Steven Yeun, acclaimed for roles in The Walking Dead and Minari, shares his journey as a first-generation immigrant. He discusses the emotional depth in his hit series Beef, touching on themes of resentment and self-acceptance. Yeun reminisces about his coming-of-age in Michigan and his bold audition for The Second City. Reflecting on his iconic role as Glenn, he reveals a transformative moment in his performance. He also dives into the significance of his work in Minari, culminating with a guiding poem by Wendell Berry.
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Performative Road Rage
Steven Yeun doesn't maniacally chase people in L.A. like his "Beef" character.
But he does performatively overreact to bad drivers when he has an audience.
insights INSIGHT
Confronting Shame
Playing Danny in "Beef" forced Yeun to confront his own shame.
It helped him embrace his past self and the "cringe" of his early years in America.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Church Scene
In "Beef", Danny visits a Korean church and experiences a moment of emotional release.
Yeun, also raised in the Korean church, connected deeply with this scene.
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The book details Zarathustra's descent from his mountain solitude to share his transformative ideas about humanity and existence. Nietzsche explores themes such as the rejection of traditional moral values, individualism, and the concept of the Overman. Zarathustra's interactions with various characters reveal his struggle to articulate his vision and confront prevailing societal values. The book also delves into the existential test of the eternal recurrence of the same and the importance of self-overcoming and personal transformation[2][4][5].
From The Walking Dead to Minarito Beef, Steven Yeun has become one of the most singular performers in Hollywood today. With his latest role in the sci-fi romance Love Me, we look back at our conversation with the leading man.
At the top, Yeun unpacks his acclaimed Netflix series Beef (5:09), a powerful church scene from the show (11:30), and his personal experience immigrating to the US from Seoul as a child (18:15). Then, we walk through Steven’s coming of age in Michigan (21:24), his memorable audition for The Second City Touring Company (25:29), and his pursuit of on-screen work in Los Angeles (33:40).
On the back-half, Steven reflects on his portrayal of Glenn on The Walking Dead (36:22), the films that followed, including Okja (48:10), Burning (50:02), and Sorry to Bother You (51:16), his transformative experience making and premiering Minari (55:42), and to close, a poem that guided him on set by the great Wendell Berry (1:08:19).