Bridging Two Worlds: Korean Stars Who Shine in Hollywood

Hollywood is becoming more global—and nowhere is that more clear than in the rise of Korean-speaking actors in major American films and series. Whether born in Korea or Korean-American, these stars bring authenticity, versatility, and cultural fluency to the screen. Here are 10 actors who speak Korean and are helping redefine what Hollywood looks and sounds like.

Steven Yeun (연상엽)

Born Yeun Sang-yeop in Seoul, South Korea, Steven Yeun moved with his family to Saskatchewan, Canada, at the age of five before eventually settling in Michigan. Growing up as a Korean immigrant in the American Midwest, Yeun experienced what many call a “third culture” upbringing. At home, he spoke Korean with his parents; at school and in daily life, he spoke English. Over time, Korean became his intimate, “elemental” language—used for family and personal connections—while English grew into his professional language, the one he used to navigate school, work, and eventually Hollywood. This bilingual balancing act profoundly shaped both his identity and the types of roles he has taken on.

Yeun’s career is defined by both genre-defining blockbusters and deeply personal indie films. His breakout role as Glenn Rhee in The Walking Dead (2010–2016) made him a household name, turning him into one of television’s most beloved characters. He continued to explore layered, culturally resonant roles in films like Okja (2017) and Burning (2018). His portrayal of Jacob Yi in Minari (2020) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor—the first for an Asian American actor in that category. More recently, Yeun has expanded into animation with Invincible (2021–present), horror with Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022), and dark comedy with Netflix’s Beef (2023).

Language has been a recurring theme in Yeun’s artistic journey. For Minari, he had to consciously “re-learn” Korean—not the casual, family-language Korean of his upbringing, but a more formal, adult version that reflected his character’s generational and cultural identity in the 1980s. Working with a dialogue coach, Yeun refined his pronunciation and delivery, bridging the gap between his inherited Korean and the Korean expected of his character. This experience made him confront the nuances of his linguistic identity, blending the intimacy of his home language with the demands of professional performance.

Daniel Dae Kim (김대현)

Born in Busan, South Korea, Daniel Dae Kim moved to the United States with his family when he was just one year old, growing up in Easton, Pennsylvania. As part of an immigrant family in a predominantly white community, Kim grew up speaking both Korean and English. However, because he learned English at such a young age, it quickly became his dominant language. Korean remained part of his life, but it was his English-speaking identity that guided much of his early career. Ironically, it was his ability to re-engage with his heritage language later on that set him apart, opening doors to roles that required an authenticity many Asian American actors could not provide at the time.

Kim’s career is marked by iconic television performances. He appeared in Angel (2001–2003) and 24 (2003–2004) before landing his breakout role as Jin-Soo Kwon on Lost (2004–2010). His character initially spoke only Korean, making him one of the most visible non-English speaking characters on American network television. Later, he cemented his place in Hollywood with another long-running role as Chin Ho Kelly in CBS’s reboot of Hawaii Five-0 (2010–2017). His credits also extend to voice work in The Legend of Korra (2012–2014), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024), as well as films like Hellboy (2019).

Language has been a fascinating throughline in Kim’s career. Despite growing up bilingual, his Korean was more casual and informal—what many call “Konglish.” For Lost, he hired a dialogue coach to refine his pronunciation, expand his vocabulary, and deliver his lines in a formal, native-sounding Korean. Playing a character who was a recent immigrant with no English required him to effectively re-learn his heritage language at a professional level. This experience not only elevated his performance but also deepened his personal connection to his cultural roots.

John Cho (조요한)

Born Cho Yo-han in Seoul, South Korea, John Cho moved to the United States with his family in 1978 at the age of six. After living in several cities, his family eventually settled in Los Angeles, where his father served as a minister. Growing up in a Korean church community helped him maintain his Korean language skills, even as he fully immersed himself in American life. Cho later attended UC Berkeley, studying English literature—a choice that reflects his lifelong interest in language and storytelling. Today, he remains fluent in Korean, which he has described as a central part of his identity, though Hollywood offered him few opportunities to use the language in his early career.

Cho’s filmography is as diverse as it is impactful. He first gained recognition in American Pie (1999), where a single unforgettable line etched him into pop culture history. He went on to star in the Harold & Kumar film series (2004–2011), breaking barriers for Asian American representation in comedy, and became internationally known as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek reboot films (2009–2016). His later work has included the acclaimed indie drama Columbus (2017), the innovative thriller Searching (2018), and the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop (2021).

While Cho is best known for his comedic timing and sci-fi heroics, his influence on language itself is surprisingly notable. In American Pie (1999), his character—credited only as “MILF Guy #2”—delivered the now-famous term “MILF” with such memorable flair that it exploded into the mainstream lexicon. For years, Cho was recognized more for that single word than for any of his other roles, illustrating how language and pop culture intersect in unexpected ways. It’s a fitting legacy for an actor whose bilingual identity has always given him a unique perspective on how words, tone, and culture shape storytelling.

