Eugene Lee Yang

Eugene Lee Yang (born January 18, 1986) is an American filmmaker, actor, author, and internet celebrity known for his work with BuzzFeed (2013–2018) and for being a member of the YouTube group The Try Guys (2014–present). Yang is also known for his work with various human rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy charities such as The Trevor Project. Yang starred as a lead in Nimona, voicing Ambrosius Goldenloin. Early life and education Yang, the only son of South Korean immigrants Min-yeong Lee and Jae-hong Yang, he was born in Waco, Texas and raised in Pflugerville, Texas. He discovered he had some Chinese and Japanese ancestry in addition to his mostly Korean roots after taking a 23andMe DNA test. He has two sisters. Growing up in Pflugerville, Yang’s family was one of the few Asian Americans in their community. He struggled with body image issues and low self-esteem as, in his own words, no one looked like him, and suffered bullying due to his appearance. Early on, he lost his Texan accent by the prodding of his sister, who told him he might face difficulties getting into Ivy League schools. Initially, he was skeptical going into films, explaining that his doubts on getting mainstream acceptance stemmed from the lack of representation of Asian American in films and for being queer: At school, he engaged in artistic activities including visual arts, illustration, theater, choir, and dance. However, a seventh-grade teacher recommended that he should consider studying filmmaking. He later went to the University of Southern California and, during his studies, wrote and directed six short films discussing social and political topics, including mental health care, gay marriage, and school shootings. He graduated with a B.A. in cinema production in 2008.