Korean-American Director and Actor Collaboration 'Seongnan Saramdeul' Wins 8 Emmy Awards

Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, Best Costume Design, etc.
Lee Sung-jin "Thankful to Those Who Loved Me Unconditionally"
Steven Yeun "Compassion and Grace Unite Us as One"

The Netflix drama "Seongnan Saramdeul," created through the collaboration of a Korean-American director and actors, won eight awards at the Primetime Emmy Awards, the most prestigious honor in the American television industry, including Outstanding Limited Series and Lead Actor and Actress awards.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

"Seongnan Saramdeul" was announced as the winner of Outstanding Limited Series at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony held on the 15th (local time) at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles (LA), USA. Additionally, director Lee Sung-jin won both the directing and writing awards, and actor Steven Yeun took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor. Chinese-Vietnamese actress Ali Wong also received the Outstanding Lead Actress award. Beyond these, "Seongnan Saramdeul" collected a total of eight trophies, including casting, costume, and editing awards. Out of the eleven categories it was nominated for, it swept all except for the supporting actor and actress awards and the music award.

Director Lee, who received the Outstanding Limited Series award, said, "The suicidal impulses of the characters early in the work actually reflect emotions I experienced myself," adding, "I am grateful to those who shared their difficult experiences after watching this show. It felt like a confirmation that I was not wrong." He continued, "Sometimes it feels like the world tries to divide people. Even at this awards ceremony, some take home trophies while others do not," and said, "Living in such a world, there are moments when you feel you cannot be understood by anyone, that no one likes you, and that there is no chance of being loved." He then expressed gratitude, saying, "The best part of producing 'Seongnan Saramdeul' was the people who loved me unconditionally."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Steven Yeun, who won Outstanding Lead Actor over Taron Egerton for "Black Bird," Evan Peters for "Dahmer," and Daniel Radcliffe for "Weird," also shared his feelings about the character Danny he portrayed in the drama. He said, "Honestly, there were days when living as Danny was difficult. There were days I wanted to judge and mock him arbitrarily," and revealed, "One day, photographer Andrew Cooper told me, 'Don't give up on Danny so easily.'" He went on to emphasize, "I want to thank Danny. Prejudice and shame are very lonely, but compassion and grace bring us together."

"Seongnan Saramdeul" is a black comedy drama depicting the events that unfold when Danny (Steven Yeun), a poor man with no visible future, and Amy (Ali Wong), a wealthy woman estranged from her husband and living through depressing days, get into an argument while driving. Released on Netflix in April last year, it ranked in the top 10 worldwide for five consecutive weeks in viewing hours and achieved global success. It was also praised for its compelling portrayal of modern people unable to control their anger. Thanks to this, it swept various awards ceremonies, including the Emmys. At the Golden Globe Awards, it won three awards including Outstanding Limited Series and Lead Actor and Actress, and at the Critics' Choice Awards, it won four awards including Outstanding Limited Series, Lead Actor and Actress, and Supporting Actress (Maria Bello).

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Primetime Emmy Awards are the most prestigious awards ceremony in the American television industry, often called the "Academy Awards of TV." At the 74th ceremony held in September 2022, "Squid Game" won the directing award (Hwang Dong-hyuk) and Outstanding Lead Actor (Lee Jung-jae).

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