Ki Hong Lee (이기홍)

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Ki Hong Lee moved with his family to Auckland, New Zealand, when he was six years old, where he first learned English. Two years later, the family relocated again, this time to Los Angeles, California, where he grew up and continued to develop his bilingual identity. He has spoken about how adjusting to different cultures and languages so early in life shaped his perspective as a performer and gave him a natural ability to adapt to new environments.

Lee rose to prominence with his breakout role as Minho in The Maze Runner film series, where he played the witty and athletic leader of the “Gladers.” The franchise became a worldwide hit and cemented Lee as one of the most recognizable Korean American faces in Hollywood blockbusters. He later showcased his versatility with roles in projects like The Stanford Prison Experiment and Wish Upon, and leaned into comedy with his recurring role as Dong Nguyen in Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

An interesting linguistic twist in Lee’s career came with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where his character spoke English with a strong Vietnamese accent. In reality, Lee speaks fluent, unaccented American English, but worked with a dialogue coach to develop the accent for authenticity. It created a fascinating contrast: a Korean American actor, already known for his American-accented roles, convincingly portraying a character of a different nationality and background, highlighting both his skill and the power of language in storytelling.

Lee Byung-hun (이병헌)

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Lee Byung-hun grew up a native Korean speaker and rose to prominence as one of the country’s most acclaimed actors long before stepping into Hollywood. He majored in French Literature at Hanyang University, but it was his ambition to expand into the global film industry that led him to pursue English. Despite his superstar status at home, Lee faced the challenge of preparing for American roles in a second language, often relying on dialogue coaches to help him deliver lines with precision and convey emotion authentically in English.

In Korea, Lee built his reputation through iconic performances in films such as Joint Security Area, A Bittersweet Life, and I Saw the Devil, where his intensity and charisma made him one of the nation’s most respected stars. His Hollywood crossover came with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, where he portrayed Storm Shadow, a role that cemented him as an international action star. He later appeared in projects like Red 2 and Mr. Sunshine, but his most globally recognized performance came as the enigmatic Front Man in Netflix’s cultural phenomenon Squid Game, which introduced him to a new generation of viewers around the world.

Lee has spoken openly about the challenges of acting in English, noting that there is a major difference between conversational fluency and embodying a character in a second language. For G.I. Joe, he had to meticulously memorize not only his lines but also the rhythm, intonation, and emotional cadence behind them. It was not simply about words but about capturing truth in a foreign tongue, and his success in doing so is a testament to his discipline and artistry as both an actor and a cultural bridge between Korean cinema and Hollywood.

Ma Dong-seok (마동석) / Don Lee

Born Lee Dong-seok in South Korea, Ma Dong-seok immigrated with his family to the United States as a teenager, eventually settling in Ohio and gaining American citizenship. Growing up in Columbus, he attended Columbus State Community College and became fluent in English, all while navigating his bicultural identity. Later, he returned to South Korea to pursue acting, adopting the stage name Ma Dong-seok. His command of both English and Korean, paired with his international background, became a defining advantage as his career began to cross borders.

Ma first gained attention in Korea with supporting roles, but his breakout came with the global phenomenon Train to Busan in 2016, where his portrayal of the strong but selfless Sang-hwa made him an international fan favorite. He went on to lead the hit action-crime franchise The Outlaws as the uncompromising detective Ma Seok-do, solidifying his reputation as one of Korea’s most bankable action stars. To international audiences, he is also recognized for his role as Gilgamesh in Marvel’s Eternals, which showcased his unique mix of warmth and strength on a global stage.

Before his rise as a movie star, Ma worked as a personal trainer under his American name, Don Lee, training UFC champions like Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman. His real-life background in boxing and physical conditioning translates directly into his screen presence, giving authenticity to the stunts and fight sequences that define his roles. This combination of lived experience, bilingualism, and sheer charisma has made Ma Dong-seok a rare figure who embodies both Korean and Hollywood action storytelling.

Youn Yuh-jung (윤여정)

Born and raised in Seoul, Youn Yuh-jung became a superstar in South Korea during the early 1970s, celebrated for her fearless performances in films like Woman of Fire. At the height of her fame, she retired after marrying singer Jo Young-nam and moved to the United States, where she lived for about a decade in St. Petersburg, Florida. During that time, she raised her two sons and learned English out of necessity, becoming proficient while balancing family life far from the Korean entertainment industry.

After her divorce, Youn returned to Korea in the mid-1980s and began rebuilding her acting career from the ground up, eventually reestablishing herself as one of the nation’s most respected and unconventional performers. She became known for playing complex, often daring female characters in films such as The Housemaid and The Bacchus Lady. Her international breakthrough came decades later with Minari (2020), where her portrayal of the warm but mischievous grandmother Soon-ja earned her the Academy Award, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award—the first Korean actor to achieve this triple milestone.

