The veteran actress has played everything from a vicious heiress to an ageing prostitute, challenging social norms in both her career and life
This story was first published on March 29 and updated on April 26, 2021.
Additional reporting by Andrea Saadan.
South Korea’s Youn Yuh-jung has made history, after winning the supporting actress Oscar for her role as the mischievous but wise grandmother Soonja in Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari.
The septuagenarian, who wore a Marmar Halim gown with jewels from Chopard Haute Joaillerie, is the first South Korean actress nominated for an Oscar.
Her highly-anticipated acceptance speech did not let the audience down, as she went from gushing over Brad Pitt to teasing the Westerners for constantly butchering the pronunciation of her name as well as finally thanking her two sons “who make me go out and work ... This is the result because Mummy works so hard.”
She has spent decades portraying nonconformist characters, from a vicious heiress to an ageing prostitute, challenging social norms in both her career and life.
Her role in Minari, a family drama about Korean immigrants in the US, is more conventional: grandmother to a mischievous young boy trying to fit into rural Arkansas.
The film secured six Academy Award nominations last week, also including best picture, best director and best actor. That raises the prospect of a second multi-Oscar haul for a Korean-language film in successive years after Parasite became the first non-English Best Picture winner in 2020—though it did not snag any acting nominations.
(Related: The Cast of Minari: Meet the Asian Stars of this Oscars 2021 Best Picture Nominee)
Youn played down excitement over her chance to make history at next month's ceremony, saying: "I don't enjoy competition."
"This is not a playoff game of actors, placing them in order. I consider this nomination just as valuable as the actual award."
Her two grown sons are Asian-Americans and she said she had taken a role in "this small movie made by second-generation Korean-Americans" for its own reward.
(Related: Oscars 2021: Chloé Zhao Becomes First Asian Woman to Win Best Director)
Based on director Lee Isaac Chung's experiences growing up in the 1980s, Minari follows a Korean-born father who moves his family to an all-white town in rural Arkansas in pursuit of a better life.
Bong Joon-ho, who earned last year's Best Director Oscar for dark satire Parasite, said the role was "the loveliest character Youn has ever played".
It is the latest of several grandmotherly castings for Youn, who has already picked up a host of best supporting actress awards at US film festivals and is on the shortlist for a Screen Actors Guild Award.