAMO: Oh no 😭😭😭😭. Yeah u were prob spot on. Can u screenshot a self-tape plz.
HSU:
BERGAMO: Awesome candid. This is like Gracie Abrams’s The Secret of Us cover.
HSU: LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO.
BERGAMO: Oh this is pre-edit? Raw file 😍
HSU: Yeah! Before and after, just showing how much lighting can change how your face shows up on cam 🙂
BERGAMO: Yesss the power of a ring light 😍😍😍 And a little botox. Okay. What’s ur fav SNL skit of all time?
HSU: OMG. Anything Fred Armisen, or Kristen Wiig is genuinely everything to me.
BERGAMO: Amazing. Kristen was the Target lady right?
HSU: Yesssss.
BERGAMO: Love the Target lady.
HSU: Have you seen Bridesmaids?
BERGAMO: YESS I love Bridesmaids. That was like my childhood fav.
HSU: That’s my favorite movie of all time. That’s peak Kristen Wiig.
BERGAMO: OMGG twin. She was really good. I like when Melissa McCarthy gets all the puppies.
HSU: Ugh yes so good. Framed in my room:
BERGAMO: So cute. It’s like a family photo. Makes me emotional even.
HSU: Genuinely.
BERGAMO: So what’s ur dream role? Something like Bridesmaids?
HSU: I would love to write and star in a movie like that. But I also would love to do a sketch show like Portlandia. Something with tons of characters.
BERGAMO: U should do it. Do you screenwrite also?? I need to watch Portlandia.
HSU: IMMEDIATELY. U must. I do screenwrite too, but it’s a muscle that needs constant exercise. And I need to, like, go to the gym and get buffer.
BERGAMO: Eat protein. Maybe that will help.
HSU: Tru dat. I eat fiber gummies.
BERGAMO: Oh that’s good. Ur halfway there. Ok. Some people have been saying you’re the funniest guy on TikTok with the least funny comment section. What do you think about that? Send your fav comment you’ve gotten.
HSU: I love this comment so much and I think about it every time I see something from Burberry. Like it’s such an interesting observation.
BERGAMO: LMFAOOO. Awww she really stuck w u 🩷
HSU: Genuinely. I think when it comes to comment sections though, I have the mindset of, if you’re moved to comment and you engage with a post of mine, I’m happy. So if it’s repetitive or “unfunny” or observational like, “Why do Chinese people love Burberry?,” it all is welcomed by me. I think I see more comments saying “his comment sections are unfunny” than I see unfunny comments.
BERGAMO: Yeah true. Like they’re being the unfunny ones.
HSU: But the internet is an echo chamber and we consume so much reactionary content and read so many comments of the same mindset that people get stuck in this loop. If you want to break the cycle, comment something no one has seen before. Like, “Why do Chinese people love Burberry?”
BERGAMO: Yeah, like, be the trailblazer.
HSU: Be more like her.
BERGAMO: She’s an inspiration. Ok speaking of comment sections—do you have a fav meme or reaction pic?
HSU: It’s Stewie going oh my gooood and clapping.
BERGAMO: Omg I haven’t seen this. He looks so cute.
HSU: I LOVE Stewie.
BERGAMO: Love it. What’s the stupidest thing you’ve bought online?
HSU:
BERGAMO: The Labubu ears or the mask? Or both?
HSU: So funnily enough the mask was a gift. The Labubu ears.
BERGAMO: Oh how thoughtful. From who?
HSU: I did this web series called Community Theater and this was my costume. And I was like PLEASE give me the mask.
BERGAMO: Oh you had to have it. I mean it fits perfectly. Size XS? 😍
HSU: Size LMFAO.
BERGAMO: Love the Labubu ears. U know I got coerced into buying one in, like, May 2025 for $60. It is not my proudest moment.
HSU: Oh totally.
BERGAMO: The store clerk almost convinced me to buy a little Miu Miu outfit for it too. I was in a trance.
HSU: I also have every color of Labubu from the OG Macaron series.
BERGAMO: Oh every color…how are they treating u?
HSU: Yes every color except the secret rare. They’re great.
BERGAMO: Do they come awake at night?
HSU: I make them act.
BERGAMO: Oh ok awesome. Can u send a pic? Need to see these.
HSU:
BERGAMO: Wowww they’re naturals 🤩 Star material honestly.
HSU: Yeah the pink one I kind of live through and the green one is always the lover or the one that got away.
BERGAMO: Ooo ok kinda like the green M&M.
HSU: Yeah totally.
BERGAMO: Ofc. Okay. I think that’s mostly it. Any last message you want to send to Interview?
HSU: Yessss. Everyone go check out my new YouTube channel @CharlesAHsu. Some rlly crazy stuff coming out this month. Or whenever this comes out.
BERGAMO: Yesss I’m so ready 😍 Thank you so much for your time!!!!!
HSU: Omg thank YOU!!!!
BERGAMO: Have the best day 😍😍😍 Bye Charles 👋👋👋
HSU: Bye Siena