Though fluent in English, Youn often jokes about the “torture” of acting in a non-native language, preferring the nuance and authenticity of Korean. Yet her witty and unfiltered acceptance speeches during the 2021 awards season, delivered entirely in English, captivated global audiences. From apologizing for her “broken English” to joking about “snobbish” British voters at the BAFTAs, her candor and humor transcended language barriers, making her a beloved figure worldwide and proving the power of personality in any tongue.

Park Seo-joon (박서준)

Born and raised in Seoul, Park Seo-joon is a native Korean speaker who rose to become one of South Korea’s most popular leading men. While his career flourished at home through K-dramas and films, his English was limited until he was cast in his first Hollywood role. To prepare, he worked intensively with dialogue coaches, describing the process as both daunting and rewarding as he learned to balance memorization with authentic emotional delivery.

In Korea, Park became a household name through acclaimed performances in projects such as Kill Me, Heal Me, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, and Itaewon Class, where his portrayal of ex-convict Park Sae-ro-yi won him global recognition among K-drama fans. He also had a cameo in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite, further expanding his international visibility. More recently, he starred in Concrete Utopia and made his Hollywood debut as Prince Yan in Marvel’s The Marvels, marking a major step into the global spotlight.

For The Marvels, Park had to act primarily in English, which proved to be one of the greatest challenges of his career. He admitted that while memorizing lines was difficult, the harder part was conveying the right nuance and emotion in a language that wasn’t his own. In one particularly demanding scene that required him to sing his dialogue, he approached the lines rhythmically, treating them like lyrics. This unique solution helped him unlock a more natural flow in English, showing his creativity and resilience as an actor.

Arden Cho (조미연)

Arden Cho was born in Amarillo, Texas, to Korean-American parents and grew up in a household where both English and Korean were present. As one of the few Asian-American students at her school, she often found herself navigating questions of identity and belonging. While she is a native English speaker, Cho has shared in interviews that she is conversational in Korean, though not fully fluent, giving her a unique bicultural perspective that has informed her career.

She first gained widespread recognition for her breakout role as Kira Yukimura, the sword-wielding kitsune in MTV’s supernatural hit Teen Wolf. The role earned her a loyal fan base and established her as a dynamic presence on screen. Since then, she has taken on prominent parts in Chicago Med and, most notably, as the ambitious lawyer Ingrid Yun in Netflix’s legal drama Partner Track, a role that showcased her ability to balance strength and vulnerability. She is also set to appear in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, further cementing her place in genre-defining projects.

Before acting became her primary path, Cho also had a successful career in modeling. In 2004, she won the Miss Korea Chicago pageant, which led to her participation in the official Miss Korea Pageant in Seoul. That experience gave her an opportunity to reconnect with her heritage, immersing herself in Korean culture in a way that felt both familiar and new. This cross-cultural lens continues to shape the kinds of stories she gravitates toward and the roles she embraces as an actress.

Justin Chon (조정훈)

Justin Chon was born and raised in Orange County, California, as a second-generation Korean-American. Growing up, he heard Korean spoken at home by his parents—his father himself a former child actor in South Korea—but English quickly became his dominant language. That duality, of living between two worlds, deeply shaped his perspective and later became a central theme of his own filmmaking. His work often reflects this tension, exploring the Korean-American identity with nuance and honesty.

Mainstream audiences first met Chon in the Twilight saga, where he played Eric Yorkie, Bella Swan’s affable classmate. He went on to appear in projects like 21 & Over before transitioning into filmmaking. As a director, writer, and sometimes actor, Chon has made a name for himself in independent cinema with acclaimed films like Gook and Ms. Purple. His 2021 film Blue Bayou earned international attention for its emotional story of immigration and belonging, while his work as a director on Apple TV+’s Pachinko solidified his place as a respected storyteller both behind and in front of the camera.

One of the hallmarks of Chon’s films is his authentic use of language. In Gook, which tells the story of two Korean-American brothers during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, he intentionally wove in code-switching—shifting between English and Korean depending on who the characters were speaking to. This detail wasn’t decorative; it reflected the real linguistic experience of many second-generation Korean-Americans and highlighted how language can both connect and divide communities. In this way, Chon continues to use his art to represent lived realities rarely shown on screen.

These ten actors show how language is never just a tool, but part of identity, career, and storytelling. Whether they grew up bilingual, learned Korean as adults, or code-switched between cultures, each of them has brought something unique to Hollywood’s global stage. If you’d like to dive deeper into how language and performance intersect, you can explore our Korean department, where we continue to study the rich connections between culture, fluency, and acting.