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Joel Kim Booster

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Joel Alexander Kim Booster (born February 29, 1988),[1][2] born Kim Joonmin (Korean: 김준민), is an 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.

Joel Kim Booster
Booster in 2018
Born
Kim Joonmin

(1988-02-29) February 29, 1988 (age 36)
Jeju Island, South Korea
NationalityAmerican
Alma materMillikin University
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • actor
Years active2016–present
Partner(s)John-Michael Sudsina (2022–present; engaged)

Personal life

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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 studied theater at Millikin University for his bachelor's degree.[6] He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[8]

Booster is gay and often talks about his sexuality in his stand-up. He explained he knew he was gay from childhood ("before I knew I was Asian") but kept it a secret.[4][9] During his senior year of high school, his parents found out his orientation 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.[7][10] On July 21, 2020, Booster publicly shared that he has bipolar disorder.[11]

On September 1, 2024, Booster announced on Twitter his engagement to John-Michael Sudsina in South Korea.[12]

Career

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2012-2017: Early standup career

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Living in Chicago, Booster took a job as a copywriter and began to perform in theater and write jokes after work.[10] His standup career began in an unconventional fashion by opening up for plays in Chicago's theater scene.[4] In 2014, Booster moved to New York to pursue a career in comedy. Recognizing the dearth of quality comedic roles in film and television for Asian performers at the time, Booster took inspiration from the careers of Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari and decided to focus on establishing his own brand and identity through standup as a means to break into better acting roles later.[13][4][7] He quickly found new levels of stand up success after moving to New York, performing a set on Conan in 2016 and filming a 30-minute stand up special for Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents in 2017.[10] 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.[10]

2018-2021: Expansion into hosting, comedy writing, acting

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In 2018, Booster's acting career began to take off. Booster acted with Susan Sarandon in the YouTube original film Viper Club and was cast in Netflix's The Week Of. In 2019, he was cast as a recurring guest character in the critically acclaimed Hulu series Shrill starring Aidy Bryant and based on the titular memoir by Lindy West and co-starred as Jun Ho in the NBC comedy series Sunnyside, which ran for one season.[14] Meanwhile, he started seeing similar success as a comedic writer and producer during this time period, writing for acclaimed comedies Big Mouth, Billy on the Street, and The Other Two.[7]

He is a regular panelist on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! on NPR.[15][16] In 2019, he started the podcast Urgent Care with Joel Kim Booster + Mitra Jouhari with comedian Mitra Jouhari under Earwolf.[17] Booster appeared on the December 8, 2020, episode of The George Lucas Talk Show with fellow guest Eliza Skinner.[18]

2022–present: Hollywood breakout and mainstream success

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Booster wrote and starred in the 2022 romantic comedy film Fire Island, streaming on Hulu and inspired by Pride and Prejudice.[19] It is one of few mainstream gay films with a predominantly Asian American cast, and co-stars Margaret Cho, Bowen Yang, and Conrad Ricamora.[20] 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).[21][22][23]

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."[24]

Accolades

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Booster was called a Comic to Watch by Variety and one of Vulture's 20 Comedians You Should and Will Know,[25][26] and was named a Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment.[27]

Discography

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  • 2018: Model Minority[7]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2013–2014 Kam Kardashian Joel Web series; also writer[28]
2013–2014 Funemployed Charlie / Backup Dancer Web series
2016 Conan Himself Stand-up set[28]
2017 Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Himself Stand-up[29]
2018 Comedy Central's Thank You, Goodnight! Himself
2019 The Other Two — Writer and producer[28]
2019 You're Not a Monster Phantom of the Opera Voice[30]
2019 BoJack Horseman Maude's Ex-Boyfriend Voice, episode: "The Face of Depression"[31]
2019 Sunnyside Jun Ho [31]
2019–2020 Shrill Tony Recurring role[28]
2019–2023 Big Mouth Charles Lu Voice, recurring role; also producer[31]
2020 Search Party Peter [31]
2021 iCarly Alexavier [28]
2021 Bob's Burgers Life Coach Dane Voice, episode: "The Pumpkinening"[32]
2021 Curb Your Enthusiasm Hulu Executive No. 1 [33]
2021 Santa Inc. Jingle Jim Voice[34]
2022 American Dad! Geric, Gold Top Nuts Son, Grocery Store Employee Voice, 2 episodes[29]
2022 Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual Himself Stand-up[24]
2022–present Loot Nicholas Main role; also writer[35]
2022 Stand Out: An LGBTQ + Celebration Himself Stand-up set[36]
2022 Celebrity Jeopardy! Himself Contestant[37]
2022 The Great American Baking Show Himself Contestant
2023 Glamorous Cliff
2023 Is It Cake? Himself / Judge Episode: "That 90's Cake"
2024 RuPaul's Drag Race Himself / Judge Episode: "Corporate Queens"
2024 Industry Frank Wade Episode: "It"

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2018 The Week Of Airline Attendant
2018 Viper Club Robbie [29]
2022 Unplugging Phil [38]
2022 Fire Island Noah Also writer and executive producer[19]
2023 Urkel Saves Santa: the Movie Clerk Gary (voice) Direct-to-Video

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Work Category Result Ref.
2022 Dorian Awards N/A Wilde Wit Award Nominated [39]
Gotham Independent Film Awards Fire Island Ensemble Tribute Won [40]
2023 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Film – Streaming or TV Won [41]
Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Nominated [42]
Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures Nominated [43]
Primetime Emmy Outstanding Television Movie Nominated [44]
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Nominated

