Barney Cheng landed on the Hollywood map as an actor in 2002 with his acclaimed performance in Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending. The New York Times described Cheng’s comedic timing as “surgically precise.” The Orange County Register raved that Cheng “steals every scene he’s in.” Cheng accompanied Woody Allen to promote the film and to open the 55th Cannes Film Festival. Since then, he has starred in numerous films, including Stay Until Tomorrow, Wasabi Tuna, and Capers, and appeared opposite Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible III.

In addition to acting, Cheng directs and produces award-winning films. His films have collectively screened in over 80 film festivals worldwide. Most recently, his film To Comfort You starring Golden Globe Winner Susan Blakely and Pauley Perrette of NCIS won Best Drama and Best Film at the 2010 Beverly Hills Shorts Festival.

Cheng directed Steps for Banana Republic and Vanity Fair as part of his FIND Project:Involve fellowship. Steps won international awards from Poland’s KAN Film Festival, Ukraine’s International Rights Film Festival, UK’s Black Film Festival and Malta’s Golden Knight Malta International Film Festival.

MTV Networks acquired Cheng’s film The Red Dress for its 2009-2010 Logo programming. Prior to that, Cheng directed Mrs. C., a political satire starring Niecy Nash, to help the Obama campaign during the 2008 presidential primary. His first screenplay Dien Dien’s Playground advanced to the final stage of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

A graduate of Stanford University and a food/wine enthusiast, Cheng resides in Los Angeles, and delivers every Friday for Project Angel Food.