Steven Yeun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steven Yeun
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Yeun at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
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Born |
Yeun Sang-yeop
December 21, 1983 Seoul, South Korea
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Citizenship | United States |
Alma mater | Kalamazoo College (BA) |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2004–present |
Spouse(s) |
Joana Pak
(m. 2016) |
Children | 2 |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 연상엽 |
Revised Romanization | Yeon Sang-yeop |
McCune–Reischauer | Yŏn Sangyŏp |
Yeun Sang-yeop (Korean: 연상엽; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun (/jʌn/), is an American actor. Yeun initially rose to prominence for playing Glenn Rhee in the television series The Walking Dead (2010–2016). He earned critical acclaim for starring in the thriller Burning (2018) and drama Minari (2020). The latter earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Asian American actor to do so. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021. In 2023, he starred in the dark comedy series Beef (2023), for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Yeun has also appeared in the films Okja (2017), Sorry to Bother You (2018), The Humans (2021) and Nope (2022). He has also voiced main characters in television series such as Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016–2018), Tales of Arcadia (2016–2021), Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters (2017–2018), Final Space (2018–2021), Tuca & Bertie (2019–2022), and Invincible (2021–present).
Contents
Early life
Yeun was born in Seoul on December 21, 1983 to Je and Jun Yeun. His father was an architect in South Korea before moving his family in 1988 to Canada, where they lived in Regina, Saskatchewan. He has a younger brother named Brian who was born in Canada. The family later moved to the U.S. and settled in Taylor, Michigan, and then Troy, Michigan, where Yeun lived until he graduated from Troy High School in 2001. Growing up, Yeun's family spoke Korean at home. In Regina, he attended Ruth M. Buck Elementary School.
Yeun was raised in a Christian household. His parents, who owned beauty-supply stores in Detroit, began calling him "Steven" after meeting a doctor by that name. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience from Kalamazoo College in 2005. At Kalamazoo, he befriended the sister of comedian Jordan Klepper and she took him to see Klepper's improv show, which inspired him to take his first acting class and later follow Klepper to Chicago, where they joined The Second City.
Career
Early career
Yeun revealed to his parents that he planned to pursue an improv career in Chicago instead of enrolling in law school or medical school. His parents were unhappy with the decision, but supported him nonetheless and gave him two years to pursue acting. He moved to Chicago in 2005, living in the city's Lincoln Square with his brother. Shortly after graduation, he joined Stir Friday Night!, Chicago-based Asian American sketch comedy troupe. Other alumni of the group include Danny Pudi, known for his role in Community. He joined The Second City in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles in October 2009.
The Walking Dead
Yeun's breakout role was the starring role of Glenn Rhee on The Walking Dead, an AMC television horror drama based on the comic book series of the same name. The series, which began in 2010, involves a group of characters who fight to survive in a violent apocalyptic world infested with flesh-eating zombies. The Walking Dead became the highest-rated series in cable television history, and seasons three through six of the show garnered the most 18 to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series. The series has received mostly positive reviews from professional television critics. ..... Yeun left the show in 2016 after the season 7 premiere.
Films
In March 2016, Yeun was cast in Joe Lynch's action horror film Mayhem. The film was released in theaters on November 10, 2017. In April 2016, Yeun was cast in Bong Joon-ho's action-adventure film Okja. The film competed for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. It was released on Netflix on June 28, 2017. Yeun also provided the voice of Bo in 2017's The Star.
Yeun co-starred in Boots Riley's dark comedy Sorry to Bother You, alongside Lakeith Stanfield, Armie Hammer and Tessa Thompson, which was released in theaters on July 6, 2018. The film had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018. It additionally won The 2019 National Board of Review's Top Ten Independent Films award, as well as Best Screenplay and Best First Feature at the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards.
In late 2018, Yeun played Ben in the South Korean mystery drama film Burning, directed by Lee Chang-dong. The film was first unveiled at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. His performance in the film was acclaimed. Yeun won Best Supporting Actor at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2018, Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2018, and 2018 National Society of Film Critics Awards.
In 2020, Yeun starred in and served as an executive producer for Lee Isaac Chung's A24 immigrant drama Minari, which also includes Youn Yuh-jung, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Will Patton and Scott Haze among the cast. The film is about a Korean immigrant family becoming farmers in Arkansas; Yeun included his own immigrant experience in his acting. The film had its world premiere and won two top awards at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020. Yeun received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for Minari. He also became the first Asian-American actor to be nominated at the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.
In 2021, he was included in the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2021, he co-starred alongside Jayne Houdyshell, Richard Jenkins and Amy Schumer, in Stephen Karam's award-winning one-act play adaptation The Humans. In 2022, he co-starred alongside Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer in Jordan Peele's science fiction horror film Nope, as Ricky "Jupe" Park, the owner of the fictional theme park Jupiter's Claim.
Yeun joined the cast of Thunderbolts as Robert Reynolds / Sentry, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to be released on July 25, 2025.
Other television work
Yeun does voice acting in both animated television series and films. Some of these roles include Avatar Wan in the second season of The Legend of Korra, Steve Palchuk in Trollhunters and 3Below, Keith in Voltron: Legendary Defender, Nathan Park/Wingspan in Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters, Little Cato in Final Space, and Speckle in Tuca & Bertie.
It was later revealed that Yeun's role as Steve Palchuk would continue into Wizards, the third series of the Tales of Arcadia trilogy. The first season of 3Below was released on Netflix on December 21, 2018, and the second and final season was released on July 12, 2019.
