The 2021 Academy Awards have been a very different Oscars — physically, thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic — but also culturally, with more diversity within the nominees and winners (check out our running list of winners HERE) than ever before. But in every Oscars year you can be guaranteed one thing: an older actor doing something adorable that makes you squeal. This year, that gong goes to South Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung, who took home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Minari.
Yes, 73-year-old Youn, who is the first Korean actor to win an Academy Award, gets two awards tonight — the actual Oscar and also my own personal award, Best Effort In Hitting On Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be at the Academy Awards this year, due to the global pandemic and also due to the fact that I wasn’t invited, so it’s up to someone else to hit on Brad Pitt for me. And Youn Yuh-jung did it in just… perfect fashion.
After Brad called her name out as the winner, he moved over to give her the correct amount of social distance instead of giving her the traditional congratulatory hug and kiss. As she reached the mic, Youn Yuh-jung breathlessly opened her victory speech with the iconic line: “Mr Pitt, finally. So nice to meet you.”
The camera flashed to him standing off to the side grinning, and the Youn follows up with “Where were you when we were filming in Tulsa?”
YOUN. YOU QUEEN. I JUST — she did that. And I loved it. Here’s the whole moment below.
Best Supporting Actress Winner Yuh-Jung Youn: “Mr. Brad Pitt, finally. Nice to meet you.” https://t.co/sdgeoBK7lX #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Jn54277k50
— ABC News (@ABC) April 26, 2021
Youn Yuh-jung followed up the shooting of her shot with many other cute moments, including a shout-out to eight-time nominee and eight-time loser Glenn Close, roasting her two sons who “make her work”, and also Mr Pitt having to guide her off the stage at the end without breaking the COVID rules and touching her. (It’s okay, he caved and linked arms with her later.)
She scored the Oscar for her role as spicy grandma Soonja in Minari, the acclaimed drama about a family of South Korean immigrants trying to build a life in Arkansas. As well as Glenn Close, Youn Yuh-jung beat out Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Olivia Colman (The Father) and Amanda Seyfried (Mank) for the award.
Youn Yuh-jung: winner of an Oscar, winner of Brad Pitt’s heart and a winner in all our eyes, I think we can agree.
Bonus content:
#Minari star and Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn responds to a question about what Brad Pitt smells like: “I didn’t smell him, I’m not dog” https://t.co/ovtJy4btWT pic.twitter.com/xfBI8BVg8m
— Variety (@Variety) April 26, 2021
Have I said lately that I love this woman???
