Anybody who watched AMC’s zombie epic The Walking Dead in the early 2010s surely was attracted to the charm and authenticity in the face of Steven Yeun. Playing the brave yet kind-souled Glenn Rhee, Yeun handled fighting scenes and emotional turmoil better than almost anyone in the cast. TV nerds knew he possessed a bright future, and his talent has littered a variety of different spaces since he left the world of the reanimated.
The best Steven Yeun movies and TV shows often excite audiences but also make them think about the world in a new way. Yeun never shies away from exploring new genres or finding novel twists in stories that he’s told in his past. He inspires millions of Asian Americans worldwide, but the subtlety of the diversity in his films and shows allows people from any walk of life to enjoy his characters’ perspectives.
8. Burning (2018)
When Steven Yeun left TV for the world of movies in the late 2010s, Burning became the vehicle by which he demonstrated his incredible talent. Yeun plays a mysterious, perhaps even dangerous, man who inserts himself into the lives of a couple who don’t understand the stranger’s true intentions. Yeun was able to avoid his typecast by playing a morally gray character who gives the film unique thriller elements. Burning is loosely based on the works of Haruki Murakami and William Faulkner.
7. Okja (2017)
Steven Yeun has made it a habit to appear in movies with a strong moral compass and deep discussions on societal issues. Okja forces viewers to think about the effects of the pork industry on the lives of pigs and other livestock when a girl tries to save her pet from slaughter. Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano get the headlining roles, but Yeun applies his history as a supporting actor to give more weight to the film.
6. The Humans (2021)
Steven Yeun matches the chaotic energy of Richard Jenkins (known for Six Feet Under) and Amy Schumer in a family drama with more than just yelling and screaming. The Humans crafts a relatable yet exhausting Thanksgiving narrative with a keen understanding of the human condition and what it takes to be happy in the 21st century.
5. Nope (2022)
Nope sent Yeun back to the world of creepy fiction that he used to form his career foundation on AMC. The story uses innovative camera techniques and homages to scary films of the past to make great use of stars Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya. Director Jordan Peele’s penchant for reusing the same actors in his movies may lead to Yeun building his horror chops in further genre blockbusters in the future.
4. Minari (2021)
Minari elevated Steven Yeun’s reputation into that of a true superstar. A haunting story of a Korean family who struggles with homesickness and so much more in a move to the American South during the late 20th century lets Yeun display how much he cares and understands about Asian American history. He was nominated for an Academy Award for this role, and it surely won’t be the last trophy opportunity for the 40-year-old.
3. BEEF (2023)
Road rage is relatable to even the most mild-tempered drivers on the planet. Getting angry at a random Joe or Jane on the street for cutting you off feels like the easiest manifestation of impulsive anger.
Steven Yeun and Ali Wong form electric energy as two downtrodden, miserable mid-30s Asian Americans from different ends of the economic scale who can’t help but take out their frustrations on each other. The realism of the conflict borders on absurdity, but the entertainment benefits from the outrageousness! BEEF now remains a fixture on Netflix as one of the best miniseries on the service.
2. Invincible (2021)
Voice acting deserves just as much adulation as live-action performance. Steven Yeun currently turns in one of the best-animated portrayals on TV with Prime Video’s Invincible. A different kind of superhero show with a lot more creativity and heart than its peers, Yeun reunites with his The Walking Dead alum Robert Kirkman to tell the story of Mark Grayson, a high schooler with the responsibility to surpass his father’s legacy and save the universe from impending doom. J.K. Simmons and Sandra Oh also provide incredible voice performances in a show that will appeal to folks tired of the same old comic book sludge.
1. The Walking Dead (2010)
Before The Walking Dead became a punchline for dramas that went on too long, the apocalypse phenomenon carried itself with fascinating weight and talented actors like Steven Yeun and Andrew Lincoln. Everyone knows the basic premise: an assortment of end-times survivors from different backgrounds combine their unique skill sets to save themselves and others from impending doom.
As the zombies and morally disgusting characters of the world take hold of the planet, Yeun’s Glenn Rhee courageously stands up for his friends and tries to make the right decisions when others don’t. Fans were strongly interested in Glenn’s arc and his romance with Maggie, and the show was never the same after Yeun exited a little after the halfway point.
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