In late 2018, Yeun landed a main role in an episode of Jordan Peele's revival of The Twilight Zone. He currently voices the title protagonist Mark Grayson in the animated superhero series Invincible, adapting Robert Kirkman's comic book series, which is released on Amazon Prime in March 2021.
Yeun stars opposite Ali Wong in Netflix's dark comedy series Beef.
Personal life
Yeun married photographer Joana Pak on December 3, 2016. They reside in Los Angeles and have two children together.
He is a longtime fan of the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings, and endorsed Andrew Yang for president in the 2020 U.S. election.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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2009 | The Kari Files | Chip | Short film | |
My Name Is Jerry | Chaz | |||
2010 | Carpe Millennium | Kevin | Short film | |
Blowout Sale | Customer | Short film | ||
2014 | I Origins | Kenny | ||
2015 | Like a French Film | Steve | ||
2017 | Okja | K | ||
Mayhem | Derek Cho | |||
The Star | Bo | Voice | ||
2018 | Sorry to Bother You | Squeeze | ||
Burning | Ben | |||
2019 | Naysayer | Ian | Short film | |
2020 | Minari | Jacob Yi | Also executive producer | |
2021 | Space Jam: A New Legacy | Warner Bros. Executive | Cameo appearance | |
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans | Steve Palchuk | Voice | ||
The Humans | Richard | |||
2022 | Nope | Ricky “Jupe” Park | ||
2024 | Love Me | TBA | Post-production | |
Mickey 17 | Berto | Post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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2010 | The Big Bang Theory | Sebastian | Episode: "The Staircase Implementation" | |
2010–2016, 2020, 2022 | The Walking Dead | Glenn Rhee | 73 episodes | |
2011 | Law & Order: LA | Ken Hasui | Episode: "Hayden Tract" | |
Warehouse 13 | Gibson Rice | Episode: "Don't Hate the Player" | ||
2012 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Ricky Meeker | Episode: "16 Hop Street" | |
Harder Than it Looks | Steven | Episode: "Lockdown" | ||
2013 | The Legend of Korra | Avatar Wan | Voice, 3 episodes | |
Filthy Preppy Teen$ | Martin | Pilot | ||
2014 | ... History | Daniel Inouye | Episode: "Hawaii" | |
American Dad! | Charles | Voice, episode: "Blagsnarst, a Love Story" | ||
Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Steven Yeun Wears Rolled Up Black Jeans & No Socks" | ||
2016–2018 | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Keith | Voice, 64 episodes | |
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia | Steve Palchuk | Voice, 28 episodes | ||
2017–2018 | Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters | Nathan Park / Wingspan, additional voices | Voice, 24 episodes | |
2017 | Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ | Eric | Episode: "Disaster Drills" | |
Robot Chicken | Glenn Rhee | Voice, episode: "The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking" | ||
2018–2021 | Final Space | Little Cato Additional voices |
Voice, 36 episodes | |
2018 | 3Below: Tales of Arcadia | Steve Palchuk | Voice, 19 episodes | |
2019 | Weird City | Barsley | Episode: "Chonathan & Mulia & Barsley & Phephanie" | |
The Twilight Zone | A. Traveler | Episode: "A Traveler" | ||
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson | Jacob | Episode: "Has This Ever Happened To You?" | ||
2019–2022 | Tuca & Bertie | Speckle | Voice, 15 episodes | |
2020 | Wizards: Tales of Arcadia | Steve Palchuk | Voice, 10 episodes | |
2021–present | Invincible | Mark Grayson / Invincible | Voice, main role | |
2023 | Beef | Danny Cho | Main role |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist |
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2016 | "Fire" | Park Jin-young (feat. Conan O'Brien & Jimin Park) |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2007 | Crysis | North Korean soldier 2 | Voice |
2008 | Crysis Warhead | North Korean soldier 2 | Voice |
2017 | DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles | Keith | Voice |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
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2011 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor on Television | The Walking Dead | Nominated | |
2012 | Best Television Ensemble | Won | |||
Satellite Awards | Best Cast – Television Series | Won | |||
2017 | BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award | Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Won | |
BTVA Television Voice Acting Award | Nominated | ||||
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival | Best Actor | Mayhem | Won | ||
2018 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Burning | Nominated | |
Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Supporting Actor | Runner-up | |||
Buil Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | Won | ||||
IndieWire Critics Poll | Won | ||||
Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
Seattle Film Critics Society | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | |||
Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
Vancouver Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
2019 | Austin Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
Chunsa Film Art Awards | Won | ||||
International Cinephile Society | Runner-up | ||||
International Online Cinema Awards | Won | ||||
National Society of Film Critics | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
Online Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Virtuoso Award | Won | |||
Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
2021 | Academy Awards | Best Actor | Minari | Nominated | |
Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Chicago Indie Critics Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Columbus Film Critics Association | Nominated | ||||
Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Denver Film Festival | Excellence in Acting Award | Won | |||
DiscussingFilm Critics Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | Nominated | ||||
Houston Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | Nominated | |||
Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
New Mexico Film Critics | Nominated | ||||
Best Ensemble | Won | ||||
North Carolina Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
North Texas Film Critics Association | Nominated | ||||
Online Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Satellite Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated | ||||
Seattle Film Critics Society | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
2023 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Beef | Pending |
See also
In Spanish: Steven Yeun para niños