Steven Yeun, 40, is an accomplished actor in Hollywood, having risen to fame as Glenn in The Walking Dead. In 2021, Steven scored his first Academy Award nomination for his role in the drama film Minari. He was the first Asian American actor to be nominated in the Best Actor category. Steven also recently starred opposite Ali Wong in the new Netflix dark comedy series Beef, and is now nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film category. One person that Steven definitely doesn’t have beef with is his loving wife, Joana Pak. Steven is so busy in his acting career but he’s always made his marriage a major priority.
Steven and Joana met shortly before his career blew up on The Walking Dead, so they had to be long distance during the start of their relationship. Luckily, Joana has always been supportive of her husband’s career, even if it means he has to spend some time away from Joana and their two children. Here’s everything you need to know about Steven’s spouse and their inspiring marriage.
Steven Yeun’s Wife, Joana Pak
Joana, an Arkansas native, has a much different career than her husband, who hails from Michigan. She is a freelance photographer and shares her incredible photographs on her Flickr account. Steven is in a lot of Joana’s snapshots. Joana has over 196,000 views on her Flickr page. Joana is not on Instagram, unlike her husband, who has over 3 million followers on the platform. Before she became a full-time photographer, Joana went to Columbia College, which is how she met her future husband.
How Did Steven Meet Joana?
Steven and Joana met through a mutual friend in Chicago, where Steven was working with the Second City comedy theater. But Joana was dating someone at the time so she didn’t connect with Steven until a whole year later at a bar where Steven was working.
“I invited Jo out with two other friends who happened to be girls, which was the worst move of all time,” Steven told GQ. “Probably because I hadn’t been dating in so long, and by that point I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to not let her know that I’m into her.’ I was playing dumb. Just lame-ass moves,” he said. “Then we broke off on our own, and I saw her every day for the rest of the year.”
However, Steven and Joana had to be long-distance for some time because of his role on The Walking Dead, which filmed in Georgia. “He was based in Atlanta for half the year,” Joana said in an interview with Martha Stewart Weddings. “I was in Chicago. We were kind of everywhere.”
Steven & Joana’s Wedding
Steven and Joana survived long distance, and in August 2015, the Nope actor purposed to the love of his life. The couple tied the knot in December 2016 at the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles, in front of 220 guests. Joana’s cousin, Elliot Chung, officiated the ceremony. Joana wore a classic Korean garb on her wedding day.
“We didn’t make anything sacred,” Steven told Martha Steward Weddings about their special day, noting that they “made the ceremony very relaxed and focused on a greater message of love.” Joana said they didn’t do anything dramatic to end the wedding. “Just a natural end to a great day,” she said.
Steven & Joana’s Children
Steven and Joana have two children. Their son Jude Malcolm was born on St. Patricks Day (March 17) in 2017. Steven announced his son’s birth on Instagram, with a photo of the newborn’s tiny hand. “We are well. Much much love,” he wrote in the since-deleted post. Steven and Joana welcomed their second child, a daughter, in April 2019. They still have not revealed their daughter’s name. Steven does not post any photos of his children on Instagram.
Steven & Joana’s Top Moments
Steven and Joana are pretty private as a couple, though they have stepped out together for some Hollywood events over the years. Notably, Joana was by her husband’s side at the 2021 Academy Awards, where he was up for Best Actor for Minari. Steven lost to Anthony Hopkins, but his co-star, Youn Yuh-jung, won for Best Supporting Actress.
Before the 2021 Oscars, Steven revealed how Minari, which is about a South Korean immigrant family living in rural US in the 1980s, relates to his wife. “Minari is essentially the story of my wife’s family,” Steven told W Magazine. “My wife is Korean but grew up in Arkansas, and her family first made their money by chicken sexing. They gave me some tips on how to work with the chicks,” he also said.