Minari star Youn Yuh-jung fielded a lot of questions about her interactions with Brad Pitt after he presented her with her Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 93rd Academy Awards.
The 73-year-old, who became the first Korean actor to win an Oscar, revealed what she told the Hollywood icon during a news conference hosted by the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles on Sunday.
‘I told him to provide more money to the movie,’ Youn said. Brad, 57, owns Plan B Entertainment, the production company which funded Minari along with A24, and served as one of the film’s executive producers.
Brad was on everyone’s mind: Minari star Youn Yuh-jung fielded a lot of questions about her interactions with Brad Pitt after he presented her with her Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday
‘I also told him to come to Korea,’ the Academy Award winner added. ‘He promised that he will. But I don’t really believe the words of Americans.’
The star added, ‘Their vocabulary is so fancy. He said my performance was very respectable and whatnot, but I’m old. I don’t fall for those words.’
During interviews in the press room, Youn was peppered with questions about Pitt.
The veteran actress, whose career in South Korea spans over five decades, appeared annoyed with the slew of questions about Pitt.
Oscar presenter: The 73-year-old, who became the first Korean actor to win an Oscar, revealed what she told the Hollywood icon during a news conference hosted by the South Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles on Sunday
Pay up: ‘I told him to provide more money to the movie,’ Youn said. Brad, 57, owns Plan B Entertainment, the production company which funded Minari along with A24, and served as one of the film’s executive producers
At one point, she allegedly shrugged and rolled eyes after yet another query regarding the Ocean’s 11 star.
One reporter even asked her what Brad smelled like.
‘I didn’t smell him, I’m not a dog,’ she responded.
Nice meeting: She started her speech poking fun at Brad, the executive producer of the film, saying: ‘Oh, Mr. Pitt, finally it’s nice to meet you. Where were you while we were filming in Tulsa?’
Socially distanced: ‘Still nice to meet you,’ Youn added while Pitt smiled at her from the sideline during the awards ceremony at Union Station held during the coronavirus pandemic
Enthusiastic: Minari executive producer Brad clapped as Youn gave her acceptance speech
During her acceptance speech, Youn appeared to call Brad out for being absent from the film’s set.
She started her speech poking fun at Pitt saying: ‘Oh, Mr. Pitt, finally it’s nice to meet you. Where were you while we were filming in Tulsa?’
Some took it as a sly dig at the heartthrob for not being hands-on with the film’s making.
But Youn was charmed either way, adding: ‘Still nice to meet you,’ while Pitt smiled at her from the sideline.
The Kaesong native also did not seem very impressed with Hollywood. ‘When some project comes from America, people in Korea think I admire Hollywood,’ she told NBC Asian America during the conference.
Little luck: ‘Tonight I’m here, it’s just I have just a little bit of luck maybe. I am luckier than you,’ Youn said drawing laughter from the audience
Cool ponytail: Pitt showed off his ponytail while escorting Youn backstage
Not impressed: Youn said, ‘No, I don’t admire Hollywood. The reason I keep coming is because if I come to the States and work, maybe I’m able to see my son one more time. That’s from the bottom of my heart’
‘No, I don’t admire Hollywood,’ she continued. ‘The reason I keep coming is because if I come to the States and work, maybe I’m able to see my son one more time. That’s from the bottom of my heart.’
Youn’s two sons are both Korean-American and the actress has said that she accepted her role as the grandmother in Minari because she understood the struggles of Korean-Americans through her children’s experiences.
Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, follows a Korean-American family trying to put down roots in Arkansas during the 1980s.
Working mom: In her acceptance speech, Yuh-jung also thanked her sons, ‘who make me go out and work.’ Holding up her Oscar, she added, ‘This is the result because Mommy works so hard’
In her acceptance speech, Yuh-jung also thanked her sons, ‘who make me go out and work.’
Holding up her Oscar, she added, ‘This is the result because Mommy works so hard.’
Youn beat out an impressive field that included: Maria Bakalova for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Glenn Close for Hillbilly Elegy, Olivia Colman for The Father, and Amanda Seyfried for Mank.
She told her fellow nominees during her acceptance speech that they were all winners.
‘How can I win over Glenn Close? I’ve been watching her for so many performances,’ said Youn, who added they played different roles and could not compete with each other.
Feisty: One reporter in the press room even asked Youn what Brad smelled like. ‘I didn’t smell him, I’m not a dog,’ she responded
‘Tonight I’m here, it’s just I have just a little bit of luck maybe. I am luckier than you,’ Youn said drawing laughter from the audience.
‘Also maybe American hospitality for the Korean actor, I’m not sure,’ she added drawing more chuckles.
Youn also dedicated her award to her late first director Kim Ki-young who died in 1998 at age 78.
Pitt clapped offstage showing off his ponytail and then escorted Youn backstage where he handed her the envelope naming her the winner.
A Korean actor had never been previously nominated for an Academy Award and only one Asian had previously won Best Supporting Actress as Japanese-American actress Miyoshi Umeki won for Sayonara in 1957