Margaret Cho Joins Bowen Yang, Joel Kim Booster in ‘Fire Island’ (EXCLUSIVE)
It’s surely not her first time, but Margaret Cho is headed to “Fire Island.”
The Emmy-nominated actor and comedian has joined the cast of the upcoming Searchlight Pictures film opposite Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang. She’ll play a key role as a homeowner and host on the notorious LGBTQ-friendly island.
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Variety first reported that the project will be directed by Andrew Ahn, the Sundance breakout behind “Spa Night.'” Booster also wrote the script, described as a modern gay take on “Pride and Prejudice.” It follows two best friends who set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a cadre of eclectic friends.
JAX Media (“Russian Doll,” “Broad City”) is producing and the film, which will stream exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. and on Star abroad, both owned by Disney. John Hodges, Brooke Posch and Tony Hernandez are overseeing for JAX, with Chan Phung and Richard Ruiz handling for Searchlight.
Cho rose to fame in the trailblazing 1994 ABC sitcom “All-American Girl.” Soon after, her 1999 one-woman show “I’m the One That I Want” became an Off-Broadway hit, spawning a national tour, a best-selling book and a feature film adaptation. Subsequent comedy tours, including “Notorious C.H.O.,” “Revolution” and “Beautiful,” were equally successful, and some aired as cable specials.
In 2009, Cho nabbed a starring role in the series “Drop Dead Diva,” which aired for six seasons on Lifetime. The following year she earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actress on Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” for portraying Kim Jong Il. She is a five-time Grammy nominee, most recently for her second studio album, “American Myth.”
Delayed by coronavirus, her “Fresh Off the Bloat” tour is still playing. Recent credits include an appearance on “The Masked Singer,” HBO’s “High Maintenance” and the indie “Friendsgiving.” She voiced Auntie Ling in Netflix’s acclaimed original animation “Over the Moon,” and most recently starred opposite Iliza Shlesinger in “Good on Paper.”
Currently the host of the podcast “The Margaret Cho,” she is prominent in anti-racism, anti-bullying and gay rights activism. Cho has received the Victory Fund’s Leadership Award, the first-ever Best Comedy Performance Award at the Asian Excellence Awards, the First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California and the Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women (NOW).
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