Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan joke at the premiere of the second season of ‘Beef’
What real problem do Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan have? The stars poke fun at their personal scruples in the season two premiere of ‘Beef.’
Get ready for another juicy serving of “beef.”
The Emmy-winning Netflix drama about small clashes that turn into blood feuds has returned three years after its first season. This time, instead of two strangers brutally ruining each other’s lives over road rage (played by Season 1’s Ali Wong and Steven Yeun), we have two different romantic couples clashing over social and class politics at a fancy country club. Add to that rich, callous club-goers, an enigmatic South Korean billionaire, an irresponsible plastic surgeon, and a pair of attractive homewreckers, and you’ve got a story set for the kind of embarrassing chaos that made the first round such a sensation.
The season 2 cast is led by household names Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, who play a deeply unhappy husband and wife whose semi-violent fight sets off the season’s wild series of events.
Here’s who’s who of Season 2’s star-studded team and how you know them.
Meet our unhappy couple: Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac as Lindsay and Josh
At the beginning of the second season of “Beef” we meet Josh (Isaac), the general manager of a luxurious Los Angeles country club who desperately wants the power, money and prestige of the wealthy clients he serves drinks to every night. He is married to Lindsay (Mulligan), an interior decorator who resents her husband for squandering her dreams of opening a bed and breakfast. One night at home after a fundraiser at the club, the couple discuss finances, their dreams, their sex life, and seemingly every problem they’ve ever had. It starts to get violent, with glass breaking and Josh grabbing a golf club to apparently hit Lindsay. That’s when they realize they are being watched.
Who is Carey Mulligan? The British actress has been nominated for an Oscar three times: in 2010 for “An Education”, in 2021 for “Promising Young Woman” and in 2024 for “Teacher”. She is also known for playing the iconic role of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrman’s dazzling 2013 adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.” She and Isaac have worked together before, on the Coen brothers’ 2013 folk music film “Inside Llewyn Davis.”
Who is Oscar Isaac? Isaac, a Hollywood heartthrob who has played everyone from a “Star Wars” rebel to an eccentric tech billionaire (“Ex Machina”) to the voice of Spider-Man (“Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse”), recently earned critical acclaim for Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” in which he played the mad Dr. Victor Frankenstein himself.
The young lovers of Generation Z: Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton as Ashley and Austin
Witnessing Lindsay and Josh’s violent fight are two of Josh’s country club employees: Ashley (Spaeny) and Austin (Melton), who were sent to their boss’s house to return the wallet he left at work. Ashley and Austin are young and in love, newly engaged and optimistic, but they are beginning to feel defeated by the reality of their financial future. They start to wonder how they can use the video of Josh and Lindsay fighting to their advantage.
Who is Cailee Spaeny? Spaeny’s burgeoning Hollywood career has skyrocketed in recent years, after appearing in the critically acclaimed HBO drama “Mare of Easttown” in 2021. Since then, she played Priscilla Presley opposite Jacob Elordi in the 2023 biopic “Priscilla” and appeared in major films “Civil War” (2024), “Alien: Romulus” (2024) and, most recently, the star-studded movie. “Knives Out” movie “Wake Up Dead Man” (2025). And his career is just beginning.
Who is Charles Melton? The former “Riverdale” actor has transitioned from his CW roots to major movies and TV shows in recent years. In 2019 he was the male lead in the youth drama “The Sun Is Also a Star”, but gave a clearly more mature and acclaimed performance alongside Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman in 2023’s “May Dec”. In 2025 he starred in “Warfare” alongside other future Hollywood leading men such as Kit Connor, Noah Centineo and Joseph Quinn.
Billionaire Boss and Her Surgeon Husband: Youn Yuh-jung and Song Kang-ho as President Park and Dr. Kim.
Complicating Josh, Austin and Ashley’s employment at the country club is the arrival of President Park (Youn), a South Korean billionaire who recently purchased the property and plans to make changes. She is married to Dr. Kim (Song), a famous South Korean plastic surgeon. Both figures start out on the periphery of “Beef’s” story before chaos begins to engulf them.
Who is Youn Yuh-jung?? Youn, a South Korean actress with an extensive resume in that country’s film and television industry, starred in the 2022-2024 Apple TV series “Pachinko” as well as the 2020 Oscar-winning film “Minari.” In fact, she is the one who won the Oscar, in the category of best supporting actress. She starred in Minari alongside “Beef” Season 1 star Steven Yeun.
Who is Song Kang Ho? American audiences will best recognize Song from the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019), from acclaimed director Boon Jong-ho. He has collaborated with the director on multiple occasions, including in the famous horror film “The Host” (2006) and in the popular post-apocalyptic “Snowpiercer” (2013), alongside Chris Evans.
The Country Club Elite: William Fitchner and Mikaela Hoover as Troy and Ava
Every country club has its cocky, stuck-up members, and Troy (Fitchner) and Ava (Hoover) exemplify “Beef’s” rich idiot trope. Troy acts like a friend to Josh, but sees him first and foremost as his staff. Ava also befriends Lindsay without respecting her. (Also look out for some cameos from the real-life rich and famous on the show.)
Who is William Fitchner? Fitchner, a hard-working actor you’ll recognize from a half-dozen movies and TV shows, is best known for big box office hits like “Armageddon” (1998), “Black Hawk Down” (2001) and “The Accountant” (2011). You may have seen him most recently on the CBS comedy “Mom” as Allison Janney’s love interest.
Who is Mikaela Hoover? The actress has worked steadily in Hollywood for 20 years, primarily as a guest on television shows such as “Two Broke Girls” and “Lucifer.” She appeared as a regular on the short-lived WB college drama “Sorority Forever” in 2008. But she is best known as journalist Cat Grant in 2025’s “Superman,” sporting a platinum blonde hairstyle.
The Assistant and the Tennis Pro: Seoyeon Jang and Matthew Kim as Eunice and Woosh.
It’s not just office politics that is causing tension in the club and for our main couples, but also the appearance of two attractive new faces on the tennis courts looking down on Austin and Lindsay. Eunice (Jang) is President Park’s translator and assistant, and she is not as soft-spoken or submissive as she originally appears. The aptly named Woosh (Kim) is the club’s new tennis pro, who flirts with all the women before trying to sell them skin care products and expensive laser treatments and surgeries from none other than Dr. Kim in South Korea.
Who is Seoyeon Jang? The actress has made her career primarily in Korean television, including “Butterfly” and “Hearbeat.” “Beef” is his first major role in English.
Who is Matthew Kim? Better known as BM or Big Matthew, Kim is a K-Pop star who makes his acting debut in “Beef.” He has worked with the KPop co-ed group Kard, released his own solo music, and worked as a songwriter.