Lee Sung Jin landed one of the most sought-after actors of the moment with nothing more than a dinner reservation and a well-timed pitch. The «Beef» creator and showrunner revealed that he convinced Charles Melton to join the Netflix anthology's second season during a meal together, recalling that «by the third appetizer he said yes.»
The anecdote surfaced at Gold House's third annual One House Toast to the Emmys, an event celebrating Asian Pacific and multicultural creatives in entertainment. Lee was the evening's central honoree, with the gathering arriving on the heels of a remarkable awards season for «Beef.»
The show's second season earned 16 Emmy nominations, the most of any limited or anthology series this year. That total places the genre-bending Netflix production at the front of the limited-series field heading into television's biggest night, and it cements Lee's standing as one of the most influential showrunners working in streaming today.
Melton's casting represents a notable coup for the anthology, which builds each season around a new story and a new ensemble. The actor became one of Hollywood's most in-demand talents following his acclaimed supporting turn in Todd Haynes's «May December,» a performance that generated widespread awards conversation and turned him into a favorite for prestige projects across film and television.
According to Lee's account, the recruitment effort unfolded in the most informal of settings. Rather than a formal studio meeting or a series of auditions, the pitch played out across a shared meal, with the creator making his case course by course until Melton committed before the appetizers were finished. The detail has circulated quickly among industry observers as an example of how personal relationships and direct conversation can still close deals in an era dominated by packaging agents and streaming algorithms.
Gold House, the nonprofit collective that organized the toast, has spent recent years building a prominent presence during awards season, using its platform to spotlight Asian Pacific creatives and their collaborators across film, television and music. The One House Toast has become a fixture on the pre-Emmys calendar, drawing showrunners, executives and performers for an evening that mixes celebration with networking ahead of the ceremony.
For «Beef,» the 16 nominations extend a run that began with the show's first season, which swept major categories and established the series as a critical and commercial force for Netflix. The anthology format allows each installment to reset its cast and story, meaning the second season's performance at the Emmys will shape how the streamer positions the franchise going forward.
Lee's remarks also underline the collaborative nature of assembling a prestige ensemble. Landing a performer of Melton's profile requires more than a strong script; it depends on a creator's ability to communicate a vision in person. In this case, that vision was delivered over dinner, and the answer came before the main course.
With the Emmys approaching, attention now turns to whether the nominations translate into trophies and whether the second season's momentum will influence the anthology's future. For Lee, the evening offered a chance to celebrate both the show's success and the relationships that made it possible, including one sealed over a table of appetizers.