‘Minari’ star Yuh-Jung Youn says she did not plan an Oscars victory speech

Yuh-Jung Youn, who touched hearts with her performance as the mischievous grandma in the immigrant story “Minari,” said Sunday on the Oscars red carpet that she had no speech prepared for a victory in the Best Supporting Actress category.

“There’s no way to get a win over Glenn Close,” Youn told ABC news, referencing another nominee as she explained her lack of prepared remarks.

Youn, 73, is viewed as the frontrunner to capture the award, and she won rave reviews for a brief and charming speech after she received the equivalent BAFTA honor two weeks ago. (She said the award was particularly meaningful given that British people are “very snobbish.”)

Close, 74, snagged a nomination for her role as the tough Mamaw in the country memoir-turned-film “Hillbilly Elegy.” She has been nominated for eight Academy Awards in her celebrated career, but she has never won one.

Youn is the first Korean actress to receive an Oscar nomination. The 93rd annual Academy Awards began at 8 p.m. on ABC, capping off a surreal and pandemic-marred year in cinema.

“Minari,” a story about a Korean-American beginning a new life in rural Arkansas, also earned a nomination for Best Picture.