Talking ‘Beef’ Over Beef: A Conversation With Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, and Lee Sung Jin

Lee Sung Jin feels like he’s in an episode of Friday Night Lights.

To be fair, we are sitting in a barbecue restaurant in Texas as a vaguely Explosions in the Sky-esque band rumbles with a cinematic sense of dynamics upstairs. We’re here to talk about Beef, the creator and showrunner’s remarkably perceptive new series starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, both of whom have also agreed to join me for a weighs-you-down-in-the-best-way late breakfast/early lunch at Austin hotspot Lamberts. But like the dangerously good smorgasbord of food we sample across our hour-plus conversation—brisket, ribs, hot links, macaroni and cheese, waffle fries, ranch style beans, fried pickle spears, red snapper ceviche, and braised collards all compete for table space—the topics we end up covering are as varied as they are deeply satiating.

While the show’s title is Beef, it’s not food-related. The Sung Jin series is about the other type of beef, as it follows the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers. A chase pursuit on the road between a struggling contractor Danny Cho (Yeun) and a self-made entrepreneur with a seemingly picture-perfect life, Amy Lau (Wong), turns into a feud that escalates and begins to unravel their lives and relationships.

Throughout the meal, the band upstairs repeatedly swells in and fades out while unknowingly soundtracking a discussion that, like the series itself, is equal parts hilarious and sharply existential. On occasion, the band is loud enough to almost drown each of us out, though this too feels like it mirrors some of the themes explored on the show. It’s also fitting given how intentional Beef’s needle drops are—I’ll spare you the spoilers here but just know that a certain Hoobastank song is potentially on the verge of having a second life.

Mere hours after our heavy lunchfast, Beef premiered its first two episodes half a mile down the road at the Paramount Theater as part of SXSW’s 2023 film and TV lineup. The response was rightfully rapturous, and—this is something that never, ever gets old—there is truly nothing like watching a new film or series be born as its proud parents look on.

Before Beef hits Netflix on April 6, the show’s creator and its two leads joined Complex for an extended conversation on, well, a bit of everything. Read the full discussion below.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity, as well as to remove any full-fledged spoilers.