Oscar 2021: Yuh-Jung Youn wins best supporting actress for 'Minari'
Veteran South Korean star Yuh-Jung Youn became the first South Korean actor to win the best-supporting actress Oscar for Minari at the 93rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Youn, 73, is only the second Asian woman to win best-supporting actress Oscar after Miyoshi Umeki for Sayonara (1957). In true Oscars tradition, Youn was presented her trophy by last year's best supporting actor winner Brad Pitt.
Youn thanked her 'Minari' family in her speech
Pitt is also one of the producers of Minari. Youn joked about people mispronouncing her name. "You are all forgiven," the actor joked. Youn thanked her Minari family and fellow nominees in her speech on Sunday night. "Me being here by myself? This I can't believe," a surprised Youn said. "I don't believe in competition. How can I win over Glenn Close?" she said.
The actor also thanked her two sons during her speech
"I've been watching so many of Glen's performances. I have a little bit of luck, I think. I'm luckier than you. Or maybe it's the American hospitality for the Korean actor, I'm not sure," she said. The actor thanked her two sons "who made me go out and work. This is the result because mommy worked so hard."
Youn had bagged number of precursor awards ahead of Oscars
Youn teased Pitt, who announced her award for not visiting the set of Minari in Oklahoma. "Nice to meet you," the actor said, later taking his arm as she walked offstage. She also emerged as a favorite to win in the category only recently by bagging a number of precursor awards ahead of the Oscars.
'Parasite' was the first South Korean film to win Oscar
She was nominated alongside Amanda Seyfried for Mank, Maria Bakalova for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Glenn Close for Hillbilly Elegy, Olivia Colman for The Father. Youn's win comes a year after director Bon Joon Ho's film Parasite became the first South Korean film to win the best film Oscar and collected a number of other accolades.
Youn made her acting debut in 1967 with 'Mister Gong'
In a thriving career of five decades, Youn has acted in several South Korean TV series and films and is one of the most respected stars back home. She made her acting debut in 1967 with the television drama Mister Gong, and shot to fame with director Kim Ki-Young's Woman of Fire (1971). She took a sabbatical from acting after getting married.
What is 'Minari' all about?
In the Lee Isaac Chung-directed drama, which revolved around a South Korean immigrant family who move to an Arkansas farm in pursuit of stability, Youn plays an unconventional yet endearing grandmother, Soon-Ja. Her character of Halmoni, who arrives in America from South Korea to help her daughter and family in rural Arkansas and eventually bonds with their young son, David (Alan Kim), won hearts.
First Korean actress to win an SAG and BAFTA
The actor's portrayal of an unconventional yet endearing grandmother, Soon-Ja in the film helped her become the first Korean actress to win a Screen Actors Guild Award and British Academy Film Award.
