The Mary Sue was very fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with actor Steven Yeun to discuss his role in the new Bong Joon-ho film Mickey 17. This dystopian sci-fi comedy depicts the story of Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) on his journey to another planet with the frighteningly dangerous task of colonizing said world. The film was adapted by Bong Joon-ho from the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.
Steven Yeun portrays Timo, Mickey’s best friend from Earth, who becomes the pilot on Mickey’s mission. In an interview with TMS’ very own Rachel Leishman, Yeun discusses Timo and Mickey’s relationship and describes their bond as “brotherly.”
“Between them, Timo really does love Mickey. They’ve bonded in a way that feels brotherly; it’s deep. I think maybe an aspect of Timo that feels a little ungraceful is he just wants to make sure that Mickey stays alive at all costs. He’ll even put him in difficult situations just to be like, well, you’re going to be alive at least, so you know, I think Timo, from his worldview, needs some aspect of control so that he can keep all the people that he loves around even if that means that that person will continually suffer over and over and over again. At least he knows he’s alive.”
Yeun went on to describe his character, “I think especially for this character Timo, this is a guy who survives; you know he’ll fit into any situation, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep himself alive, and I think if he needs to be a pilot one day, then he’ll do that, if he needs to be a macaroon store owner he’ll do that. I think that’s his personality; he will consistently survive.”
Having starred in numerous sci-fi films and TV shows such as The Walking Dead, Love Me, Nope, and so many more, Steven Yeun knows how to get into character in a brand new world.
“The real fun thing for me is the costumes and the production design; Catherine George, our costume designer, made some really cool costumes for my character.” Yeun shared.
Costume Designer Catherine George has previously worked on sci-fi films like Snowpeicer and Okja, other Bong Joon-ho films, and the avant-garde directorial feature-length debut Problemista from Julio Torres. Steven Yuen previously worked with George and Bong Joon-ho on Okja.
Steven Yeun has won several awards for his role in Beef, including a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a Critics Choice award. We at The Mary Sue are extremely excited to watch him play alongside Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo in Mickey 17, releasing in theatres on March 7, 2025.
Published: Feb 21, 2025 10:12 am