For The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun, Glenn’s Importance as a Character Only Became Clear Once He Was Gone

Nine months ago, The Walking Dead lost one of his most relatable characters: Glenn Rhee. When Glenn was killed off in the premiere of season 7, many fans were upset. It seemed like a rather brutal send-off for a character that had been present from the very beginning of the series – Glenn (or at least his voice) had been introduced in the very first episode of The Walking Dead. What has Steven Yeun been doing since then, and how does he feel about Glenn’s demise?

Was Glenn under-appreciated while he was still there?

In an interview with Vulture released today, Steven Yeun discusses many topics, including Glenn’s death and the fan’s reactions. It turns out that what he regrets the most isn’t so much Glenn’s death, as the lack of real appreciation of the importance of the character before his death (via Vulture):

"I’ll be honest with you and put a full disclaimer here: I might not be objective, but I truly feel like people didn’t know what to do with Glenn. They liked him, they had no problems with him, and people enjoyed him. But they didn’t acknowledge the connection people had with the character until he was gone. […]I loved being on that show. Internally, it was incredible. Externally, it was tough sometimes because I never felt like he got his fair due. I never felt like he got it from an outward perception. I don’t say this as a knock on anything. He always had to be part of something else to legitimize himself. He was rarely alone. And when he was alone, it took several years to convince people to be on his own. I’m thankful to EW for that wonderful cover they ran at the end, but we’ve had many covers before then that he never got to do on his own. Not until the last year did they give him his own cover, and then give him the one as he died."

He also felt that Glenn was being somewhat neglected in terms of merchandising, as opposed to other main characters (via Vulture):

"I’d always hear people go, “I love Glenn, he’s my favorite character.” But the merchandise would go one way. That really might be the market, so I’m not going to sit here and be like, “Why didn’t they make Glenn merchandise?” But there was a disparity."

Steven Yeun’s assertion may be a little surprising, as the reactions to Glenn’s death showed he was one of the most beloved characters in the series. Yet, it is true that even as a character in the story, Glenn did not evolve much after he began his relationship with Maggie. He was always around, was definitely a reliable and efficient member of the group, and was definitely one of the most likeable characters on The Walking Dead. But as Yeun points out, he was more of a character that people identified with, than a character they were impressed by, and it was only his brutal death that made everyone realize how important he really was (via Vulture):

"They didn’t know what Glenn was, and only in his death did they realize, “Oh, that’s what he was. That’s the connection I had, and that’s why it hurts me so much to see him die.” A lot of the other characters are awesome characters, but they’re exactly that — they’re awesome and they’re to be in awe of: I wish I was that guy or that girl. With Glenn it was, I think I’m like that guy."

It is difficult to disagree with this as a viewer: while characters like Rick, Daryl or Michonne are incredibly badass and fun to watch, Glenn was a far more “normal” guy with a moral conscience, whom we could all identify with. This may have placed him slightly in the background, but seeing him brutally clubbed to death was all the more shocking as he was he most obvious audience “proxy”.

Glenn’s death also meant the loss of one of the few Asian American characters on TV

A special complaint over Glenn’s demise came from Asian American fans. In terms of representation, having a character like Glenn on a very popular show like The Walking Dead was something highly unusual, even groundbreaking. Several articles and blog posts highlighted the importance of Glenn as a character that defied the usual stereotypes attached to Asian American characters on TV. Also much appreciated was the significance and originality of his relationship with Maggie.

Because of all this, the backlash was even stronger among those who saw Glenn as a beacon of hope for better representation of the Asian American community on TV. Steven Yeun was very much aware of the importance of Glenn to this community, but does not believe, as some have implied, that his violent demise was due to racism, and even believes that it was a good thing that his death actually had an impact (via Vulture):

"I don’t think there was anymore violence inflicted on him because he was Asian. I think they would have done the same thing [if he had been white]. Maybe it’s something to be said that you’ve never seen an Asian character die like that onscreen before — because we don’t have Asian people onscreen to die! Even when we do die, we die silently. […] But in this way, it was like holding up a battered skull to the world to be like, “Don’t forget, this Asian person existed in this medium and now he’s fucking dead.” Like, he is fucking dead. That’s super cool! I’m cool with that."

Although he does admit that being an Asian American actor can be difficult, Yeun is ultimately optimistic and firmly believes that there are many opportunities for Asian youths today (via Vulture):

"Look at casting directors, projects, and how things are. They are literally waiting for Asian people, and they want to cast them. I think we’re at that precipice where they’re catching up on how to do it in the right way, but I see it happening."

From The Walking Dead to Cannes : Steven Yeun in Okja by Bong Joon-Ho

Playing such a beloved character as Glenn for 7 seasons on The Walking Dead was bound to open many doors to Steven Yeun. Vulture reports that he refused several TV roles before finding the project that seemed to fit him like a glove: Okja, a film by Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, presented in Cannes last May.

This quirky Netflix production tells the story of the friendship between a Korean teenage girl,Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), and a “super-pig” named Okja. When a multinational corporation and its greedy CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) capture Okja and decide to use her for their own benefit, Mija sets out to rescue her. She is not the only one interested in Okja, however, and comes across several groups of eccentrics, including activists of the Animal Liberation Front led by Jay (Paul Dano).

Among these activists is K, a Korean-American who serves as a translator – a role that director Bong Joon-Ho wrote specifically for Steven Yeun, according to Vulture, as it was very hard to find a great actor with a good command of both English and Korean. Although it was booed in Cannes for being a Netflix production, the film received some good reviews. Yeun’s character in Okja was called “the most realistic Korean American character in film history” by Donnie Kwak from The Ringer.

More from Undead Walking

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• Why is there no season 12 of The Walking Dead?
• Will Morgan Jones find Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff?
• Watch Tales of TWD actress Jillian Bell in Prime Video’s Candy Cane Lane

If you want to see Steven Yeun discuss many other topics, such as his experience filming Okja in South Korea, Tilda Swinton, the difficulty of being an Asian American actor, and growing up in a mostly white neighbourhood, you can check out the entire Vulture interview.

Have you seen Okja yet? Did you like it? Do you agree with Steven Yeun that Glenn was only truly appreciated once he was gone?