After cutting his teeth on Dave, 2 Broke Girls, and Tuca & Bertie, Lee Sung Jin created Beef, taking our rage and ragebait-filled times to the absolute, surreal extreme. This month, the show returns with help from Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, and Charles Melton.
Name an influence of yours that might surprise people.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That was my first writing job. My first exposure to acting, writing, directing, showrunning, all of it. And on that show, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton do all of the above. I learned so much from them, and honestly, if you take either season of Beef, the episodes are just Always Sunny episodes, modulated for tone.
What are you looking forward to this year?
My daughter learning to talk. She was born quite literally in the middle of shooting Beef. I was directing Oscar Isaac in a scene, and I got the call that it was time. I high-fived everyone and jetted out of there. Finishing the show has taken much of my time away from my daughter, and I am very much looking forward to spending more time with her this year.
What’s one work of art that got you through an important moment in your life?
Jon Hopkins’s album Immunity. I had to really wrestle with myself and existence and just general mental health stuff around the time that album came out, and it somehow always brings me back to my core. Thank you, Jon Hopkins.
What’s been the hardest part of your career so far?
Finding a work-life balance. But I’m learning to accept that it’s not about the perfect percentage. I may never even find the perfect balance at all. I’m learning that maybe it’s just about the act of finding. The search. The journey. Just trying to enjoy the bumpy ride to equilibrium.
What keeps you up at night?
My 16 year old beagle. His name is Bugsy. I’ve had him since he was 7 weeks old. While making season two of Beef, he suffered a stroke, multiple seizures, kidney disease, arthritis, and anaphylactic shock due to an unnecessary vaccine… and yet, with an amazing group of doctors, rehab, an incredible caretaker named Nora, and tireless support from everyone who loves him, he’s doing really well. His kidney levels have improved. He can walk again. Sometimes he even runs if you’ve got a treat he really wants. It comes at the cost of interrupted sleep every few hours, but seeing him smile after a satisfying meal makes it all worth it.
What’s something people get wrong about you?
That I read books. I think because of the literary references in my work, people assume I am really well-read. I used to be, but my career has sadly swallowed up any and all free time, to the extent that I haven’t read a book in over six years. Thankfully, several writers in the Beef writers room are very well-read.
What question do you ask yourself most often while you’re making work?
“What is the point of this?” Whether it’s a line of dialogue, a piece of set dec, or just life in general, I think it’s always helpful to clarify the intention behind something.
What would you wear to meet your greatest enemy?
All black ’cause I’d be hiding in the shadows to watch this enemy slowly realize that I’m not showing up.
To read more from the 2026 CULT100 honorees, see the full list here.
in your life?
