Gold House’s third annual One House Toast to the Emmys celebrated the accomplishments of Asian Pacific and multicultural entertainment professionals, with “Beef” showrunner Lee Sung Jin as the evening’s honoree. The Netflix anthology’s second season received 16 Emmy nominations this year—more than any other limited or anthology series—and has already won three awards during the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony. Lee made history as the first Asian television creator to earn multiple nominations across writing, directing, and producing categories for the same series in consecutive years.
During his remarks, Lee shared how he cast actor Charles Melton for the show’s second season. After witnessing Melton’s performance in “May December,” Lee approached him at a dinner hosted by Gold House co-founder Bing Chen. Lee humorously recounted that despite being seated next to filmmaker Chloé Zhao, he managed to pitch Melton on the project. The actor agreed to join by the time their third appetizer arrived at the table.
Lee also highlighted actress Seoyeon Jang’s dedication to her role as Eunice. Cast through a self-tape audition, Jang prepared extensively for a physically demanding scene opposite Melton. Upon learning the specifics of their interaction just one month before filming, Jang hired a stretching coach and trained for three consecutive months to ensure flexibility. Lee credited her commitment, noting they completed the scene in a single take without requiring additional shots.
Originally reported by Variety →
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