Who was Bun Hay Mean? All about comedian “funny Chinese” found dead from fall in Paris

French stand-up comic Bun Hay Mean, the “Funny Chinese,” died tragically on July 10, 2025, at the age of 43. He was discovered dead in Paris’s 17th arrondissement, where he reportedly fell from the eighth floor of a residential building. The circumstances of his death are under investigation, but it appears accidental, the police said.

Bun Hay Mean was born in France to a Cambodian father and a Chinese mother and was raised in Bordeaux. His parents had fled Cambodia in 1977 to escape the poverty and violence under the regime of Pol Pot and arrived in France as refugees.

As a child, Bun Hay Mean fought against agoraphobia but found his outlet in comedy, starting with stand-up in the cafés of Bordeaux when he was studying computer science. According to a report by Le Fridge Comedy, he had graduated in 2006, but chose to abandon his academic path in favour of pursuing his passion for comedy in Paris.

Bun Hay Mean’s big break came in 2014 when he signed up for the Jamel Comedy Club. He was known for playing with cultural stereotypes and focusing on themes of identity, racism, and belonging through his work.

His first show, Chinois Marrant, packed out several venues, including the Grand Rex in Paris. He was considered an exciting contemporary comedian in France. In 2023, Bun Hay Mean gained international fame for his villainous performance in the Guillaume Canet-directed Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom.

A look into Bun Hay Mean's health struggles

In the past years, the comedian spoke openly about his emotional problems. He was later diagnosed as bipolar, he said in interviews, having spent time in a psychiatric hospital (HuffPost).

"I talk about mental health (in his new stand up). It's a collection of new sketches and what happened to me last summer. I had a low point. It's a kind of therapy, ultimately." He told Nice Matin in an interview.

In his new show, Kill Bun, he discussed recovery, personal trauma, and resilience, with humour as a form of therapy. He called the show a “rebirth” and was set to perform in Montreal the day after he died.

His producer, Philippe Delmas, said that the comedian had tried to recover his phone from a gutter on his balcony, which led to his fall.

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"According to the evidence in our possession, it was just before he left, and while trying to retrieve his phone that had fallen into the gutter of his balcony, that Bun slipped and fell several stories," Delmas said in a statement.

Fans and colleagues alike have been stunned by the death of Bun Hay Mean. Tributes from fellow comedians and public figures have since poured in.

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