Eugene Lee Yang

Eugene Lee Yang (born January 18, 1986) is an American filmmaker, actor, author, and internet celebrity known for his work with BuzzFeed (2013–2018) and for being a member of the YouTube group The Try Guys (2014–present).

Yang is also known for his work with various human rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy charities such as The Trevor Project.

Yang starred as a lead in Nimona, voicing Ambrosius Goldenloin.

Yang, the only son of South Korean immigrants Min-yeong Lee (이민영) and Jae-hong Yang (양재홍), was born in Waco, Texas and raised in Pflugerville, Texas.

He discovered he had some Chinese and Japanese ancestry in addition to his mostly Korean roots after taking a 23andMe DNA test.

He has two sisters.

Growing up in Pflugerville, Yang’s family was one of the few Asian Americans in their community.

He struggled with body image issues and low self-esteem as, in his own words, no one looked like him, and suffered bullying due to his appearance.

Early on, he lost his Texan accent by the prodding of his sister, who told him he might face difficulties getting into Ivy League schools.

Initially, he was skeptical going into films, explaining that his doubts on getting mainstream acceptance stemmed from the lack of representation of Asian American in films and for being queer:

"I was a very insecure, self-conscious kid, and as an artist even more so. I always assumed that my otherness was a curse – that I would be held back by my Asian and queer identities. My time online has shown me that the viewers will respond most to authentic storytelling."

At school, he engaged in artistic activities including visual arts, illustration, theater, choir, and dance.

However, a seventh-grade teacher recommended that he should consider studying filmmaking.

He later went to the University of Southern California and, during his studies, wrote and directed six short films discussing social and political topics, including mental health care, gay marriage, and school shootings.

He graduated with a B.A. in cinema production in 2008.

After college, Yang did freelance work producing music videos, and writing and filming commercials for five years.

In 2013, he started working for the video branch of the internet media company, BuzzFeed, at the recommendation of a colleague who saw his potential in creating short format videos.

He was given free control on experimental video productions and exploring new modes of storytelling.

A few of his works were centered on stereotypes, body issues, and Asian American identity, producing If Disney Princes Were Real, which had earned over 70 million views, and Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout History, which was viewed over 40 million times and remained one of the Buzzfeed's most watched, on YouTube.

According to Glamour, "Yang's videos work because they're funny-with-a-message riffs on all-American cultural touchstones—like high school vs. college, awkward private moments, and, pet ownership. But he's also not afraid to tackle issues surrounding race—especially when it comes to the Asian American community."

Reaction to some of his early works was positive particularly on their distinct candor and reliability, which led to more provocative sketches such as The Try Guys, which was established in Buzzfeed in 2014, together with co-stars Ned Fulmer (former Try Guy), Keith Habersberger, and Zach Kornfeld.

The show is a mix of social commentary and humor depicting scenarios such as men going through labor pains and prostate cancer check at a doctor's office.

The cast initially were hesitant about stepping out from behind the camera as they had limited experience being talents, but they continued producing videos for the show after receiving positive feedback.

Yang became a recognized name on social media, taking on challenges, such as the first season's first episode, "Guys Try Ladies' Underwear For the First Time".

The New York Times considered him as the breakout star of The Try Guys.

On June 16, 2018, he and the rest of the cast of The Try Guys announced that they had left BuzzFeed and established 2nd Try LLC, a company that they own and manage.

The 2nd Try LLC gained all rights to The Try Guys brand.

Yang was the first of The Try Guys to leave Buzzfeed, as his contract was up before the other Try Guys.

On May 4, 2019, The Try Guys announced that they were publishing a book called The Hidden Power of F*cking Up, which was published June 18, 2019, and became a New York Times Best Seller.

In the same video, The Try Guys also announced their tour which took on a "'80s rock-band theme" and their podcast which is called the "Try-Pod".

In 2019, Yang made a guest appearance on NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, portraying Theo Lorql.

In 2023, he starred in the animated Netflix film Nimona as Ambrosius Goldenloin.

Yang has announced that his YA fiction writing debut will be a two-part queer fantasy epic called The Unders, with the first book scheduled to release in spring 2024.

Yang advocates for equality, representation and diversity in his projects, tackling racial issues surrounding Asian American identity and the lack of interest in casting Asian American men as audiences are exposed to desexualized secondary roles or comedic sidekicks.

The Buzzfeed video parody, Awkward Moments Only Asians Understand, in which he starred, listed a slew of racial stereotypes and daily microaggressions.

Marcie Bianco wrote in her critique, "The microaggressions detailed in this BuzzFeed video don't have to do with the size of the Asian population, but rather highlight how stereotypes are perpetuated by generalizations. Perhaps sometimes useful shorthand, these generalizations turn into ugly and limiting stereotypes that foreclose the possibility of people knowing each other as individuals."

In October 2020, the Try Guys endorsed Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.

In September 2022, Try Guys co-star Ned Fulmer was caught in a cheating scandal with Try Guys employee Alexandria Herring.

The Try Guys soon announced that Ned was no longer working for them.

The Try Guys released a video on October 3 discussing the situation.