75th Emmy Awards: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun wins Lead Actor and Actress for Beef

Beef actor Steven Yeun won his first Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor while Ali Wong won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

After his win, Yeun said: “Thank you for this immense honour and blessing. A lot of people looked out for me to get into this business… There were days to live in Danny’s skin. Sometimes I wanted to judge him… Thank you Danny for teaching judgment and shame is a lonely place.”

Yeun was contending alongside names such as Taron Egerton (Black Bird), Kumail Nanjiani (Welcome to Chippendales), Evan Peters (Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story) Daniel Radcliffe (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) and Michael Shannon (George & Tammy).

Ali Wong edged out Lizzie Caplan for Fleishman Is In Trouble, Jessica Chastain for George & Tammy, Dominique Fishback for Swarm, Katherine Hahn for Tiny Beautiful Things and Riley Keogh for Daisy Jones & the Six.

The series, which made its Netflix debut in April 2023, entered the Emmy battleground with a formidable 13 nominations, having already secured three wins at the Creative Arts Emmys for Editing, Contemporary Costumes, and Casting.

Ali Wong and Steven Yeun also made history as Wong was the first actor of Asian descent to take home a Golden Globe for best female actor in a limited series, and Yeun was the second Asian American actor in the category for best male actor in a limited series (followed by Darren Criss in 2019).

Beef follows a road rage incident between two strangers, a failing contractor, played by Steven Yeun, and an unfulfilled entrepreneur, portrayed by Ali Wong. The Rage leads to a feud that brings out the darkest impulses of the strangers. 

Beef also stars Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe and Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H. Min, Mia Serafino, Remy Holt, Andrew Santino, and Rek Lee.

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on Monday, January 15 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, which was hosted by Anthony Anderson. The biggest winners of the award event were Succession and The Bear with six awards each.