He is the only Try Guy, whose parents are divorced.He suffered from chronic nose-bleeds as a child.
He is 63% Korean, 20% Japanese, and 13% Chinese.He won the first episode of The Try Guys Try To Bake.But he's also not afraid to tackle issues surrounding race-especially when it comes to the Asian American community." college, awkward private moments, and, pet ownership. According to Glamour, "Yang's videos work because they're funny-with-a-message riffs on all-American cultural touchstones-like high school vs.
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He was given free control on experimental video productions and exploring new modes of storytelling.Ī few of his works were centered on stereotypes, body issues, and Asian American identity, producing If Disney Princes Were Real, which had earned over 70 million views, and Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History, which was viewed over 40 million times and remained one of the Buzzfeed's most watched, on YouTube. In 2013, he started working for the video branch of the internet media company, BuzzFeed, at the recommendation of a colleague who saw his potential in creating short format videos. On June 15, 2019, Yang came out as gay in a video titled "I'm Gay" which he wrote, directed, and choreographed with the song "A Moment Apart" by Odesza. He later went to the University of Southern California and, during his studies, had written and directed six short films discussing wide-ranging social and political topics, including mental health care, gay marriage, and school shootings. However, a seventh-grade teacher recommended that he should consider studying filmmaking. My time online has shown me that the viewers will respond most to authentic storytelling."Īt school, he engaged in artistic activities including visual arts, illustration, theater, choir, and dance. I always assumed that my otherness was a curse - that I would be held back by my Asian and queer identities. "I was a very insecure, self-conscious kid, and as an artist even more so. Initially, he was skeptical going into films, explaining that his doubts on getting mainstream acceptance stemmed from the lack of representation of Asian American in films and for being queer. 'It's funny because he had seen each other at the gym for like a year,' McLean said.
In episode 20 of the 'TryPods,' the official 'The Try Guys' podcast, McLean revealed that he met Yang at the gym. He struggled with body image issues and low self-esteem as, in his own words, no one looked like him, and suffered bullying due to his appearance.Įarly on, he lost his Texan accent by the prodding of his sister, who told him he might face difficulties getting into Ivy League schools. Eugene Lee Yang and Matthew McLean started living together six years before their announcement (via 'TryPods').
Growing up in Pflugerville, Yang's family was one of the few Asian Americans in their community. He is the middle child of two sisters, Christy and Whitney. He was born and raised in Pflugerville, Texas. Eugene is the only son of Korean immigrants Min-Young and Jae Yang.