Photo: Jeong Park/Searchlight Pictures
Joel Kim Boosteris living his hot gay summer.
With his new romantic comedyFire Islandstreaming on Hulu, the comedian, 34, tells PEOPLE that filming at the eponymous popular LGBTQ destination “felt like summer camp.” (He spoke with PEOPLE while discussing his appearance in Coach’s “Go All Out For Pride” campaign.)
“I mean, we were there for the last two weeks of shooting and it felt like summer camp, honestly. When you shoot a movie or a show in L.A. or New York, it’s very much like any other job,” he explains. “You punch in, you punch out, you go home at the end of the day, you live your life.
He stars inFire Islandas Noah, a gay man who takes his annual pilgrimage to the New York island, where he vows to help his best friend Howie (Bowen Yang) hook up with his crush Charlie (James Scully) before getting any action himself. That goal is complicated when sparks unexpectedly fly between himself and uptight lawyer Will (Conrad Ricamora).
Jeong Park/Searchlight Pictures
The film, which Booster alsowrote as a modern LGBTQ-centric deconstructionof Jane Austen’s literary classicPride and Prejudice, also starsMatt Rogers,Tomás Matos,Torian Miller,Nick Adams,Zane PhillipsandMargaret Cho.
Booster says the idea of starring as the lead in an LGBTQ romantic comedy never quite occurred to him, let alone sharing top billing with fellow AAPI actors Yang, 31, and Ricamora, 43.
“It was really hard to conceptualize that reality for myself growing up. And especially when I entered this industry, I thought the best I’d ever get was somebody’s sassy, gay assistant,” he says. “And that is the pinnacle of where most gay men who are working in this industry have gotten in terms of roles.
“And I’m lucky that, the other big thing is, I never in a million years would’ve imagined co-leading a movie with Bowen. I think conventional wisdom says that we would go in for the same parts, but certainly not be co-leading a movie together. So I really had a moment where I was like, if I wait for Hollywood to make this movie, it’ll never happen so I have to write it myself. And luckily, I found a lot of support along the way to get it made,” Booster adds.
Hunter Abrams/BFA
TheUnsendstar also stresses the significance of the movie coming out duringPride Month, as the plot deals with community and safe spaces.
“I hope that people understand that there’s a weight that queer people carry around with them every day navigating heterosexual spaces and a world that is built for straight people,” he says. “You don’t realize how heavy that weight is until you go to a gay space like Fire Island.
RELATED VIDEO: ‘SNL’ Star Bowen Yang on Asian Representation, Breaking Barriers with Gay Rom-Com ‘Fire Island’
“Going to these queer spaces is so important because that weight is finally lifted for, whether it’s a few hours of dancing or a whole week of a vacation, being able to be your authentic self without the pressure of conforming or code-switching or any of that is so transformative and important,” Booster explains.
Booster says those same themes are “a really big part” of why he wanted to join Coach’s Pride campaign, which benefits theHetrick-Martin Institute, as well asPoint Foundationand theCenterLinkCommunity of LGBTQ Centers, as part of the brand’sDream It Realinitiative.
See Joel Kim Booster inFire Island, now streaming on Hulu.
source: people.com
