EUGENE Lee Yang is one of four creators of the Try Guys who built their platform through their comedic reviews and popular content.
The Try Guys group began in 2014.
Who is The Try Guys star Eugene Lee Yang?
Eugene Lee Yang is a filmmaker, actor, author, director, producer, and activist.
He co-founded the popular vlog-style YouTube channel Try Guys in 2014 with Ned Fulmer, Keith Habersberger, and Zach Kornfeld.
They released comedic reviews related to tests they conducted, such as testing their sperm count, learning karate, raising toddlers, shaving their legs, and wearing crop tops.
Their reviews led to the authoring of several books and a Food Network TV series.
Yang has used his platform to speak out on racial intolerance and LGBTQ+ issues, and in 2021, he released his documentary, We Need to Talk About Anti-Asian Hate.
The documentary raised $600k for the Stop Asian Hate campaign on GoFundMe.
Yang has also worked to be happy with himself and feel comfortable in his own skin.
He came out during Pride Month in 2019, using an original music video to send a message.
“I created this music video as my personal way of coming out as a proud gay man who has many unheard, specific stories to tell,” Yang wrote in a Twitter post when he shared the video.
He added: “I withheld because of fear and shame shaped by my background but I promise to give my full truth in the rest of my life’s work.”
In an interview with The Collegian, Yang said coming out was a great experience for him.
“I would say the coming out video was pretty special,” Yang said.
“It was both a return to what I naturally do as a filmmaker and also just a weird moment in my life where I was in a rare space where I felt safe and secure in my identity.”
When did Eugene Lee Yang leave The Try Guys?
On May 22, 2024, Rolling Stones revealed that Eugene Lee Yang will be leaving The Try Guys after the upcoming season of content.
He will pursue other creative endeavors, but the group will keep going as a duo.
Remaining member Zach Kornfeld told the outlet, “Part of this is bittersweet. We’re gonna miss working with Eugene.
“He has been one of the true collaborators of both of our lives. But we’ve had a long time to process this.
“So we’re very excited for him, very excited for us, and just feeling very energized by this whole moment.”
Keith Habersberger added, “Eugene leaving is something that is sort of necessary for us to keep moving forward.
“Things change. THE TRY GUYS ’ original cast already came to an end once, But now it’s sort of getting a better finite ending.”
The Try Guys previously lost a member in 2022 when Ned Fulmer was fired after having a consensual relationship with an employee.
Fulmer was let go after an internal review.
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What is his documentary We Need to Talk About Texas and how can I watch?
Yang released his new documentary, We Need to Talk About Texas, on the Try Guys YouTube channel on September 7, 2022.
The documentary features gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke.
It was Yang’s mission to prove that his home state of Texas is shying away from Republican values and his belief that it will be dubbed a blue state by the end of the decade.
“The narrative itself around places like Texas is totally off base, and I think that’s something that we need to reshape,” Yang told MySA.
“[Greg] Abbott’s administration has demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of what real Texans need and what is currently facing our state.
“Beto has shown that his views and his plans, and how willing he is and ready to go after change aggressively, is something that I think is a shining light for a lot of the current problems that plagued the state.”
Included in Yang’s documentary is a rally he co-hosted with O’Rourke in July 2022, where he interviewed the governor hopeful about his plans to confront challenges such as the “heartbeat bill.”
Despite the documentary’s political direction, Yang told the outlet he did not view it as a political push but rather as “basic education” for those who think Texas isn’t moving toward progress.
“I think that education is so important,” he told MySa, adding: “…The most honest way to go forward is to just tell the truth and just lay out the facts.”
He continued: “And, if the documentary can at least create a case of informative media that people can cite when they’re looking towards what is happening in Texas and what Texans want.”