Joel Kim Booster

Joel Kim Booster was born Kim Joonmin on February 29, 1988, on Jeju Island, South Korea. He was adopted by an American couple and raised in Plainfield, Illinois, within a conservative, white, Evangelical Christian family, where he was initially homeschooled. At 16, he attended public school for the first time. He later pursued theater studies at Millikin University. In 2014, Booster relocated to New York to advance his comedy career, aiming to establish his unique brand through stand-up to secure roles for Asian performers. His stand-up career began with opening for plays in Chicago’s theater scene. By 2016, he performed a set on Conan, followed by a 30-minute special for Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents in 2017. His debut stand-up album, “Model Minority,” released on November 3, 2018, addressed topics such as racism within the gay community, growing up Asian in a predominantly white environment, and challenging stereotypes associated with Asian Americans.

Booster’s career expanded significantly into acting, writing, and producing roles. In 2018, he appeared in the film “Viper Club” alongside Susan Sarandon and in Netflix’s “The Week Of.” In 2019, he secured a recurring guest role in the acclaimed Hulu series “Shrill” and co-starred as Jun Ho in the NBC comedy series “Sunnyside.” During this period, Booster also made strides as a comedic writer and producer for prominent shows such as “Big Mouth,” “Billy on the Street,” and “The Other Two.” He also became a regular panelist on NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” and co-hosted the podcast “Urgent Care with Joel Kim Booster + Mitra Jouhari” with Mitra Jouhari under Earwolf, starting in 2019.

The year 2022 marked a significant turning point in Booster’s career, leading to mainstream recognition. He wrote and starred in the romantic comedy film “Fire Island,” which premiered on Hulu. This film, a modern adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” with a predominantly Asian American cast, co-starred Margaret Cho, Bowen Yang, and Conrad Ricamora. “Fire Island” garnered positive reviews for its cinematography, narrative faithfulness, and its portrayal of friendship. In the same year, Booster released his stand-up special, “Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual,” on Netflix, which critics praised for its insightful deconstruction of identity through humor. He also joined the cast of the Apple TV+ series “Loot” in a main role as Nicholas, further solidifying his position in the entertainment industry.