Jean Yoon

Jean Yoon (; born May 4, 1962) is an American and Canadian actress and writer. An actress of Korean descent, Yoon is best known for originating the role of family matriarch Umma in the 2011 play Kim's Convenience and in the award-winning CBC Television series adapted from the play, for which she won an ACTRA Award and received two Canadian Screen Award nominations. ). In 2006, Yoon achieved wider recognition after playing flight attendant Betty Ong in the controversial mini-series The Path to 9/11. Also in 2006, Yoon had a recurring role as June Kim in the legal drama series This Is Wonderland.

In 2007, Yoon received a Gemini Award nomination for her work in the CBC mini-series Dragon Boys. In 2009, she portrayed Dr. Montague in the hit romantic comedy film The Time Traveller's Wife, based on the novel of the same name.

2010s–present: Further success in television Throughout the 2010s, Yoon has played a wide array of characters in several television programs, most notably Imena Khumalo in the medical drama series Remedy (2014–2015), Connie in the animated series Peg+Cat (2013–2016), Captain Theresa Yao in the science fiction series The Expanse (2015), and Janis Beckwith in the hit BBC-Space series Orphan Black. She also portrayed the same role in the 2011 play, which she originated and performed over 240 times in six cities.

For her role in the television series, she has received considerable attention and has publicly discussed the importance of diversity in mainstream media, specifically for Asian Canadians and immigrants. Yoon played the role for the show's entire five-season run.

Other work Yoon is also a writer and playwright. She has written several plays, poems, and essays, including The Yoko Ono Project, a multi-media performance art comedy about Ono, her art, and her impact, which earned a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination and a Jessie Richardson Award.

In December 2022, Yoon and retired South Korean competitive figure skater Yuna Kim were designated honorary ambassadors on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Canada and South Korea in 2023.

At the 14th Canadian Screen Awards in 2026, Yoon won the award for Best Supporting Performance in a Web Program or Series, for her role as Harriet in 18 to 35.

Filmography

Film

Television

Personal life Yoon has a son; in a 2017 interview with NOW Magazine, she described herself as a "mom who acts."