In a lot of ways, Netflix show Beef explores the fallout from losing control and tipping over into rage. Case in point: In Season 2 of the anthology series, creator-writer-director Lee Sung Jin crafted a story where one couple’s no-holds-barred fight is overheard and becomes the catalyst for a comedy of errors and chaos.
Clearly, a lot of people relate to Lee’s exploration of this theme, since Beef is the most Emmy-nominated show in its category, with 16 nominations this year. So it feels story-appropriate that Netflix hosted a week-long series of health and wellness offerings called ‘Release Your Rage: Feel Your Calm’ all across LA, including everything from massage, to gua sha facials and smoothies. On the Go with Deadline joined in the relaxation at a sound bath, courtesy of Den Meditation, at the London Hotel West Hollywood, where we caught up with Lee and executive producer and star Charles Melton for a chat.
“I think we’re just constantly looking for the venn diagram of our shadows,” Lee told Deadline. “You know, we called Beef a type of Carl Jungian shadow work, which is very appropriate for this room with sound baths…”
In the show, Melton’s character Austin is along for the ride with his girlfriend Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) as they attempt to blackmail their raucously-fighting bosses Lindsay (Carey Mulligan) and Josh (Oscar Isaac) who run a chi-chi country club. Ultimately, via the story’s interwoven intrigue, everyone is forced to evolve and change.
In developing Austin’s character, Lee spent a lot of time with Melton, figuring out who he is and working his real-life attributes into the show. “I think through Austin, there’s definitely someone that it’s very people-pleasing,” Lee said. “You know, he has a heart of gold, he wants to do the right thing, but he’s constantly putting other people before himself, almost to his own detriment a lot of times. And I think we wanted to craft an arc where as an audience member, you’re like, ‘Oh, I hope this guy stands up for himself. I hope he does,’ but then when he finally does at the end, that choice hopefully feels devastating in a lot of ways.”
For Melton, embodying this shadow side and Austin’s people-pleasing wasn’t always easy. “I would be frustrated with Sonny sometimes, but in like the best of ways because Austin was such a vulnerable experience for me.”
In fact, Melton was so deeply in character that he felt personally defensive of Austin. “I always thought everyone was laughing at Austin,” he said. “I still feel some type of way about Austin.”
Lee observed Melton’s defensive feelings for Austin in action, he said. “He was really locked in to the point where he would make crew break from laughing, and instead of being proud of that, he would get hurt because he was really locked in as Austin. He felt, why are all the jokes at Austin’s expense? But it was really interesting to see during the shoot where there was really no separation, and so any emotional wounds that Austin took on set, even after you yell cut, Charles was absorbing that as well.”
To watch the interview, click on the video above.
