Celebrity chef Eddie Huang is stepping out of the kitchen and onto the film set with his coming-of-age drama Boogie.
Huang not only wrote the script for the film, but he will also make his debut as a director for the Focus Features production. The story follows a young Chinese-American basketball player in New York City who has to balance his parents’ expectations against his own goals of becoming an NBA star.
“A lot of my work to date has been about the ‘Asian-American Experience’ presented like a triumphal arch because that’s how I’ve felt since the Dipset Anthem dropped,” said Huang in a statement. “Planet Asia needed me to stand out here with my two arms up, but I’m in my Purple Phase now. Boogie is the reflection of my ancestor’s spirit and values as I’ve always felt them navigating me through this American life.“
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So far, Taylor Takahashi has been cast in the lead role, with Pamelyn Chee (2025) and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Love, Simon) co-starring.
This isn’t the first time the chef has flirted with showbusiness. Huang’s memoir Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir was turned into a popular TV series for ABC, and he more recently created and starred in Viceland’s Huang’s World.
