Who Is Steven Yeun? 5 Things to Know About the ‘Minari’ Star Making History

Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock

Who Is Steven Yeun? 5 Things to Know About the 'Minari' Star Making History

History in the making! Steven Yeun is earning plenty of praise for his role in Lee Isaac Chung's Minari — but he's not a Hollywood newcomer. The Korean-American actor rose to stardom in 2010 when he was cast as Glenn Rhee in AMC's The Walking Dead. While viewers were devastated when his character was killed off during the season 7 premiere in 2016, Yeun thought Glenn's story had come to a "natural end." Though he's "still really close with all the costars," Yeun told IndieWire in October 2018 that he doesn't see himself exploring more of The Walking Dead universe any time soon. "Sometimes people pitch to me, 'Dude, wouldn't it be so cool if you did a Glenn origin movie?'" he said at the time. "And I'm like, 'No, that'd be horrible.' That was so long ago. I was another person. I don't think I could go back there. That person was inherently trapped in whatever people thought he was. I fed into it and I believed in it, too — until I got out." After leaving the apocalyptic series, Yeun appeared in Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You and Lee Chang-dong's Burning, both of which debuted in 2018. He's also lent his voice to video games and animated shows, including Netflix's Tuca & Bertie. [jwplayer RDrUY6gN-l3ahXupL] Though it's not his first role, Minari is certainly his most impactful. The semi-autobiographical film follows a Korean-American family as they settle down in rural Arkansas in the 1980s. Yeun, who portrays the movie's father figure, connected to the project on a deep level. "I wanted to touch upon something so delicate and sensitive as my culture, or even my own personal history, to some degree," he told Variety in December 2020, reflecting on his family's immigration story. "I wanted to make sure that I was doing the honor of not romanticizing it and not infantilizing it." His performance struck a chord with both audiences and critics, earning him a handful of historic nominations for the 2021 awards season. Yeun is the first Asian-American actor to be up for two prestigious honors: the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and the Oscar for Best Actor. In February, Minari took home the Golden Globe trophy for Best Foreign Language Film. Keep scrolling to learn more about Hollywood's latest leading man! [podcast_block]

Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock

Who Is Steven Yeun? 5 Things to Know About the 'Minari' Star Making History

History in the making! Steven Yeun is earning plenty of praise for his role in Lee Isaac Chung's Minari — but he's not a Hollywood newcomer. The Korean-American actor rose to stardom in 2010 when he was cast as Glenn Rhee in AMC's The Walking Dead. While viewers were devastated when his character was killed off during the season 7 premiere in 2016, Yeun thought Glenn's story had come to a "natural end." Though he's "still really close with all the costars," Yeun told IndieWire in October 2018 that he doesn't see himself exploring more of The Walking Dead universe any time soon. "Sometimes people pitch to me, 'Dude, wouldn't it be so cool if you did a Glenn origin movie?'" he said at the time. "And I'm like, 'No, that'd be horrible.' That was so long ago. I was another person. I don't think I could go back there. That person was inherently trapped in whatever people thought he was. I fed into it and I believed in it, too — until I got out." After leaving the apocalyptic series, Yeun appeared in Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You and Lee Chang-dong's Burning, both of which debuted in 2018. He's also lent his voice to video games and animated shows, including Netflix's Tuca & Bertie. [jwplayer RDrUY6gN-l3ahXupL] Though it's not his first role, Minari is certainly his most impactful. The semi-autobiographical film follows a Korean-American family as they settle down in rural Arkansas in the 1980s. Yeun, who portrays the movie's father figure, connected to the project on a deep level. "I wanted to touch upon something so delicate and sensitive as my culture, or even my own personal history, to some degree," he told Variety in December 2020, reflecting on his family's immigration story. "I wanted to make sure that I was doing the honor of not romanticizing it and not infantilizing it." His performance struck a chord with both audiences and critics, earning him a handful of historic nominations for the 2021 awards season. Yeun is the first Asian-American actor to be up for two prestigious honors: the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and the Oscar for Best Actor. In February, Minari took home the Golden Globe trophy for Best Foreign Language Film. Keep scrolling to learn more about Hollywood's latest leading man! [podcast_block]

Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock

1. He's Originally From South Korea

The Sorry to Bother You star was born in Seoul, South Korea, to parents Je and Jun Yeun. When he was 4, his family relocated to Saskatchewan, Canada, and later settled down in Michigan.

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2. He Joined an Improv Group in College

Yeun graduated from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a degree in psychology in 2005. During his time as a student, he sparked an interest in performing as part of an improv comedy troupe on campus. "Improv is such a great foundation," he said during a February appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. "I love the freedom. ... You can be anything you want to be up there — at any given time — and people will laugh if you're funny." After college, Yeun moved to Chicago and toured with The Second City.

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3. He's Married to Photographer Joana Pak

In December 2016, the Mayhem actor exchanged vows with his longtime girlfriend at Los Angeles' Paramour Estate. The couple share son Jude, born in 2017, and welcomed a daughter two years later.

Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

4. He's Best Known for Being on 'The Walking Dead'

Before gaining attention for Minari, Yeun's biggest role was Glenn Rhee on the AMC drama, which premiered in October 2010. When he left the series in 2016, he opened up about the "very beautiful" end of his Walking Dead chapter. "In hindsight, it was just a natural end," he told IndieWire in October 2018. "Everyone felt it. ... I left Walking Dead and I kind of had an existential crisis — not because I longed to be back there, but because I was made to feel the loneliness of life, which is that decisions aren't made for you. You get swallowed up by whatever thing that you're a part of."

Credit: Jae Hyuk Lee/Netflix/Kobal/Shutterstock

5. He Previously Worked With Oscar Winner Bong Joon-ho

In 2020, the Parasite director became first South Korean filmmaker to win an Oscar for best director. Three years before making history, Bong cast Yeun in Okja, a Netflix original movie. "I'd met him two years prior to filming. ... He just hit me up via email and was like, 'I wrote a part for you,'" Yeun recalled during a July 2017 interview with Vulture. "When they tell me, 'You're the only actor who could’ve played this,' I believe them. A Korean-American actor is very specific. I think if you got a native Korean who spoke English, the comedy wouldn't have worked. If you got a Korean-American who didn't have a better understanding of Korean, it wouldn't have worked."