San Francisco native, standup comic and lead of the 2019 rom-com Always Be My Maybe, Ali Wong returns to the small screen with her starring role in a new Netflix series, Beef, that depicts an epic feud sparked by a nasty case of road rage.
The 10-episode show drops Thursday on Netflix and co-stars Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead and Minari.
Though the plot often veers wildly into extremes that challenge even the most vigorously willful suspension of disbelief, Yeun said he believes Beef actually says a lot about society, and he’s “proud” of that.
“I just see a giant mirror up to all of us,” he said in a recent interview. “We’re living in a lot of isolation, building a lot of stories up in our head. Maybe all we really want to do is connect to somebody.”
Wong agreed, adding that their characters Amy and Danny keep their feud going because each finds it strangely enjoyable.
“They’re letting walls down. They’re seeing each other at their ugliest,” Wong said. “There’s a deep acceptance that’s obviously very cathartic and very necessary. I think that’s the most unexpected and beautiful part about our show.”
Wong grew up in Pacific Heights and graduated from San Francisco University High School, where she was class president.
Alicia Rancilio of the Associated Press contributed to this story.