Get familiar with the Minari star — if you aren’t already.
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He was born on December 21, 1983 and originally hails from Seoul, South Korea.
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His family moved to North America when he was 4. They first settled in Saskatchewan then eventually moved to Michigan.
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Before launching his onscreen career, Yeun lended his voice talent to video games including Warhead and Crysis.
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He previously had guest roles on The Big Bang Theory, Law & Order: LA, and American Dad!
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In 2010, the actor made his debut as Glenn Rhee on AMC’s The Walking Dead. He appeared on the show until 2016 and this is his longest recurring role to date.
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After leaving The Walking Dead, Yeun spoke out about having an existential crisis from the show.
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“I left [The Walking Dead] and I kind of had an existential crisis. Not because I longed to be back there but because I was made to feel the loneliness of life, which is that decisions aren’t made for you,” he revealed to IndieWire. “You get swallowed up by whatever thing that you’re a part of.”
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Yeun’s appeared as K in 2017’s Okja and the role was written with him in mind.
Netflix
“Director Bong is a Korean native, and he’s gracious and intelligent enough to know there is a Korean American struggle and put light to it,” Yeun revealed in an interview. “But the nuances are still specific to me and you in a way they’re not to him, and we got to explore it to his extent.”
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Outside of acting, Yeun attended Michigan’s Kalamazoo College and graduated with a degree in psychology focusing on neuroscience.
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He has been featured in a number of animated shows including Tuca & Bertie, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, Voltron Legendary Defender Motion Comic, and Wizards.
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The actor tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Joana Pak, back in December 2016. The pair wed in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles, California.
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He’s a proud parent to two kids. His son and daughter were welcomed to the world in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
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He has over 3 million followers on Instagram.
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Yeun portrays Jacob in 2020’s Minari alongside Alan S. Kim, Yeri Han, and Noel Cho.
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Not only does he have a starring role in Minari, but he also is serving as an executive producer.
Have you watched Minari yet? Let us know in the comments!
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