Talented actor Steven Yeun, born in South Korea before moving to North America with his family, is undeniably one of the most promising and interesting actors right now. Ever since he rose to fame by playing Sebastian in The Big Bang Theory and, of course, Glenn Rhee in the treasured TV series The Walking Dead, Yeun has rightfully earned the opportunity to star in a few compelling projects, including Jordan Peele‘s unconventional horror Nope.
The star’s most recent work is Beef, an intriguing, high-rated Netflix comedy-drama miniseries created by Lee Sung Jin, which focuses on the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers, Danny (Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong). So far, Yeun’s filmography is undoubtedly gripping, slowly but surely shaping up to become even more enthralling (with a new Marvel movie in the works as well). But what are his best projects to date?
8 ‘Okja’ (2017)
Directed by Parasite‘s legendary Oscar-winning director, Bong Joon Ho, the rule-breaking action-adventure drama Okja follows young Mija (An Seo Hyun) as she attempts to keep a powerful multinational company from taking her best friend — a fascinating, massive beast named Okja — away from her sight at her home in the mountains of South Korea.
As it turns out, Yeun’s role in the 2017 feature was crucial for different reasons; not only did the star help bring to life one of the radical environmentalists that attempted to kidnap the titular creature, but he also acted as a translator when the production was in Korea. “It was a very meta experience overall,” the actor told Inverse.
7 ‘Mayhem’ (2017)
In this action comedy by Joe Lynch, Yeun steps into the shoes of an attorney named Derek Cho, who is framed by a co-worker and wrongfully fired. On the same day, a “Red Eye” virus that has been spreading throughout the world, capable of making people act out of their wildest impulses, infects the law office.
While Mayhem may not be a superb movie, it is undoubtedly a very entertaining one; Yeun’s performance just adds to that. Providing viewers with loud and bloody violence, the stylish 2017 film, which also stars Ready or Not‘s Samara Weaving, is the kind of movie viewers will resort to whenever they have a bad at work.
6 ‘Sorry to Bother You’ (2018)
Boots Riley‘s surrealist comedy, Sorry to Bother You, is set in an alternate present-day version of Oakland and centers around Cassius Green’s (Lakeith Stanfield) telemarketing journey as he realizes that his “white voice” is the key to professional success. With a unique and thought-provoking storyline, the 2018 satire highlights the power dynamics between white people and POC and the contrast between the wealthy and the poor.
Although Yeun plays a small part (Squeeze, a determined and quick-witted revolutionary who leads a strike in pursuit of better wages) in this highly creative Black Mirror-ish feature, there is no doubt that, much like his co-stars, the actor manages to deliver a great performance.
5 ‘The Walking Dead’ (2010 – 2022)
With its final season coming out last year after an 11-season run and a few spinoffs on the way, The Walking Dead remains a very popular show almost thirteen years after its initial release. The Robert Kirkman series follows the survivors of a zombie apocalypse as they attempt to stay alive under zombie attacks.
While Yeun’s bright character Glenn fell victim to Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) brutal debut in Season 7 — to understandably shocking reactions from the general audience — there is no doubt that Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) one true love left a huge mark on the show and is still a fan-favorite.
4 ‘The Humans’ (2021)
The intense The Humans takes place in a pre-war duplex in downtown Manhattan where the Blake family gathers to celebrate Thanksgiving. Depicting the course of an evening as darkness falls outside, the Stephen Karam movie slowly unveils the group’s deepest fears, leading the family’s tensions to reach a boiling point.
In the A24 Holiday drama — in the eyes of some, one of the production company’s scariest features so far — Yeun brings Richard, younger daughter’s (Beanie Feldstein) boyfriend, to life. No doubt, The Humans makes for an interesting watch, especially considering all that palpable tension. When talking about the project in a conversation with Collider, Yeun explained that “it feels like every character is alive in their own reality and you get to watch the clashing of each person’s reality.”
3 ‘Burning’ (2018)
An absorbing thriller mystery starring Yoo Ah-in as the lead, Burning is assuredly among Yeun’s most remarkable works. It follows a deliveryman (Ah-in) out on a job when he runs into Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), a childhood friend who asks him to watch her cat while she’s out of town. When Hae-mi comes back, she introduces him to Yeun’s Ben, a mysterious man she met on the trip who, in turn, introduces Jong-su to his bizarre hobby.
Surely, Burning‘s love triangle is one of the most intriguing — and unsettling — in a long time, and Yeun’s casting (perhaps the most challenging and complex character the star has ever played) in the chilling, exhilarating character study by Lee Chang-dong was nothing short of excellent.
2 ‘Nope’ (2022)
One of last year’s most anticipated films was Jordan Peele’s neo-Western science fiction horror Nope, in which Yeun brought to life former child actor Ricky Park, the owner of Jupiter’s Claim theme park who strikes a deal with a young proprietor (Daniel Kaluuya) of the Haywood Hollywood Horses horse-handling business. In the meantime, OJ attempts to capture video evidence of a mysterious, unidentified object flying over the lonely gulch.
While Nope did not manage to get a nod from the Academy (not even for best cinematography and score), it is undoubtedly one of 2022’s most interesting features, counting on brilliant performances from everyone involved. The Walking Dead star played a major part in the film and awed audiences with his impeccable acting.
1 ‘Minari’ (2020)
A24’s Minari provides viewers with a bittersweet premise revolving around a Korean-American family that movies to a small Arkansas farm in search of the so-called “American Dream” in the early 1980s. Lee Isaac Chung‘s movie sends out powerful and realistic messages on the multilayered experience of immigration, showcasing all the hopes and struggles that come with new beginnings.
In this heart-wrenching family portrait that seamlessly blends drama and comedy, Yeun delivers a superb performance alongside Yeri Han, making for an unforgettable watch and quite possibly the actor’s most solid project to date.
