Joel Kim Booster (born February 29, 1988)[1][2] is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents stand-up special.[3]
Joel Kim Booster | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Millikin University |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2016–present |
Website | ihatejoelkim |
Early life
Kim Booster was born in South Korea and was adopted by a white American couple as an infant.[4][5] He was raised in Plainfield, Illinois in a conservative, 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] His senior year in high school, his parents found out he was gay by reading his diary where he had described his sexual encounters with other boys.[6] Kim Booster moved out and began to couchsurf until he stayed with a family friend.[3][7]
He studied theater at Millikin University for his bachelor's degree.[6]
Career
Living in Chicago, he took a job as a copywriter and began to perform in theater and write jokes after work.[citation needed] Kim Booster began his stand-up career in an unconventional fashion by opening up for plays in Chicago's theater scene.[4] He then moved to New York in 2014 to pursue a career in comedy.[4][7] He performed a set on Conan in 2016.[3] He then appeared in his own Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special in 2017. Kim Booster has also written for the shows Billy on the Street, Big Mouth, and The Other Two.[citation needed]
Kim Booster has appeared with Susan Sarandon in Viper Club, a YouTube original film, Netflix's The Week Of, Hulu's Shrill starring Aidy Bryant, and the third season of TBS's Search Party.[9]
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.[3]
As of March 2019, he also co-hosts a digital series called Unsend with Patti Harrison on Comedy Central.[10] He is also a writer for The Other Two, which premiered in January 2019.
Personal life
Kim 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]
Acclaim
Kim Booster was called a Comic to Watch by Variety[11] and one of Vulture's 20 Comedians You Should and Will Know,[12] and was named a Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment.[13] Comedy Bang! Bang! host Scott Aukerman thinks he is cool.[14]
References
- ^ Kim Booster, Joel [@ihatejoelkim] (2020-02-27). "Democratic presidential nominees as POKEMON GYM LEADERS: jk I'm fucking thirty two years old but also if I did this it would pull huge numbers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Kim Booster, Joel [@ihatejoelkim] (2016-02-29). "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.
- ^ a b c d Goodman, Elyssa; Trykowski, Tyler; Taete, Jamie Lee Curtis (2017-10-20). "Joel Kim Booster's Tough Journey from Closeted Gay Kid to 'Model Minority'". Vice. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
- ^ a b c d e Kozell, Isaac (2017-10-18). "Joel Kim Booster's Unlikely Path to Standup Stardom". Vulture. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
- ^ "🔊 Listen Now: 970 Transracial Adoption (w/ Joel Kim Booster)". NPR One. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
- ^ a b c d "Why you should be rooting for Joel Kim Booster in 2019". The FADER. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
- ^ a b c Prois, Jessica (2018-06-25). "Joel Kim Booster On Finding The Comedy In Hurtful Queer Asian Male Stereotypes". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
- ^ Schmit, Timaree (2017-11-01). "Asian-queer funnyman Joel-Kim Booster talks being both in the world of comedy". PhiladelphiaWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
- ^ "More". JOEL KIM BOOSTER. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
- ^ Wright, Megh (2018-09-07). "Joel Kim Booster and Patti Harrison to Host a New Digital Series at Comedy Central". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
- ^ "Variety Announces 10 Comics to Watch for 2018". Variety. June 14, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ Jesse David Fox, Jake Kroeger, Samantha Pitchel (2017-11-14). "20 Comedians You Should Watch". Vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "30 Under 30 2018: Hollywood & Entertainment". Forbes. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ "Floating Bus Reform". Earwolf. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
External links
- Official website
- Joel Kim Booster on IMDb