Ali Wong opens up about significance of sex scenes in new Netflix series Beef

Actor denied one scene was ‘problematic’

Ali Wong has explained the significance of the sex scenes in Netflix’s new thriller Beef.

Released on the streaming service last week, Beef follows the spiralling consequences of a road rage altercation between Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau (Wong).

Minor spoilers follow for Beef – you have been warned!

Part of the series focuses on Amy’s unhappy marriage, which starts to strain as her grudge against Danny intensifies. At one point, her character is shown having an extramarital sexual encounter with an older man.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Wong opened up about the meaning of the scene.

“It’s just that Amy has a lot of shame about… When she says in the finale, ‘I don’t want anybody to see me’ – you know, so many people desperately want to be seen, and she’s like, ‘Oh, no, I really don’t want people to see me’,” said the actor and comedian.

“That’s one of those things that she doesn’t want people to see, you know? She’s done something she wouldn’t even tell a best friend, and probably wouldn’t write even in a journal because she’d be too scared of someone reading it and finding out. That’s why she has the blanket over her head.”

Steven Yeun in ‘Beef’ (ANDREW COOPER/NETFLIX)

Wong continued: “She’s hiding. Even in her wardrobe – Amy would never wear something like this. Her wearing all of those creams and neutrals and whites, she’s hiding. That’s all part of it.”

In another of the series’ most talked-about scenes, Amy is seen masturbating using a gun.

Speaking about the scene, Wong claimed: “I wouldn’t even call it problematic. I would just say it is what it is. But for her, she doesn’t feel comfortable with anybody seeing it, you know?”

In the days since its release, Beef has earned a near-perfect score on the reivew aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Beef is available to stream now on Netflix.