Steven Yeun: out of Marvel but bagging Emmys and Golden Globes!

Steven Yeun was supposed to be the next Hollywood star to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise in 'Thunderbolts'. Unfortunately, he dropped out of the project. But all that is forgotten now that he's bagging awards, including Golden Globes and Emmys, for the series 'Beef'!

Steven Yeun, born Yeun Sang-yeop, is a Korean American actor and is known for being one of the most prominent Asian actors in Hollywood.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Steven Yeun and his family moved out in 1988 to Saskatchewan, Canada, before moving and finally settling in Michigan in the US.

Steven Yeun’s English namesake came from a doctor whom his parents had met by coincidence, according to Comicbook. Steven Yeun’s parents took a liking to the name, and that was how Steven Yeun came to be known as 'Steven.'

Image: AMC

One less-known fact about Steven Yeun is that he studied psychology and neuroscience. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, Steven Yeun went against his parents' wishes to continue in law or medicine. He was only allowed to make that change after some convincing.

Image: Annapura Pictures

Steven Yeun made the daring decision to pursue improv comedy instead, which led to him moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time.

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Did you know that Steven Yeun’s first acting gig was to voice some characters in a video game? If you’re familiar with the ‘Crysis’ franchise, Steven Yeun has voiced some of the North Korean soldier characters.

Moving on, Steven Yeun went on to star in more physical acting roles and starred in a number of short films in his early career around 2009. These short films include ‘The Kari Files’, ‘My Name Is Jerry’, and 'Carpe Millennium.'

Image: Clothespin Films LLC

A year later, Steven Yeun landed his first big network TV role by starring in an episode of 'The Big Bang Theory.' If you’re interested in catching Steven Yeun in action, check out the episode 'The Staircase Implementation.'

Image: Warner Bros. Television

In the same year, Steven Yeun starred in AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ as Glenn Rhee. It was Steven Yeun's first leading role, and the series went on to become one of the most popular in TV history.

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The role of Glenn Rhee is one of the most memorable in television history. Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee showed western audiences a very authentic representation of Asians on screen that was not beholden to stereotypes, according to Hollywood Insider.

Despite the loss of Glenn Rhee on ‘The Walking Dead’ after season 6, it is undeniable that the character comprised a big part of what the zombie series meant for the fans, and Steven Yeun’s Glenn Rhee remains one of the series’ most beloved characters to date.

After ‘The Walking Dead’, Steven Yeun became a household name in American media and went on to work on bigger projects. In 2016, he starred in Joe Lynch’s ‘Mayhem’ as the main character Derek Cho.

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Other than his work with Joe Lynch, Steven Yeun also went on to star in several other films in the US, such as ‘Sorry to Bother You’, ‘Nope’ and 'Minari' – all great films in their own right.

Steven Yeun also moved towards a more international stage by collaborating with South Korean directors Bong Joon-ho for ‘Okja’, and Lee Chang-dong for ‘Burning’.

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It can be said that ‘Okja’ was the next biggest project that Steven Yeun had played after ‘The Walking Dead’, as ‘Okja’ became one of the most influential films in cinematic history for many reasons, such as its thematic focus and critique of capitalism and for its star-studded casting.

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According to Variety, Steven Yuen’s performance in ‘Okja’ certainly stuck with Bong Joon-ho, as the actor is now slated to act in another of his films. Steven Yeun will be starring as Berto in the upcoming sci-fi film, ‘Mickey 17’. The film is slated to air sometime in 2024.

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It’s interesting to note that Steven Yeun not only showcased his proficiency in the Korean language but also masterfully demonstrated his acting skills by acting fully in Korean in his performance for ‘Burning’ – which is not an easy feat for many!

In February 2023, Steven Yeun was announced to star in Marvel’s production 'Thunderbolts.' Forbes noted that 'Thunderbolts' will be Marvel’s answer to DC’s ‘Sui**** Squad’, and Steven Yuen’s role, although not revealed at the time of reporting, was meant to be a significant one that could impact other stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Although Simu Liu’s performance as Shang-Chi was well received by audiences, Steven Yeun's role could rival that with his stellar acting skills in 'Thunderbolts'-- being the MCU’s next big Asian superhero... or villain!

While many were celebrating the announcement of Steven Yeun's recruitment into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new project was on Netflix. 'Beef', starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, was released in April 2023.

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In 'Beef', Steven Yeun plays Danny Cho, who is embroiled in a road rage dispute with Amy Lau, who is played by American comedienne Ali Wong. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong also happen to be executive producers of the show!

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'Beef' went on to become one of the best hits of 2023, receiving widespread praise from critics including Roger Ebert, Variety, The New York Times, and The Guardian, to name a few!

With such widespread praise for 'Beef', it comes naturally that Steven Yeun, along with Ali Wong, would go off to win several awards for their work on the show.

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Both Steven Yeun and Ali Wong won Golden Globes for the limited series in 2024.

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After the fanfare for 'Beef' at the Golden Globes, the series got eight wins at the Primetime Emmy Awards. In fact, Steven Yeun won an Emmy for the category of 'Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie' himself!

The news of his awards is good for Steven Yeun fans. They were disappointed to hear in January that the actor had decided to leave the Marvel Universe. According to Variety, Steven Yeun's departure from Marvel's 'Thunderbolts' was primarily due to Hollywood labor disputes and strikes in 2023.

Image: Netflix

Despite admitting that his departure from Marvel likely burned several bridges, Steven Yeun remains open to starring in the MCU in the future.

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