Steven Yeun has played such a wide range of roles that it can be difficult to choose a favorite. But his work in Jordan Peele's new movie, NOPE, might make a strong case for his character, Jupe, moving up your list. Jupe is a former child star who is perhaps best known for being on a show where something we won't spoil went spectacularly wrong. Now, he's a sparkly cowboy showman who has a unique view on what's going on in the movie's desert location.
We got to sit down with Yeun prior to NOPE's opening, for a conversation that discussed Jordan Peele, Yeun's role in the movie, and, of course, aliens.
A lot of movie characters, especially in a film like NOPE which is explicitly set up with a horror element, probably don't want anything to do with beings from space. But Yeun says his character "welcomes them," and is "into the idea of a connection" with aliens.
Maybe that's partially a reflection of his own personal feelings. "I want it," he says of contact with extra-terrestrial beings. "I would love for there to be somebody or some beings other than us."
Watch our full video interview with Steven Yeun:
NOPE opens on July 22.
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.