After spending seven years as Glenn on The Walking Dead, actor Steven Yeun went to visit Conan O’Brien to discuss his Season 7 premier death scene. During their brief interview, Conan asks, “What are you gonna do next?”
Revealing that Steven Yeun’s new job involves standing in for Conan at rehearsal, Yuen and Conan discuss the new career before they cut to a recording of the actor playing his version of Conan.
Ripping on Conan, Steven Yeun’s new job involves replicating Conan, where he says, “Talking to you… Listening… Work, Work, Work… Joke… Interview… Band… Cut-to… See, it’s easy!” He then struggles to Conan-ify his hair, where he settles for an orange wig. His rehearsal guest turns out to be Michael Cudlitz, better known as Abraham Ford.
Steven Yuen on Conan | Photo Credit TBSSteven Yeun’s Rise to Fame
In all seriousness, Yeun later discusses how much the show has truly helped his career. Conan brings up the fame factor, where Yeun replies, “I’ve learned to navigate it better lately, but earlier on, I didn’t know what was happening.”
“Early on,” he continues. “The worst thing that ever happened to me was the colonoscopy incident.” Conan replies, “That’s the most chilling sentence I’ve heard… when Yuen takes a break, recalling the incident.
“My brother had some things and he was totally fine, but they said that I should get checked out, too” recalls Yeun. “So I’m sitting with the doctor. He tells me that I’m young for this [procedure] but says I’ll be alright and then asks, ‘So what do you do?’ to try and calm me down.”
Yeun reveals that he is an actor and through further questioning, reveals that is on a show called The Walking Dead. The doctor replies, “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t watch it.” Yeun replies, “Ok, cool — this is going to go great.”
Yuen prepares for the procedures, with IV and proper positioning, where he mentions that there is also an Assistant in the room. “There is a Tech behind me, who has not seen me yet. He tells me that I’m going to feel something cold.”
To calm down the actor, the doctor makes conversation by asking him again what show he is on. When Yeun reveals The Walking Dead this time, the tech jumps to say,”Oh! I love The Walking Dead!” where he then leans over Yeun, who is embarrassed to say the least. “I could feel the moment of recognition…internally,” concludes the actor.
Steven Yuen on Conan | Photo Credit TBSGlenn’s Death and Steven Yeun’s New Job
Later in the interview, Conan holds up the newest copy of Entertainment, where Yeun is on the cover, beneath a caption that reads, “Dead Glenn Walking.” Conan brings up the “explosion of grief on social media” in regards to the character’s death. “I feel dead in real life,” replies Yeun.
Conan then brings up the emotional moment of Yeun’s final scenes this season, where the actor replies, “It was pretty bad—watching all of your friends cry and go through it… I got to bug-my-eye-out, so that was pretty cool, though.” Conan smiles, allowing for the moment to pass.
