Steven Yeun earned his place in pop culture history as Glenn Rhee on The Walking Dead. Brave, quick-witted, and steadfast, Glenn stood as a beacon of hope amid the zombie apocalypse. He was a character fans rooted for week after week.
But while that role introduced Yeun to millions, it only scratches the surface of his acting chops. His real masterclass? The hit Netflix series Beef, a darkly comic, psychologically charged exploration of human rage, insecurity, and self-destruction.
Beef on Netflix is Steven Yeun's best work thus far
Released on Netflix in April 2023, Beef wastes no time getting weird. It all starts with an argument between two strangers in the parking lot of a home improvement store. You have Danny Cho (played by Yeun), a frustrated contractor with a chip on his shoulder, and Amy Lau (played by Ali Wong), a self‑made entrepreneur navigating pressure in both her work and personal life.
At first, the conflict is as mundane as they come. Danny accidentally almost hits Amy’s SUV while backing out of a parking space in his truck. What could have been a brief apology spirals into defensiveness and mutual frustration. As Amy speeds down the road, Danny follows after her. It becomes a car chase all across Los Angeles. That's until Amy manages to escape. However, what she doesn't know is that Danny was able to quickly obtain her license plate information.
That single moment becomes the catalyst for a destabilizing feud that consumes both their lives. Over the course of Beef’s ten episodes, audiences watch as their petty vendetta escalates into increasingly chaotic and destructive behavior. We're talking sabotaged businesses, vandalized property, social media warfare, and emotional breakdowns that ripple outward and strain their families, friendships, careers, and identities.
Besides Yeun and Wong, the Beef cast is also made up of other talented actors such as Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H. Min, and Andrew Santino.
What's so great about Beef is that it’s never just about the revenge or the absurdity of the escalating feud. It’s about the human psychology behind it. Danny is a man teetering on the edge of self-destruction. His contracting business is stagnant, his relationships are fraught, and he carries a gnawing sense of invisibility in a world that seems to reward everyone else.
Amy is outwardly successful and composed, but the series peels back the layers to reveal the immense pressures she faces as a self-made entrepreneur balancing work, family, and societal expectations. The brilliance of the show is in how it juxtaposes these two very different lives while highlighting their shared vulnerabilities.
Every retaliation is as much a reflection of Danny and Amy’s internal struggles as it is a move in their ongoing war. Yeun brings nuance to Danny’s obsession, showing that beneath his aggressive and often absurd behavior lies a deeply relatable fear of failure, invisibility, and inadequacy.
While viewers laugh at his antics, they also can't help but feel a twinge of sympathy because Danny’s rage is grounded in very human emotions. He isn’t evil. He’s overwhelmed, frustrated, and desperate to assert control over a life that often seems to be slipping through his fingers. Wong’s portrayal of Amy complements Yeun perfectly, and together they create a combustible on-screen dynamic that crackles with tension.
If you haven't already watched Beef, you're truly missing out on one of the most intense, hilarious, and psychologically sharp shows on Netflix right now. Yes, Glenn was beloved. Yes, Glenn was heroic. But Danny is something else entirely. This role allowed Yeun to explore anger, desperation, and vulnerability in a fully realized adult character.
Both fans and critics praised Yeun’s performance as one of the year’s standout roles, and for many, it cemented his reputation as not just a former zombie survivor but a truly versatile actor capable of tackling the most complex, unhinged characters on screen.