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Bafta Film Awards 2021: 'Minari' star Yuh-Jung Youn thanks 'snobbish' Britain after win

Yuh-jung Youn in Minari (Altitude)
Yuh-jung Youn in Minari (Altitude)

Minari star Yuh-Jung Youn delivered a heartfelt thank you to "snobbish" Britain as she accepted the prize for Best Supporting Actress at the Bafta Film Awards.

The 73-year-old South Korean performer plays the eccentric grandmother Soon-ja in Lee Isaac Chung's heartfelt drama about the immigrant experience in America.

Read more: How the immigrant experience inspired Minari

She beat out Borat Subsequent Moviefilm's Maria Bakalova, Niamh Algar (Calm With Horses), Kosar Ali (Rocks), Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Ashley Madekwe (County Lines) to win the award.

Appearing at the ceremony via video link, Youn paid tribute to the late royal Prince Philip, stating she wanted to "express deep condolences for your Duke of Edinburgh".

Watch: Trailer for Minari

After presenter David Oyelowo announced her victory, Youn added: "Every award is meaningful, but this one is especially recognised by British people — known as very snobbish people — and they approved me as a good actor, so I am very happy."

Viewers quickly responded to Youn's unconventional speech on social media, with many delighted at her win.

Youn also won the Screen Actors Guild award for Supporting Actress this year and is considered one of the frontrunners to repeat the feat at the Oscars.

Read more: Noel Clarke praised for inspiring Baftas speech

She has been a star of Asian cinema since the tail end of the 1960s and has previously been dubbed "the Meryl Streep of South Korea".

In Minari, she appears alongside fellow Oscar nominee Steven Yeun and child star Alan Kim, who picked up a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Baftas.

Steven Yeun, Alan S. Kim, Yuh-Jung Youn, Yeri Han, Noel Cho in Minari (Altitude)
Steven Yeun, Alan S. Kim, Yuh-Jung Youn, Yeri Han, Noel Cho in Minari (Altitude)

The Baftas this year were presented over the course of two nights, with Clara Amfo fronting the first evening and the second hosted by Dermot O'Leary and Edith Bowman.

Presenters appeared either in person or via video link from Los Angeles, with winners delivering their acceptance speeches via video link.

Both nights began with presenters offering tributes to Prince Philip, who was the first president of Bafta from 1959 until 1965.

Watch: Baftas offer tribute to Prince Philip