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This article is about the actor who portrayed Glenn Rhee. For other pages with the same name, see: Steven

Yeun Sang-yapp (Korean: 연상엽), better known as Steven Yeun, is a South Korean born American actor who portrayed Glenn Rhee in AMC's The Walking Dead.

Biography[]

Steven Yeun was born in Seoul, South Korea, to South Korean parents Je and Jun Yeun. His father was an architect in South Korea before moving his family to Regina, Saskatchewan, and later to Michigan when he was 5. His parents began calling him "Steven" after meeting a doctor by that name.

He became interested in acting and improv during his freshman year at Kalamazoo, when he watched the college's improv group, Monkapult. He auditioned for Monkapult, but was initially rejected before successfully joining the group during his sophomore year.

He revealed to his parents that he planned to pursue an improv career in Chicago instead of enrolling in law school or medical school. His parents, while unhappy with the decision, were supportive and gave him two years to pursue acting.

Involvement In The Walking Dead[]

He auditioned for an ABC Pilot a month and a half before he auditioned for The Walking Dead. That was his first audition for a pilot. He managed to get a quote, sign a contract, and meet with the execs, but he failed to get the role. 

Later, he auditioned for The Walking Dead, though it wasn't a "drawn-out" process. He went into seeing the casting director, Sharon Bialy, and Bialy liked him. Bialy called him back, and eventually they both worked together. He then met Frank Darabont in his office, and Darabont put him on tape with a camcorder. In front of nobody else- it was just Darabont, Denise Huth, and two casting directors, auditioning for the role of Glenn, which he gets.

Other Works[]

  • I Origins
  • Carpe Millennium
  • Voltron: Legendary Defender
  • Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
  • 3Below: Tales of Arcadia
  • Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
  • Okja
  • Jerry
  • Chew
  • The Legend of Korra
  • Filthy
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Invincible
  • Minari
  • Final Space
  • Tuca & Bertie
  • Space Jam: A New Legacy
  • Nope
  • Beef

Trivia[]

  • He sent a letter that was published in the letters section of Issue 102. It stated that he was very upset about the death of Glenn in Issue 100.
  • Before he started his acting career, he wanted to be a neurosurgeon.
  • He speaks some Korean, but is not fluent in the language.
  • He shares his birthday with Tom Payne.
  • He starred in Invincible alongside Ross Marquand (Aaron), Khary Payton (Ezekiel), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha), Chad Coleman (Tyreese), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham) and Lennie James (Morgan).
  • When asked if he'd return to the The Walking Dead Universe as Glenn, he said he never will:
    • Sometimes people pitch to me, "Dude, wouldn't it be so cool if you did a Glenn origin movie?" And I'm like, "No, that'd be horrible." That was so long ago. I was another person. I don't think I could go back there. That person was inherently trapped in whatever people thought he was. I fed into it and I believed in it, too — until I got out.[1]
    • Sometimes, you just accept what it is and you go with it. There's no tension behind it. You're like, "OK. I'm not gonna go kicking and screaming." The police voice in my head said, "If you do it again, you're a hack." So, I don't do it again. I cringe (at the thought).[2]
      • Referencing the finality of Glenn's death, he said: "Those are the blessings I think I've got in my life. An absolute door shut. There's not like a crack in the door. It is slammed shut, and barricaded.[2]

External Links[]

References[]

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