Steven Yeun made his first on-screen appearance in 2009. The following year, he earned a career (and life) changing opportunity when he was cast as Glenn Rhee in The Walking Dead. Steven remained on the show until 2016 and he became a fan favorite in the process. After leaving the show, it may have seemed like things started to slow down for Steven, but that wasn’t really the case. Since the mid-2010s, Steven has been doing a lot of voice work. However, he recently returned to the screen in a major way. Steven is a cast member in Jordan Peele’s new movie, Nope, and his role has reminded lots of people why they fell in love with him in the first place. Continue reading to learn 10 things you didn’t know about Steven Yeun.
1. He Was Born in South Korea
Steven was born in Seoul, South Korea where he lived for the early part of his childhood. When he was about five years old, he and his family relocated to the United States where they settled in Michigan. Steven is very proud of his roots and he is fluent in both English and Korean.
2. He’s Been in Video Games
Some people think that voice acting is as simple as going into a recording booth and reading words off of a page. In reality, however, there’s much more to voice acting than that. This is something that Steven knows from first-hand experience. In addition to his voice work in animated shows, he has also voiced characters in a few video games such as DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles and Crysis Warhead.
3. He Was Nominated for an Academy Award
Winning an award is always a special feeling, but it goes without saying that there are some awards that hold more weight than others. In the entertainment industry, an Academy Award is one of the highest honors a person can receive. Although Steven has yet to take home an Oscar, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2021 for his role in Minari.
4. His Name Isn’t Actually Steven
Millions of people all over the world may know him as Steven Yeun, but that isn’t actually his name. Steven was born Yeun Sang-yeop. However, his parents started calling him Steven after meeting a doctor with that name. Clearly, the name stuck and it has been with him ever since.
5. He Studied Psychology
Steven’s journey to the professional acting world looks a little different than some of his colleagues. Instead of auditioning for drama programs after high school, Steven decided to focus his studies on something else. Steven attended Kalamazoo College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2005.
6. He’s Not Really Into Social Media
Social media has become the first place that many people go when they want to see what their favorite celebrities are up to. Unfortunately for Steven’s fans, though, they won’t find much. Steven has a large Instagram following that includes more than three million people. However, he currently only has three posts on his profile.
7. He Got His Start Doing Sketch Comedy
Comedy probably isn’t the first genre that comes to mind when people think of Steven – but it could’ve been. When Steven was getting his feet wet in the entertainment industry, he got his start as part of a sketch comedy group called Stir Friday Night! that was based in Chicago.
8. He’s a Husband and Father
Steven is a very private person which is something you may have guessed by the fact that Steven isn’t into social media. For that reason, many people don’t know that he is a happily married father of two. He and his wife, Joana, have been married since 2016. She also likes to keep a low profile.
9. He’s a Sports Fan
Steven’s life may be all about acting at this point, but there was a time when sports played a pretty important role. When he was younger he played several sports including basketball and lacrosse. Although his days as a competitive athlete are over, Steven still enjoys being a fan. Steven is especially fond of basketball and hockey and he is a big fan of the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Red Wings respectively.
10. He’s a Producer
Steve has spent the bulk of his career doing work in front of the camera, but he has also shown an interest in what it’s like to tell stories from the other side. He made his debut as a producer in 2017 with a movie called Mayhem. He has since produced a handful of other projects.
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