The stars of the drama film “Minari” are campaigning to be considered in the top acting awards for the Oscars.
Talented cast: Steven Yeun and co-star Yeri Han will aim for the Best Actor and Best Actress awards, respectively, while Alan S. Kim, Will Patton and Yuh-Jung Youn will be looking for consideration in the supporting categories, Variety reported.
- Yeun’s performance, as a Korean father who brought his family to the U.S. in the ’80s to start a life on a farm, has generated praise from critics and received audience awards following screenings at the Sundance and Middleburg film festivals.
- If nominated, Yeun would be the first Asian American to ever be recognized for Best Actor.
- As for the Best Actress category, only Merle Oberon, part Indian and Maori, has so far been nominated for Best Actress for 1935’s “The Dark Angel.”
- In the supporting categories, Haing S. Ngor in 1984’s “The Killing Fields” and Miyoshi Umeki in 1957’s “Sayonara” were the only winners of Asian descent so far.
- The film, helmed by Lee Isaac Chung, is reportedly planned to be out before the end of 2020.
First for Korean actors: Any nomination from the “Minari” lead actors will mark the first time the Academy has nominated any Korean performers in an acting category.
- At the Oscars 2020, South Korean film “Parasite” received six nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, and Best Film Editing.
- “Parasite” made history by winning Best Picture and with South Korean director Bong Joon Ho also taking home the Best Director award.
Featured Image Screenshots via A24