“You need to leave right now.” 

Those words are the first piece of selfless advice given to former Butkus Award–winner Austin Davis (Charles Melton) in all of BEEF Season 2. The guidance lacks the codependency rife in Austin’s relationship with his fiancée, Ashley (Cailee Spaeny), or the self-preservation and coy attraction inherent in his growing pull toward well-traveled interpreter Eunice (Seoyeon Jang).  

Naturally, this urgent piece of wisdom comes from none other than Austin’s mom, as he arrives at a high-stress crossroads in Episode 7. If the concern in Austin’s mother’s voice sounds particularly potent, there’s a reason for that. 

“You know that’s my mom on that phone line?” Melton tells Tudum, smiling one sunny afternoon in Los Angeles. “That’s my actual mom.” 

That’s right, Sukyong Yu Melton is the voice on the other side of the phone during Austin’s greatest crisis of conscience yet. As tensions rise in Ojai, Austin’s mother is not quite sure her boy should walk down the aisle, let alone continue cohabiting with Ashley. Yu Melton’s acting debut in BEEF makes her son emotional — and is only one piece of her deeper influence in the tapestry that is Season 2. 

“I say BEEF felt like coming home for me. Korea is my home and was my home early on in my life. And I got to see my whole family there. They visited set,” Melton says. “For my mom to be a part of this show and add to its artistry, [it] touches on my identity. I’m so proud.”  

Photographs by Andrew Cooper/Netflix

Yu Melton came to her BEEF Season 2 role naturally. While preparing for the Episode 7 scene, Melton and series creator Lee Sung Jin decided Melton’s real-life parent was perfect for the job. “I was like, ‘Hey, I’m just going to call my mom,’ ” Melton says. Lee was happy to have the Melton family matriarch slice into a piece of BEEF. Lee first met Yu Melton during her son’s publicity tour for his Oscar–nominated 2023 film, May December, which coincided with BEEF Season 1’s own successful run. 

“We’re always trying to find ways to make the show feel a little bit more grounded and real,” Lee explains. “I just loved Charles and Sukyong’s dynamic. It felt so relatable. It reminded me of my mom as well.” 

Recording the scene became a family affair. Yu Melton stayed on the phone with her son throughout filming, even ducking out early from church tea to make the call. “She had to leave tea time with the ladies at church early because she had to answer the phone call. She was with me for hours,” Melton says. “I’d be like, ‘Mom, action!’ It was incredible. It’s special.”  

Lee was impressed with Yu Melton’s acting chops. “Sukyong was improvising and stuff. I’m excited for people to see her dynamic with Charles,” he says. “She’s a star!” Melton agrees, quipping, “Yeah, she’s offer-only now.” 

While Episode 7 is Yu Melton’s first time acting alongside her Golden Globe–nominated child, Melton says that his family was integral to his preparation for BEEF Season 2. He and Lee had lengthy discussions about how their upbringings — both spent their childhoods in Korea and America — shaped who they are today. “We spent hundreds of hours on the phone, sharing our experiences,” Melton explains. “We talked about what it was like growing up in Korea and coming to the US, what our parents were like.” 

Photographs by Andrew Cooper/Netflix

Then, before filming began, Melton and onscreen fiancée Spaeny took their loved ones to a Kansas City Chiefs game — and even went camping with their friends and family. “Cailee is one of my best friends. That was a time just to really bond,” Melton explains. “Our experiences became part of the whole collective soup of what we ended up doing in our work.” 

Taste the delicious meal Melton, Lee, Spaeny, and, of course, Yu Melton prepared for you by streaming BEEF Season 2, now on Netflix. And dig deeper into the series by watching BEEF: The Official Podcast or listening on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Watch the BEEF Season 2 Cast Read Deleted Scenes with Creator Lee Sung Jin