2023 Emmys: A closer look at ‘Beef’s’ 13 nominations

Christopher Tsang
·5 min read
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“Beef” has taken the Emmys by storm, serving up 13 nominations as part of Netflix’s overall total of 103. The revenge dark comedy thriller is the streaming service’s most successful series across the board in the top categories, which include Best Limited Series, five acting bids and seven technical noms, with half of their 10 episodes singled out for various recognition. Read on for a closer look at “Beef’s” 13 nominations.

In the Best Limited Series race, “Beef” is tied for total bids with another one of Netflix’s popular programs, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” The other three streamer shows in the lineup in descending tally are Amazon Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones & The Six” at nine, Hulu’s “Fleishman is in Trouble” at seven and Disney+’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” at five.

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The two lead stars made their respective categories with Steven Yeun in Best Movie/Limited Actor as Danny Cho and Ali Wong in Best Movie/Limited Actress as Amy Lau. Both of their characters are the centerpiece for the series as it begins with their first encounter in a road rage incident that is the catalyst of a long-term petty feud. Including both of their notices as executive producers for Best Limited Series, Yeun has two citations for “Beef,” while Wong is a triple nominee this year, also for Best Character Voice-Over Performance for “Tuca & Bertie,” and has been cited four times in two consecutive years. Limited leads are recognized for the entirety of the series and, therefore, neither actor has to choose an episode.

SEE 2023 Emmys: Complete list of nominees

Though in the supporting categories, the remaining three actors, all first-time nominees, have selected an episode for consideration. Joseph Lee, who portrays Amy’s husband George Nakai, entered the eighth episode “The Drama of Original Choice” for Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor. In it, George asks Amy for a divorce after a long strain in their marriage as well as learning about her affair with Paul and that she lied to him about her feud with Danny. He later discovers Danny’s true identity after being friends with him under a fake name, and threatens to report him for his crimes, leading to an altercation and getting knocked unconscious by Danny.

Joining him in the category is Young Mazino, who plays Danny’s brother Paul, and he enters the fourth episode, “Just Not All at the Same Time.” That’s the one where Paul follows Amy to Las Vegas after kissing her, despite her telling him she is married. When he meets her, they spend the night together getting high, though they keep things platonic. He is later confronted by Danny and Isaac (David Choe) for stealing Danny’s truck.

In Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actress, Maria Bello’s entry is the penultimate episode, “The Great Fabricator.” Her character, Jordan Forster, owner of a home improvement chain store and Amy’s business associate, gets caught up in the feud when her home is robbed by Isaac and Michael due to Amy being inside. While trying to escape to her panic room in restraints, her legs are hit by a chair and she gets accidentally killed by her fiancée Naomi (Ashley Park) when the automatic door closes on her.

“The Great Fabricator” also contends for directing (Jake Schreier) and sound mixing for its many twists and turns, while the show’s bookend episodes take over the rest of the technical categories. The pilot (“The Birds Don’t Sing, They Screech In Pain”) competes in writing and contemporary costumes, and the finale (“Figures of Light”) figuers in directing and editing. Creator Lee Sung Jin is a triple nominee as an executive producer for Best Limited Series, writer for the pilot, and director for the finale. Completing the list is the show’s pivotal casting citation.

SEEHow Ali Wong can follow in the double Emmy-winning footsteps of Alex Borstein and Maya Rudolph

Here are the 2023 Emmy nominations for “Beef”:

Best Limited Series
Lee Sung Jin, Executive Producer
Steven Yeun, Executive Producer
Ali Wong, Executive Producer
Jake Schreier, Executive Producer
Ravi Nandan, Executive Producer
Alli Reich, Executive Producer
Alice Ju, Co-Executive Producer
Carrie Kemper, Co-Executive Producer
Alex Russell, Supervising Producer
Jes Anderson, Producer
Savey Cathey, Producer
Inman Young, Producer
Alex Gayner, Producer
Matthew Medlin, Produced by

Best Movie/Limited Actor
Steven Yeun as Danny Cho

Best Movie/Limited Actress
Ali Wong as Amy Lau

Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor
Joseph Lee as George Nakai (“The Drama of Original Choice”)

Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor
Young Mazino as Paul Cho (“Just Not All at the Same Time”)

Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actress
Maria Bello as Jordan Forster (“The Great Fabricator”)

Best Movie/Limited Writing (“The Birds Don’t Sing, They Screech In Pain”)
Lee Sung Jin, Written by

Best Movie/Limited Directing (“The Great Fabricator”)
Jake Schreier, Directed by

Best Movie/Limited Directing (“Figures of Light”)
Lee Sung Jin, Directed by

Best Movie/Limited Casting
Charlene Lee, Casting by
Claire Koonce, Casting by

Best Movie/Limited Picture Editing (“Figures of Light”)
Nat Fuller, Editor
Laura Zempel, Editor

Best Movie/Limited Sound Mixing (“The Great Fabricator”)
Penny Harold, Re-Recording Mixer
Andrew Garrett Lange, Re-Recording Mixer
Sean O’Malley, Production Mixer

Best Movie/Limited Contemporary Costumes (“The Birds Don’t Sing, They Screech In Pain”)
Helen Huang, Costume Designer
Austin Wittick, Assistant Costume Designer
YJ Hwang, Assistant Costume Designer
Mark Anthony Summers, Costume Supervisor

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