'Minari' star Yuh-Jung Youn scolded a reporter who asked her what Brad Pitt smelled like at the Oscars
- Yuh-Jung Youn won best supporting actress at the Oscars, and she was handed the award by Brad Pitt.
- A reporter asked Youn what Pitt smelled like during the ceremony.
- She responded: "I didn't smell him. I'm not a dog. No."
Yuh-Jung Youn made history by winning best supporting actress at the Oscars on Sunday, becoming the first South Korean actress to take home an Oscar in an acting category.
The 73-year-old actress won for her performance as an eccentric grandmother in Lee Isaac Chung's family drama "Minari."
She was handed her award by the film's executive producer, Brad Pitt, and after the show, a reporter in the awards press room asked Youn what Pitt smelled like during the ceremony. Youn laughed and quickly responded: "I didn't smell him. I'm not a dog. No."
Youn continued to say that she has admired Pitt's work for many years and she "couldn't believe" it when Pitt announced that she had won the award.
"Maybe I just blacked out for a couple of seconds," she said. "What should I say, 'Where am I?' Or something like that? But I kept asking my friend: 'Am I saying it right? Do they understand what I'm trying to say?' I'm still not myself, so don't ask me too many questions, please."
Yuh-Jung Youn also made a jovial reference to Brad Pitt during her acceptance speech. When she picked up the award, she turned to the actor, laughed, and said: "Mr. Brad Pitt, finally. Nice to meet you. Where were you when we were filming in person?"
Youn seemed to be implying that Pitt did not visit the "Minari" set while the film was in production in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2019. She then continued to note that the majority of award-show hosts and attendees tend to mispronounce her name but "tonight," she said, "you are all forgiven."
Youn also paid tribute to her fellow best-supporting actress nominees - Glenn Close ("Hillbilly Elegy"), Amanda Seyfried ("Mank"), Olivia Colman ("The Father"), and Maria Bakalova ("Borat Subsequent Moviefilm").
"I don't believe in competition. How can I win over Glenn Close?" Youn said. "I've been watching so many of her performances. I have a little bit of luck, I think. I'm luckier than you. Or maybe it's the American hospitality for the Korean actor, I'm not sure."
Before ending her speech, Youn thanked South Korean filmmaker, Kim Ki-young, the first director she worked with. And her two sons who she said forced her to go out and work. She said: "I'd like to thank my two boys who made me go out and work. This is the result because mommy worked so hard."