Youn Yuh-jung’s ‘BEEF’ Season 2 Falls Short at 78th Emmys, Supporting Actress Award Goes to Surprise Winner

The full story behind a historic bid to follow an Oscar with an Emmy

Youn Yuh-jung, one of South Korea’s internationally acclaimed actresses, fell short on the stage of the Emmys, the highest honor in American television.

The Television Academy said in an official announcement on the ninth, local time, that the trophy for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie at the second night of the 78th Emmy Awards, held on the sixth, went to Linda Cardellini of the HBO series ‘DTF St. Louis’.

At the ceremony, Youn Yuh-jung was considered a leading contender after delivering a standout performance as Chairman Park, a billionaire Korean, in Season 2 of the Netflix original series ‘BEEF’. She won the Oscar in 2021 for the film ‘Minari’, becoming the first Korean actor to receive the honor. A win at this ceremony would have given her an unprecedented sweep of America’s two biggest awards shows, making the loss all the more disappointing.

Although she did not win supporting actress, the strength of Season 2 of ‘BEEF’, directed by Korean American filmmaker Lee Sung-jin, remains undeniable. The series earned nominations in 16 categories at this year’s Emmy Awards and has so far won three awards: outstanding sound, sound editing and costume design. Its haul has underscored the quality of the production.

Meanwhile, the 78th Emmy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC in the United States at 5 p.m. Pacific time on the 14th, following prerecordings on the fifth and sixth. Because of broadcast time constraints, awards for major categories including supporting actor and actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, as well as writing and directing, have been left out of the lineup for the main broadcast on the 14th.