Hey y'all, from NPR, it's been a minute.

I'm Elise Hugh, filling in for Sam this week.

It's Tuesday and just because Sam's gone doesn't mean we're taking a break.

Today, I'm talking with Stephen Yon.

If the name isn't immediately ringing about, let me help jog your memory.

He was the breakout star on AMC's The Walking Dead, the most watched show on cable TV,

until he died of violent death.

People are still pretty broken up about it though.

Lately, he's been popping up all over the place.

This year, he was in the acclaimed film Sorry to Bother You.

He also jumps across the ocean to do Korean language work from well-known Korean directors.

Right now, he's playing an inscrutable Gatsby-like character in the thriller Burning.

It's South Korea's submission to next year's Academy Awards.

I talked to him about toggling between East and West, his identity journey, from his childhood,

going from not seeing anyone who looked like him in kindergarten, to learning to be a lot

more comfortable in his own skin at this big moment for Asian representation in Hollywood.

Stephen and I also got to chat about our shared experience of living in Seoul for long stretches.

He works there a lot now and I just moved back from three years in Seoul as NPR's Bureau

Chief in South Korea.

So here it is, y'all.

Stephen Y'all with me at NPR West in Culver City.

I so enjoyed our conversation and I hope you do too.

...