Joel Kim Booster

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Joel Kim Booster
Born Kim Joonmin
(1988-02-29) February 29, 1988 (age 36)
Jeju Island, South Korea
Nationality American
South Korean
Alma mater Millikin University
Occupation
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • actor
Years active 2016–present

Joel Alexander Kim Booster (born Kim Joonmin; February 29, 1988)[1][2] is a South Korean-born American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. He co-produced and wrote for Big Mouth and The Other Two and as an actor has appeared on Shrill, Search Party, and Sunnyside. In 2022, he wrote, produced, and starred in the Hulu romantic comedy Fire Island, a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with a main cast of Asian American actors.

Early life and education

Born Kim Joonmin in Jeju Island, South Korea,[3] Booster was adopted by an American couple as an infant.[4][5] He was raised in Plainfield, Illinois, in a "conservative, white, Evangelical Christian family" and was initially homeschooled.[6][7] He went to public school for the first time when he was 16, which he described as his "first time being around non-religious people."[4] He knew he was gay from childhood but kept it a secret.[8] During his senior year of high school, his parents found out he was gay by reading his diary where he had described his sexual encounters with other boys.[6] Booster moved out and began to couchsurf until he stayed with a family friend.[9][7]

He studied theater at Millikin University for his bachelor's degree.[6]

Career

Living in Chicago, Booster took a job as a copywriter and began to perform in theater and write jokes after work.[9] His stand-up career began in an unconventional fashion by opening up for plays in Chicago's theater scene.[4] He moved to New York in 2014 to pursue a career in comedy.[4][7] He performed a set on Conan in 2016.[9] He then appeared in his own Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special in 2017. Booster has also written for the shows Billy on the Street, Big Mouth, and The Other Two.[7]

On November 3, 2018, he released his debut stand-up album, Model Minority.[6] The material covers racism in the gay community, growing up Asian in a white community, and his own non-adherence to stereotypes about Asian Americans.[9]

Booster has acted in various roles such as with Susan Sarandon in the YouTube original film Viper Club; on Netflix's The Week Of and on Hulu's Shrill starring Aidy Bryant. He co-starred as Jun Ho in the NBC comedy series Sunnyside, which ran for one season.[10] In 2019, he co-hosted a digital series called Unsend with Patti Harrison on Comedy Central.[11] He is a regular panelist on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on NPR.[12][13] In 2019, he started the podcast Urgent Care with Joel Kim Booster + Mitra Jouhari with comedian Mitra Jouhari under Earwolf.[14] Booster appeared on the December 8, 2020 episode of The George Lucas Talk Show with fellow guest Eliza Skinner.[15]

Booster wrote and starred in the 2022 romantic comedy film Fire Island, streaming on Hulu and inspired by Pride and Prejudice.[16] It is one of few mainstream gay films with a predominantly Asian American cast, and co-stars Margaret Cho, Bowen Yang, and Conrad Ricamora.[17] The film received positive reception and was noted for its cinematography, faithfulness to Pride and Prejudice, and depiction of a loving friendship between Howie and Noah (played by Yang and Booster).[18][19][20]

In 2022, he released a stand-up special on Netflix called Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual. Abbey White of The Hollywood Reporter described the special positively: "...Psychosexual offers a hilariously biting deconstruction and reconstruction of Booster’s identity onstage; a repudiation not only of himself as a representative or “role model” for his various communities, but an affirmation that as a comedian, his only job is to tell jokes — regardless of whether that speaks to any community at all."[21]

Personal life

Booster is gay and often talks about his sexuality in his stand-up. He has stated that he knew he was gay before he knew he was Asian.[4] On July 21, 2020, Booster publicly shared that he has bipolar disorder.[22]

Accolades

Booster was called a Comic to Watch by Variety[23] and one of Vulture's 20 Comedians You Should and Will Know,[24] and was named a Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment.[25]

Discography

  • 2018: Model Minority[7]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013–2014 Kam Kardashian Joel Web series; also writer[26]
2013–2014 Funemployed Charlie / Backup Dancer Web series
2016 Conan Himself Stand-up set[26]
2017 Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Himself Stand-up[27]
2018 Comedy Central's Thank You, Goodnight! Himself
2019 The Other Two N/A Writer and producer[26]
2019 You're Not a Monster Phantom of the Opera Voice[28]
2019 BoJack Horseman Maude's Ex-Boyfriend Voice, episode: "The Face of Depression"[29]
2019 Sunnyside Jun Ho [29]
2019–2020 Shrill Tony Recurring role[26]
2019–2021 Big Mouth Charles Lu Voice, recurring role; also producer[29]
2020 Search Party Peter [29]
2021 iCarly Alexavier [26]
2021 Bob's Burgers Life Coach Dane Voice, episode: "The Pumpkinening"[30]
2021 Curb Your Enthusiasm Hulu Executive #1 [31]
2021 Santa Inc. Jingle Jim Voice[32]
2022 American Dad! Geric, Gold Top Nuts Son, Grocery Store Employee Voice, 2 episodes[27]
2022 Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual Himself Stand-up[21]
2022–present Loot Nicholas Main role; also writer[33]
2022 Stand Out: An LGBTQ + Celebration Himself Stand-up set[34]
2022 Celebrity Jeopardy! Himself Contestant[35]
2022 The Great American Baking Show Contestant
2023 Glamorous Cliff
2023 Is It Cake? Himself / Judge Episode: "That 90's Cake"

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2018 The Week Of Airline Attendant
2018 Viper Club Robbie [27]
2022 Unplugging Phil [36]
2022 Fire Island Noah Also writer and executive producer[16]

Awards and nominations

Year Association Work Category Result Ref.
2022 Dorian Awards N/A Wilde Wit Award Nominated [37]
Gotham Independent Film Awards Fire Island Ensemble Tribute Won [38]
2023 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Film – Streaming or TV Won [39]
Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Nominated [40]
Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures Nominated [41]

See also

References

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External links

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