Beef creator thanks real-life road rage driver in Golden Globes speech

When life gives you lemons… make Beef.

A real-life incident of road rage led Lee Sung Jin to create one of Netflix’s buzziest shows of the year — and he thanked his roadside antagonist in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.

“You know, our show is actually based on a real road rage incident that actually happened to me, so I’d be remiss not to thank that driver,” Lee said as he accepted the award for Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television. “Sir, I hope you honk and yell and inspire others for years to come.”

The show’s creator and showrunner went on to thank his cast, crew, and family. “I love you, thank you so much.”

After finishing his speech, Lee went into further detail about the real-life road rage that inspired the show. "There was one moment where I was like 'I’m gonna follow you.' It was very anti-climatic, didn’t last long, but it did lead to this, so [it] feels pretty great."

The showrunner also reacted to Ali Wong and Steven Yeun's wins in Best Actress and Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television, as both were the first Asian American winners in their respective categories. "That’s amazing. Steven and Ali are at the top of their games," he said. "To see them be the first ones... I don’t think there’s anyone more deserving."

Lee also teased further installments of the series. "We always pitched the season to buyers as an anthology series. It was always going to be new beef, new characters. But whether it stays limited or turns into turns into an anthology... that’s really up to Netflix. But whatever they decide, I’m ready, and feel very fortunate to be a writer."

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