Alum has successful television production career and now inspires students at college alma mater
Joe Boucher is an Emmy award-winning producer of The Simpsons and King of the Hill and currently Director of Student Activities and Colket Center Copenhaver Scholar at Roanoke College. He graduated from Sachem in 1983.
Boucher lives in Salem, Virginia with his two teenagers and running student life at his college alma mater, Roanoke, while helping to develop a screen studies program.
A fun note: Joe produced the first 117 episodes of The Simpsons!
We asked Joe about what Sachem meant for his personal growth and career development.
What did Sachem High School mean to your career? “Long Island was a great place to grow up. I think New York in general teaches you a lot of good survival lessons but the teachers and the education at Sachem were really top notch. Unlike the complaints I hear from many young people, I had a great time in high school and made some life long friends. It’s also where I first discovered my passion for lacrosse, which went on to influence every major decision I made in my life, from playing lacrosse at Roanoke College, to moving to Hollywood to write a movie about lacrosse.”
Other than lacrosse, what were you involved in at Sachem? “I wasn’t an overly involved student. I got good grades, I was the historian of the Varsity Club and I was on the lacrosse team. I had many hobbies outside of school: art, literature, music, film, girls, but it wasn’t until college where I grew into a much more involved student leader.”
Was there a defining figure who you look back on fondly from those days? “Obviously, there were so many great teachers over the years but Varsity Club advisor, Jim Sentman, and my lacrosse coach, Blayney McEneaney, were important mentors. Making it to the Suffolk County lacrosse final at Hofstra my senior year was certainly an unforgettable time. Even though we lost to rival Ward Melville, it was an amazing season for an underdog team.”
Tell us about your career, the hustle it took to gain traction and success: “I started out on Twentieth Century Fox lot delivering Rupert Murdoch his morning mail, so I was very fortunate to get some great opportunities early in my career. I would also say it’s true that the harder I worked, the luckier I became. Working for James L. Brooks and Gracie Films on The Tracey Ullman Show exposed me to a very high level of film and television writing and production. When The Simpsons spun off from that show, I was able to be in on the ground floor of a cultural phenomenon. It was incredibly long hours in dark rooms but becoming a producer for seven seasons on The Simpsons gave me great experience to launch and produce King of the Hill with Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for another 13 seasons. To be able to produce two of the longest running shows in television history, that set the standard for the primetime animation industry, kind of speaks for itself. While I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities I got in Hollywood, I think I was ready for a break. Eventually, I started to feel more connected to teaching, coaching and the opportunity to influence young lives. Maybe it’s due to so many of the great mentors I had in my life.”
Do you have any advice for current Sachem students dreaming big? “I would always encourage young people to dream big. The world needs big dreamers and creative problem solvers now more than ever. I also think it’s just as important to pursue your passions, for two reasons. Success takes a lot of luck but also a lot of hard work and you’re more likely to work hard to become really good at something if it’s something you love. Also, if you love what you do, you may never work a day in your life. Storytelling in television and film, working with artists in recording studios, teaching, coaching, these are all things I love to do. There are always tough days but most days it doesn’t feel like work and for that I’m grateful.”
Anything else you want to add? “Do kids still cut across campus to go to Blimpie?”
-As told to Chris R. Vaccaro