"Minari" star Youn Yuh-jung thanks "snobbish" Brits in BAFTA speech

Youn is the first Asian actor to receive an award from the British Academy

(BAFTA awards screenshot)

South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung said that getting recognition from the “snobbish” British for her acting chops made her “privileged and happy,” getting a big laugh from her British audience.

Once again, Youn entertained the crowd at an awards ceremony with a wisecrack.

Youn was named Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film “Minari” at the 2021 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award ceremony, held Sunday at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Youn is the first South Korean actor — indeed, the first Asian actor — to receive an award from the British Academy.

“I’m Korean actress Yuh-jung Youn,” Youn said at the beginning of her virtual award speech, which she delivered in English.

“I don’t know how to say I’m just very honored to be nominated – no, to be the winner now,” Youn continued. Her midcourse correction suggested how flummoxed she’d been.

(BAFTA awards screenshot)

After expressing her condolences for the recent death of Prince Philip, consort of Queen Elizabeth II, Youn went on: “Every award is meaningful, but this one — especially recognized by British people, known as very snobbish people — and they approve me as a good actor, so I’m very privileged and happy.” Her humorous remarks evoked laughter and applause from the audience.

The foreign press paid particular attention to Youn’s award speech. British wire service Reuters noted that she “drew laughs in her acceptance speech” with her joking remarks, while British daily The Independent said, “Viewers delighted in the line, with filmmaker Edgar Wright posting on Twitter: ‘Yuh-Jung Youn just won the whole award season with that snobbish line.’”

When a reporter from American entertainment magazine Variety asked Yoon whether “her not-so-flattering views came from personal experience,” Yoon said, “Yes, it comes from personal experience.”

“I’ve visited Britain a lot of times, and I had a fellowship in a Cambridge college ten years ago as an actor,” Youn went on to say. “You have a long history, and then you have your pride. As an Asian woman, I felt these people are very snobbish, that’s my honest feeling.”

(Twitter screenshot)

Now that Youn has won both a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award, one week earlier, she’s thought to have an even better shot at claiming the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress when the Oscars are held on April 25.

Since the BAFTAs cover films from both the UK and the US, they’re thought to offer a clue about the outcome of the US-focused Oscars.

GoldDerby, an Oscar prediction site that accurately guessed the six categories in which “Minari” would be nominated, regards Youn as the leading contender for Best Supporting Actress, followed by Olivia Colman, in “The Father.”

In its article about Youn, Variety noted that BAFTA winners are likely to get an Oscar, too.

Supporting Actress was one of six BAFTA categories that “Minari” was nominated for. The other categories — in which “Minari” didn’t win — were Director, Supporting Actor, Film Not in the English Language, Original Score, and Casting.

“The Handmaiden,” directed by Park Chan-wook, received a BAFTA for Film Not in the English Language in 2018. “Parasite,” by Bong Joon-ho, won awards in both that category and Best Original Screenplay last year.

This year’s BAFTAs for Best Film and Director went to “Nomadland” and its Chinese-American director Chloé Zhao.

Anthony Hopkins was named Leading Actor for his role in “The Father,” while Frances McDormand won Leading Actress for her role in “Nomadland.”

By Suh Jung-min, staff reporter

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