Joel Kim Booster Opens Up About the Personal Story Behind the 'Fire Island' Scene (Interview)

Joel Kim Booster Reveals the Scene From Fire Island That Was Ripped From His Real Life 903

Joel Kim Booster. Taylor Hill/WireImage

Fire Island, a production by Joel Kim Booster, draws inspiration from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. However, Booster reveals that one scene in the show is actually based on a real-life experience.

Booster, who is 36 years old, shares exclusively with We about the origins of the 'Heads-up' scene in Fire Island. He discloses, "This particular scene is taken straight from my personal life. My friends and I enjoy game nights, and things can get pretty intense. It was during one of these game nights that I discovered my boyfriend had no idea who Natalie Imbruglia was."

A group of gay friends, including Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, and Margaret Cho, star in the movie. They decide to go on vacation to Fire Island, a popular spot off of New York known for its LGBTQ+ friendly environment.

In one scene called "Heads-Up" mentioned by Booster, the friends are seen playing a fun and competitive round of the iPhone game. The game requires players to guess the name of a person, place, or thing displayed on the phone screen held up to the forehead of one player.

Joel Kim Booster Reveals the Scene From Fire Island That Was Ripped From His Real Life 905

SearchlightPictures/YouTube

The players are having a lot of fun trying to help Ricamora’s character, Will, guess the name of Marisa Tomei by acting out famous scenes from her movies.

Keegan (played by Tomas Matos) and Luke (played by Matt Rogers) hilariously shout, "No, the defense is wrong!" as they imitate a line from Tomei's character in My Cousin Vinny. They continue with, "My biological clock is ticking like this and the way this case is going, I ain’t ever getting married!"

"That's the issue with Hollywood," Luke points out. "People tend to forget about Marisa Tomei, but they always remember Alicia Vikander."

Keep reading for 25 interesting facts about Booster, with additional exclusive behind-the-scenes details about Fire Island.

One of the biggest things I treated myself to was the full Gilmore Girls series box set. I used some of my student loan to buy it, even though it was quite expensive. But, I have no regrets about it.

Joel Kim Booster Reveals the Scene From Fire Island That Was Ripped From His Real Life 904

Warner Bros

2. The three items I can’t leave the house without are my phone, wallet and nicotine.

3. I was genuinely surprised to be nominated for an Emmy for Fire Island. When I woke up, my phone was flooded with messages, and my friends had already started chatting about something else by the time I found out.

4. One of my best memories from working with Maya Rudolph on Loot was watching her film the “Hot Ones” scene in season 1. It was like watching a master class in action.

5. My favorite book is White Teeth by Zadie Smith.

6. I decompress with a big joint and American Idol.

7. One look I’d never be caught dead wearing is skinny jeans.

8. The tattoo I have on my thigh is fun and stupid. It’s poppers.

9. The extracurricular activities I did growing up were Bible quizzing, speech team and theater.

10. My favorite movie is My Best Friend’s Wedding.

11. My celebrity crush growing up was Jeri Ryan — but secretly Paolo Montalban.

12. Dev Patel is my current celebrity crush.

13. My most starstruck moment was [meeting] Ariana Grade backstage at the Hollywood Improv.

1202146629 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 26: Ariana Grande attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

14. The first car I owned was a 1992 Honda Accord that I purchased for $500. Even though my parents were against me having a car, I managed to keep it a secret until one day when I unexpectedly crossed paths with my dad at an intersection on my way to school.

15. If I had to choose a different career, I would love to be a librarian.

16. Whenever I was filming on Fire Island, I would play "Last Summer" by Zara Larsson in my trailer every morning. It always puts me in a good mood whenever I hear it now.

17. I make a killer bolognese.

18. My craziest fan encounter was one guy who followed me across the country and at each show, would beg me to read his manifesto.

19. I tend to be a bit shy when meeting new people, especially in certain situations. When my boyfriend’s friends first met me, they all thought I was unfriendly.

20. The scene in Fire Island where there is a "Heads-up" game reflects a real-life experience of mine. My friends and I love game nights, and we can get pretty competitive. It was during one of these game nights that I discovered my boyfriend had no idea who Natalie Imbruglia was.

21. I played basketball my sophomore year and was terrible. However, I was in [my] church’s intramural volleyball team, and that, I nailed.

22. My first job was a page at the library.

23. Executive producer Tony Hernandez surprised me with the best gift ever - a PS5 to celebrate Searchlight saving Fire Island.

24. I spend my Saturday nights hanging out at a firetrap downtown.

25. On Sunday afternoons, I’m still in bed waiting for my boyfriend to wake up because we got home at 10 a.m.

Editor's P/S:

Joel Kim Booster's "Fire Island" draws inspiration from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," but one scene in particular, the "Heads-up" game, is based on a real-life experience. Booster shares that during a game night with friends, he discovered his boyfriend had no idea who Natalie Imbruglia was. This moment highlights the competitive nature of the game and the friends' close bond.

Booster's personal experiences and observations are woven into "Fire Island," adding depth and relatability to the story. The film explores themes of friendship, love, and identity through the lens of a group of gay friends on vacation. Booster's candidness about his own life experiences, such as the "Heads-up" game, makes the film both entertaining and thought-provoking.