I didn’t expect to burst into tears during a song about jesus in episode 3 of meatbut Stephen Yeun’s character, Danny Chu, apparently didn’t either.
In the third episode of the A24 and Netflix series, titled “I Am Inhabited By a Cry” and written by Lee Sung-jin, Danny finds himself at Living Glory Church after it’s all over. His angry road war with Amy Lau (Ali Wong) results in him vandalizing his truck, to which Danny retaliates by setting Amy’s car with her daughter on fire, upsetting him greatly. So, he reluctantly leans overt smiles cheering him on from a pamphlet handed to him and heads off to church.
Temporarily finding his place in the congregation, Danny takes an offer to the church band led by Edwin (Justin H. Maine). Danny’s words hit hard: “Do you ache and break inside?” His flaws. At this moment, despite his best attempts to force it, Danny bursts into tears in the chorus. Eventually, amid sobbing, Danny joins in singing and finds himself comforted by Reverend Kim (Eddie Shane). Later, he brushes her away in disbelief. “I guess I needed a good cry or something.”
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“That scene was one of my favourites,” Lee told Mashable. Jake Schreier, our director, shot it; it was so beautifully shot. Larkin (Seiple), our DP, shot it in a very honest way, we didn’t feel like we were cheering the moment but not making fun of it either. We really wanted to reflect that experience. the Korean church as faithfully as possible.”
Yoon said, “That was interesting because I’m familiar with that feeling of going to a group place where you get that feeling of, like, you’re holding on so tightly to yourself that you go to those places, and then you can let that go because everyone is collectively doing something.”
It’s the first time we get to see Danny’s vulnerable side in the series, as he usually aggressively tries to convince everyone around him that he’s in control or explodes into a rage over current events. The scene wasn’t easy, with all that was required of Yeun in the emotional turmoil of it all.
“That scene was actually difficult because Stephen didn’t cry in the first take of the couple, and he was like, ‘I’m going to need a moment,’” Lee told me. “We moved on, shot other scenes and came back, and it just wasn’t like that. What we ended up doing is we switched the song up; We had previously recorded this track with the band, and I think what Steven needs is an original song that he’s used to. Once we played that, and he felt all the extras singing along, I think that sense of belonging shattered him. At least that’s what he told me. That was when I saw Danny take down the walls, everything falling apart.”
“I remember walking into the church sequence, and they were shooting most of the other actors there,” Yoon explained. “I think I’m there emotionally, it’s going to be OK, I think I’ll be able to get there. Then they turned the cameras on me, and then for the sound, everybody stopped singing, and then I couldn’t. I didn’t go there. I was suddenly so dry. I was like , what is happening?
“I think what was cool was, several years ago, as an actor, maybe I tried to force him or panicked him, or tried to squeeze everything out of him. Instead, I just asked Sonny (Lee Sung Jin) and Jake, ‘Can I take a break from Comforts? Can you shoot some other stuff? Can I go back, reset myself, and then figure it out?” While doing that, I realize, “Oh, I want them to keep singing, ’cause they’re all watching me, pulling me out of reality — you’re supposed to lose yourself, but everyone’s staring at me like we’re shooting this.” Once everyone started singing again, it came really easy. Then it taught me that this is what happens to Danny here – he feels the joy and the emotional catharsis of losing himself.”
“This is what happens to Danny here, he feels the exhilaration and emotional catharsis of losing himself.”
Wong told a story when she saw the sight of Yoon Church for the first time and had a reaction he didn’t expect.
“I love this scene,” she said. “We were at a Korean barbecue, and I came from watching that scene when we went out to dinner. It was, like, Sonny and Stephen and just me and Jake. And I was like, ‘Steven, oh my God, that’s a scene when you’re crying in church.'” I laughed so hard. Stephen said, “You laughed?” I was like, yeah, he’s hysterical. And he was like…”
“Why are you laughing?” Yoon remembered.
“Why are you laughing?” Then I said, “I have to go to the bathroom!” Wong said. From then on, that led to this whole discussion, but Stephen was so observant and unaware how funny it was equated to making it work. That’s how committed he was, you know, because if he was, like, crying, (it was) it would be something completely different. I like this scene so much.”
Yoon added, “I agree. It’s funny to realize that, too.” “It’s really fun.”
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