Yuh-Jung Youn finally made her American film debut in Minari. If you haven’t heard of her before, this Korean actress is generating plenty of award buzz for playing the wrestling-loving grandmother in the film.

The veteran thespian already nominated for several coveted awards this season, including the Screen Actors Guild, and Film Independent Spirit Awards. Her performance has an early buzz to be one of the possible nominees for supporting actress for the Academy Awards.

The film also stars Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, and Will Patton. Lee Isaac Chung directed and wrote the film based on his own childhood in the American heartland. The film is nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language.

Here’s the official synopsis:

A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Yeri Han on Touching Korean and American Story of Minari [Exclusive Interview]

LRM Online’s Gig Patta talked with actress Yuh-Jung Youn about being part of this touching, critically praised ensemble. We touched upon the subjects of her making this as her first American film, working with children, and telling us what exactly is a minari.

Yuh-Jung Youn played unimaginable, sensational female characters in grotesque movies such as Woman of Fire and The Insect Woman directed by the late Ki-young Kim. After a break living in the United States, she made a stellar comeback in A Good Lawyer’s Wife, as a mother-in-law who neglected her husband dying of living and enjoyed extramarital affairs. Also, she had roles in many notable Korean films, including Maudy Thursday, The Housemaid, and The Old Garden. She made her English debut in Netflix’s drama Sense8.

Minari is available on PVOD starting tomorrow.

Watch the exclusive interview below. Let us know what you think.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive, A24