Beef cast: Meet the characters in the Netflix dark comedy

Ali Wong and Steven Yeun lead the 10-part series.

By Abby Robinson

Published: Thursday, 06 April 2023 at 12:00 am

Netflix comedy-drama Beef kicks off with a road rage incident between two strangers that quickly spirals into a long-running feud, with both of them going to extreme lengths to humiliate the other.

But it soon becomes apparent that their white hot rage is rooted in years of emotional suppression, with both parties more alike than they first realised.

Ali Wong and Steven Yeun lead the cast alongside an ensemble of veterans and lesser knowns. Read on for everything you need to know about the Beef cast.

Who’s in the cast of Beef?

The cast is as follows:

Ali Wong as Amy
Steven Yeun as Danny
Joseph Lee as George
Young Mazino as Paul
David Choe as Isaac
Patti Yasutake as Fumi
Remy Holt as June
Maria Bello as Jordan Forster
Ashley Park as Naomi
Justin H Min as Edwin
Alyssa Gihee Kim as Veronica
Mia Serafino as Mia
Andie Ju as Esther
Andrew Santino as Michael
Rek Lee as Bobby

For more about the cast of Beef, read on…

Ali Wong plays Amy

Who is Amy? A self-made entrepreneur who is on the cusp of selling her business for a lot of money, she’s also a wife and a mother. Amy appears to have the perfect life, but it’s a different story beneath the surface.

“There are themes of abandonment – even if your parents were seemingly there for you in all the most important ways, that fear of abandonment and resentment can really affect you,” said Wong.

Where have I seen Ali Wong before? You might recently have watched her in Prime Video‘s Paper Girls. Wong is also a stand-up comedian with a number of Netflix specials. You might recognise her voice from animated comedies Big Mouth and Tuca & Bertie.

Steven Yeun plays Danny

Who is Danny? A contractor whose finances are in the red, despite his best efforts to change that. “Danny is someone who’s trying to do a good job and do what he thinks he’s supposed to do, but from his eyes, it just seems like the world is out to take him down,” said Yeun.

He’s also hyper-conscious of living up to his parent’s expectations and has a difficult relationship with his brother. “Playing Danny was an exploration of some of the impulses we all have when we’re in a constant state of fear, or living with a constant sense of insecurity.”

Where have I seen Steven Yeun before? Most people will know him from The Walking Dead. You might also have watched him in A24’s Minari and Jordan Peele’s Nope.

Joseph Lee plays George

Who is George? Amy’s husband. Their marriage is in a precarious place. He has a naturally sunny disposition, which he tries to impart on Amy. George’s father was a well-respected artist and he sometimes finds it difficult living in his shadow. He makes his own vases, but Amy detests his work.

Where have I seen Joseph Lee before? You might have watched him in Star Trek: Picard.

Young Mazino plays Paul

Who is Paul? Danny’s younger brother. The pair have a strained relationship, with Paul constantly trying to distance himself from his sibling. Speaking about his character, Mazino said: “Most guys who work out to that degree would puff out their chests, but Paul doesn’t carry himself that way. He’s hunched over most of the time. He makes himself small.”

Where have I seen Young Mazino before? This is his most sizeable screen role to date.

David Choe as Isaac

Who is Isaac? Danny and Paul’s loud, outspoken cousin, who was recently released from prison. He refuses to do things by the book and is always cooking up a scheme.

Where have I seen David Choe before? He is best known for his podcast work and art.

Patti Yasutake as Fumi

Who is Fumi? George’s mother. She was essentially a PR for her artist husband, who died a few years ago. Fumi has a frosty relationship with Amy and clashes with her daughter-in-law on numerous issues.

Where have I seen Patti Yasutake before? You might recognise her from the Star Trek franchise, in which she played Nurse Ogawa.

Maria Bello as Jordan Forster

Who is Jordan Forster? A billionaire who wants to acquire Amy’s company. She has a room filled with sacred headdresses in her mansion, which is an overt example of her “tendency to appropriate from other cultures”.

“There would be an aspect of appropriation even in what she does to [Amy’s company] Kōyōhaus and the way she rebrands it,” said production designer Grace Yun and showrunner Lee Sung Jin. “She wants to own and conquer.”

Where have I seen Maria Bello before? Her TV credits include NCIS and ER. She has appeared in the following films: Prisoners, The Sisters, A History of Violence, The Cooler, and Coyote Ugly.

Ashley Park plays Naomi

Who is Naomi? Jordan’s sister-in-law who strikes up a friendship with Amy. She’s a stay-at-home mum who also carries out non-profit work and is involved in various other projects. She gets very defensive when people imply her only responsibility is looking after her children.

Where have I seen Ashley Park before? She plays Mindy in Netflix’s Emily in Paris. Park also stars in comedy feature Joy Ride and period drama Mr Malcolm’s List. You might also have watched her in musical comedy Girls5eva.

Justin H Min plays Edwin

Who is Edwin? A praise team leader at a local Korean church and a childhood friend of Danny’s.

Where have I seen Justin H Min before? He plays Ben in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. He also appeared in After Yang with Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith, and comedy film Shortcomings.