“It’s also up to me whether or not I want to make a statement about it…”
Even before Squid game The second season premiered, there was talk of casting for the first BIG BANG member SUPERIOR and as one of the most influential cast members, as an actor Lee Jung Jaeit may have had something to do with the idol’s return to the acting scene.
Actor Lee Jung Jae’s Agency Responds to Allegations That He ‘Helped’ TOP Get ‘Squid Game 2’ Cast
After the second season was revealed and TOP’s acting was considered poor by some viewers, speculation about who pulled the strings to win over the controversial idol, his role as a drug-addled rapper continued to grow and grow.
Given his friendship with TOP found while working on the 2009 K-Drama Iris together, actor Lee Byung Hun it was also assumed to be an idol connection – and suspicion grew uncontrollably when the actor did not comment on the matter.
As of January 8, 2025 (KST), however, Lee Byung Hun has officially denied the allegations in a press interview. While there may have been a subtle hint that he might be asked if he could work with TOP in terms of his personal relationship with the idol, Lee made it clear that he had no involvement with the casting and that any involvement would be “crossing borders”.
I didn’t do anything like recommend (someone) or anything like that. But it’s also up to me whether or not I want to make a statement about it. In general, I’ve never been one to express my opinions just because I have them. As far as casting goes, I believe that as an actor who has worked in the industry for over 30 years, it’s crossing the line for an actor to talk about casting decisions.
Of course, there are times when a director asks, “I’m considering such and such for this role as your co-star, what do you think?” But that’s not really asking for an evaluation of that person’s acting skills. It’s more about whether there might be underlying personal issues between cast members as they have to work closely together during the show. This is the scope. For an actor to suggest to a director something like, “I think this person is right for this role” would be overstepping the boundaries.
—Lee Byung Hun
In the meantime, director Hwang Dong Hyuk he also chose to address the complaints on TOP as Thanos. Read more here:
‘Squid Game’ Director Responds to TOP Casting Complaints
