Steven Yeun

Steven Yeun was born Sang-yeop Yeun in Seoul, South Korea, on December 21, 1983. His family immigrated to Canada for a year before settling in the U.S. in Michigan. He attended Kalamazoo College, earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2005. During college, he developed an interest in acting and improv, eventually joining the sketch-comedy group Stir Friday Night and Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe. This early immersion in comedy provided a foundation for his performance career.

His breakout role came in 2010 as Glenn Rhee in AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” a role he maintained until 2016. This period established him as a recognized actor and contributed significantly to the show’s success as one of the highest-rated cable television series. Following “The Walking Dead,” Yeun transitioned to film, earning critical acclaim. Notable film roles include “Okja” (2017), “Sorry to Bother You” (2018), and Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” (2018), for which he received multiple Best Supporting Actor awards. He also voiced characters in animated series such as “Trollhunters,” “Voltron: Legendary Defender,” and “Final Space.”

In 2020, Yeun starred in and executive produced “Minari,” an immigrant drama that garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making him the first Asian American to achieve this recognition. His work on “Minari” also led to a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. More recently, in 2023, he received Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actor, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, for his role as Danny Cho in the Netflix dark comedy series “Beef.” He continues to expand his career through both acting and producing, forming his own production company, Celadon Pictures, in partnership with Christina Oh.