Youn Yuh-jungnever could have imagined she would be an Oscar nominee the first day she stepped on the set ofMinari. In fact, she thought she had made a huge mistake.
“It was so hot and humid. I was wondering how I’m going to survive with this weather,” she recalls of the summer shoot in Oklahoma. “I though I made a wrong decision. I wish I could go back on the plane and go back to Korea.”
Josh Ethan Johnson
“We became very close, like a family,” she says. “At night, everybody was coming to my house for dinner. We were sharing life together.”
Youn, 73, plays the family’s strong-willed matriarch in the drama aboutimmigrants who migrate to a farm in Arkansas in pursuit of the American dream. After reading the script, she knew immediately that she wanted to be a part of the film.
If she wins the coveted Oscar, she will make history as the first South Korean actress to win for Best Supporting Actress.
Listen below to the episode ofour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Dayfor more on the 2021 Oscars.
“It’s stressful. I feel like I’m competing for my country. It’s like the Olympics,” she says. “I don’t believe in competition, especially comparing acting to one to another. So being nominated to me, means I already got the award.”
Emily Assiran/Getty Images for Pizza Hut
And while the first day of filmingMinarimay have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, Youn says she will always cherish the last day on set.
“Isaac taught everyone how to do a big Korean bow that is really respectful for elderly people. You kneel down, head down, hand down, all of your body. He taught the cast and crew and they all did for me. It was very memorable.”
The 93rd Academy Awards are airing live on Sunday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.
source: people.com
