Oscars 2021: Ranking The Nominated Performances From Worst To Best

The Walking Dead alum made history as the first man of East-Asian descent to be nominated for Best Actor and it is deserved for his leading turn in Minari. Steven Yeun plays the patriarch of the Yi family, who uproot their life and move to Arkansas to pursue their American dream.

Yeun's work here is very reserved, his character has to balance appeasing his family and making sure his Korean vegetable farm will be viable for harvest practically on his own. The performance is strong in its subtlety as Yeun bares the stress and anguish of his predicament all on his facial expressions.

Understated work such as this is rarely awarded a win but it is appreciated for the lack of over the top monologues or showy displays that make other performers seem more desirable. It is far harder to convey emotion through the exhaustion of the character you're playing, but that is exactly why Yeun does and he does it well.