Emmy spotlight: Young Mazino is a cut above in ‘Beef’
“Beef” is Netflix’s breakout show of this year and within the limited series comes a breakout star in the form of Young Mazino. He plays Paul Cho, the brother of Steven Yeun‘s Danny. In the show, Danny becomes embroiled in a bitter feud with Ali Wong‘s Amy Lau after a road rage incident. Amy is a successful business owner trying to sell her plant company while Danny is a struggling contractor living out of a motel with Paul.
Paul is scolded by his older sibling often. However, Paul thinks he’s worthy of better and becomes obsessed with crypto — earning some decent dollar that his brother uses along the way. Paul is brought further into the action, however, when he falls for Amy’s catfish and then later falls for Amy herself. As Paul, Mazino is physically impressive — he embodies the dopey, himbo bro so well but adds to that a layer of complexity that makes you be irritated by him, route for him, love him, and root for him all at once.
It’s his moments with Amy that are most impressive — he goes from a tender, doe-eyed himbo to a petulant teenager throwing a tantrum when he doesn’t get his own way. But Mazino is such a likable presence, you always root for him. And critics agree.
Sara Klausing of Men’s Health wrote: “If there’s one shining breakout star worth binging the series for, it’s a name you likely aren’t yet familiar with, but will be taking over your feeds in the near future. Meet actor Young Mazino, who plays Paul, Yeun’s naively charming and good-hearted younger brother who somehow makes being catfished and having an affinity for crypto endearing. In a lineup filled with heavyweight talent, Mazino doesn’t just hold his own, but breaks through as one of the most beloved characters in the series.”
Kelsie Gibson of People wrote: “All eyes are on Young Mazino following his role on Netflix’s new series ‘Beef.’ While Wong and Yeun are being praised for their performances, Mazino has also caught people’s attention for his role as Yeun’s volatile onscreen younger brother Paul Cho, who deals with his own share of conflict in season 1.”
Rebecca Ford of Vanity Fair wrote: “Paul could have remained a himbo caricature, but thanks to Mazino’s breakout performance, we can’t help but root for him, even when he makes questionable decisions. Even as Danny stays at the center of the story, Paul goes on his own journey, falling into a catfish relationship and then an affair with a married woman, and eventually getting out from under his older brother’s dark shadow.”
As a result, Mazino has risen fast in our odds chart for Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor. He is currently in sixth place — the final spot in our list of predicted nominees. He is placed just ahead of Ciarán Hinds (“The English”), Bowen Yang (“Fire Island”), and Greg Kinnear (“Black Bird”). Ahead of him are the other five predicted nominees: Murray Bartlett (“Welcome to Chippendales”), Ray Liotta (“Black Bird”), Domhnall Gleeson (“The Patient”), Richard Jenkins (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), and, in first place, Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”).
“Beef” is Mazino’s first starring role after he appeared in multiple short films and singular episodes of several TV shows including “Blue Bloods,” “Tommy,” and “Prodigal Son.” This would be Mazino’s first-ever Emmy nomination.
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