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kim Booster, Joel [@ihatejoelkim] (February 27, 2020). "Democratic presidential nominees as POKÉMON GYM LEADERS: jk I'm fucking thirty two years old but also if I did this it would pull huge numbers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Kim Booster, Joel [@ihatejoelkim] (February 29, 2016). "Today I have a real birthday and I've never felt more powerful. Leap Day energy courses through my body. I will destroy Sam Smith" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Joel Kim Booster Is Adopting a New Asian American Identity". Glamour. May 25, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kozell, Isaac (October 18, 2017). "Joel Kim Booster's Unlikely Path to Standup Stardom". Vulture. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "🔊 Listen Now: 970 Transracial Adoption (w/ Joel Kim Booster)". NPR One. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Why you should be rooting for Joel Kim Booster in 2019". The FADER. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d e Prois, Jessica (June 25, 2018). "Joel Kim Booster On Finding The Comedy In Hurtful Queer Asian Male Stereotypes". HuffPost. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  8. ^ @THR (July 19, 2021). "'Sunnyside' actor and comedian Joel Kim Booster, who is a DSA-LA member: "Have I read a lot of socialist theory? No. I believe we should house the unhoused. I believe we should have universal health care"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Schmit, Timaree (November 1, 2017). "Asian-queer funnyman Joel-Kim Booster talks being both in the world of comedy". PhiladelphiaWeekly.com. Retrieved December 24, 2018.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ a b c d Goodman, Elyssa; Trykowski, Tyler; Taete, Jamie Lee Curtis (October 20, 2017). "Joel Kim Booster's Tough Journey from Closeted Gay Kid to 'Model Minority'". Vice. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  11. ^ @ihatejoelkim (July 21, 2020). "Hey I'm also bipolar, and it's especially troubling to me that it's only really discussed on here as a result of the episodes of high profile talents. I work and live and am medicated and am largely pretty happy because I have an incredible support system. That's that on that" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "Vacation boyfriend —-> Vacation husband. Try to be normal about this". September 1, 2024 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Joel Kim Booster: Sex, Wealth, and the Comedy Grind". KCRW. October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Farwell, Eric (September 24, 2019). "Joel Kim Booster Is a 'Hot Idiot'—But That's Not All". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "'Wait Wait' For Nov. 23, 2019". NPR.
  16. ^ "'Wait Wait' For Feb. 29, 2020". NPR.
  17. ^ "Urgent Care with Joel Kim Booster and Mitra Jouhari". Earwolf. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  18. ^ "The George Lucas Talk Show Episode XVIII with Eliza Skinner and Joel Kim Booster". December 8, 2020 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ a b Donnelly, Matt (June 30, 2021). "Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang to Top Feature 'Fire Island' With Director Andrew Ahn for Searchlight (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  20. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (June 3, 2022). "For Joel Kim Booster, Making 'Fire Island' Was a Real Trip". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  21. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (June 7, 2022). "Fire Island Is a Surprisingly Faithful Jane Austen Adaptation (Albeit With More Poppers)". Slate. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  22. ^ ""Fire Island" Is a Love Story About Queer Alienation". them. June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  23. ^ "'Fire Island' Is a Trip to Gay Heaven—or Is It Hell?". Vanity Fair. June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  24. ^ a b White, Abbey (June 20, 2022). "Joel Kim Booster on Finding His 'Nanette' Moment in 'Psychosexual' Special and That Alison Bechdel 'Fire Island' Tweet". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  25. ^ "Variety Announces 10 Comics to Watch for 2018". Variety. June 14, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  26. ^ Jesse David Fox, Jake Kroeger, Samantha Pitchel (November 14, 2017). "20 Comedians You Should Watch". Vulture.com. Retrieved September 23, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "30 Under 30 2018: Hollywood & Entertainment". Forbes. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  28. ^ a b c d e "Everything's Coming Up Joel Kim Booster". Highsnobiety. May 26, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  29. ^ a b c Petski, Denise (July 1, 2021). "Joel Kim Booster Joins Maya Rudolph In Apple Comedy Series From Alan Yang & Matt Hubbard". Deadline. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  30. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (July 9, 2019). "IMDb Unveils First Scripted Series 'You're Not A Monster'; Sets Sneak Peek At Comic-Con". Deadline. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  31. ^ a b c d Miller, Liz Shannon (January 5, 2021). "Joel Kim Booster Isn't Afraid to Swear, Explain His 'Big Mouth' Job, or Say Nice Things About Quibi". Collider. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  32. ^ "'Bobs Burgers' Cast Picks Five Must-See Episodes Before the Film". Yahoo! Finance. May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  33. ^ "Curb Your Enthusiasm perks up as Larry and Susie team up". The A.V. Club. November 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  34. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (November 10, 2021). "'Santa Inc' Sets December Premiere on HBO Max, Reveals Full Cast and First-Look Photos (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  35. ^ "Joel Kim Booster is 'really excited for little bits of f----try' he snuck into Apple sitcom Loot". Yahoo!. June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  36. ^ White, Abbey (June 11, 2022). "How the 'Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration' Special Honors "Fearless" Comedians". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  37. ^ "Sunday's matchup". Jeopardy. June 11, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  38. ^ "Unplugging". Metacritic.
  39. ^ Coates, Tyler (August 17, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary,' 'The White Lotus' and 'Yellowjackets' Among Top Winners at LGBTQ Critics' Dorian TV Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  40. ^ Malkin, Michaela Zee,Marc; Zee, Michaela; Malkin, Marc (September 20, 2022). "'Fire Island' to Receive Gotham Awards' Ensemble Tribute (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Complex, Valerie (January 18, 2023). "GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards". Deadline. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  42. ^ Davis, Clayton (November 22, 2022). "Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere' Leads With Eight Noms". Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  43. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (January 12, 2023). "Producers Guild Awards 2023 Film and TV Nominations Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  44. ^ Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
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