Joel Kim Booster says Hollywood’s takeaway from “Heated Rivalry” missed the point for LGBTQ representation

As Pride Month reaches its final stretch, actor and comedian Joel Kim Booster said Hollywood is interpreting the success of the Crave and HBO Max series “Heated Rivalry” in a way that risks reducing LGBTQ representation to something secondary, according to comments published June 26 by Deadline.

Booster, a two-time Emmy nominee, discussed what he called the industry’s “wrong message” about what made the Jacob Tierney series work with viewers. In an interview tied to the show’s continued visibility during Pride Month, Booster argued that attention on the project’s sports elements or “hockey” focus is overlooking the series’ central LGBTQ story.

Deadline reported that Booster specifically questioned whether executives and creative leaders are drawing the correct lesson from the show’s popularity. While “Heated Rivalry” has been widely recognized as a mainstream LGBTQ-oriented program, Booster said the broader industry takeaway has been misdirected, as reflected in how the show is being described and promoted.

The actor’s concern, Deadline said, is that the mainstream framing of the series is not placing the LGBTQ characters and relationships at the center of the narrative value, even though those relationships are the core of the premise. Booster’s comments characterize the success as being treated as proof that audiences want queer content only when it is bundled with another genre hook.

Booster’s remarks also pointed to how the series’ identity can get narrowed in public conversation. Deadline described the program as a homoerotic sports show created by Jacob Tierney, and Booster’s criticism was aimed at what he sees as Hollywood emphasizing the wrong component when explaining why the series resonated.

The interview landed as Pride Month programming cycles peak across streaming and cable, when audiences often look for representation that extends beyond token inclusion. Booster’s comments suggested that what audiences and creators need is not simply increased visibility, but accurate recognition of the importance of LGBTQ storytelling itself.

Deadline’s report placed Booster’s concerns in the broader context of LGBTQ media coverage during June, with the actor urging that the industry adjust its interpretation of success as it plans what kinds of LGBTQ projects it will develop next.

No additional details were included in the report about specific executives, meetings, or production decisions, and the discussion focused on the interpretation of “Heated Rivalry” rather than on any formal policy or contractual changes at Crave or HBO Max.