Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Steven Yeun might have the smartest career arc of any actor in his generation. He could have ridden The Walking Dead's Glenn — one of television's most beloved characters — into comfortable franchise work forever. Instead, the Seoul-born, Michigan-raised actor took risks: the slow-burn menace of Burning, the quiet dignity of Minari, which made him the first East Asian American nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, then the volcanic resentment that swept the 2023 Emmy and Golden Globe. He keeps choosing roles that interrogate identity rather than flatten it. Add a Time 100 nod and a side gig as a restaurateur, and you have my favorite kind of star: restless, thoughtful, never finished.
Overview
Sang-yeop Yeun (Korean: 연상엽; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun ( YUHN), is an American actor. He rose to prominence for playing Glenn Rhee in the television series The Walking Dead (2010–2016). He earned critical acclaim for the films Burning (2018) and Minari (2020). For the latter, he became the first East Asian-American nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Steven Yeun
- Name (Japanese)
- スティーヴン・ユァン
- Reading
- すてぃーゔん・ゆぁん
- Born
- December 21, 1983 (age 42)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Boar
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- voice actor / stage actor / film actor / television actor / restaurateur
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Troy High School
- University
- Kalamazoo College
Awards & achievements
- 2021 Time 100
- 2023 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
- 2023 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Voice actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from South Korea →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.