Jean Yoon

Jean Yoon (born May 4, 1962) is an American-born Canadian actress and writer of Korean descent. She is best known for originating the role of family matriarch Umma in the 2011 play Kim's Convenience, which was later adapted into an award-winning CBC Television series. Yoon has won an ACTRA Award for her performance in the series and has received two Canadian Screen Award nominations. Born in Champaign, Illinois to parents of Korean descent, she was raised in Toronto, where she currently resides and works. Yoon began her career in theatre in the early 1980s, took a break to complete her degree at the University of Toronto, and then returned to acting in 1995. She has also written and produced plays that explore the Korean diaspora.