In a recent meeting with Sports Chosun, Lee Jung-jae commented, “Audience reaction can vary depending on the type of performance an actor gives, and that’s something the actor has to endure.”
The Netflix original series “Squid Game,” released in September 2021, has gained global popularity, creating a huge cultural phenomenon. The long-awaited season 2, returning after three years, continues the story of Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) seeking revenge and participating in deadly games again, facing Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and diving into a new chapter of the brutal competition. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk also returned for this season.
The second season, however, received significant criticism during the casting process due to the inclusion of T.O.P. (Choi Seung-hyun), who was involved in a drug scandal. Despite the controversy, the discussions have not died down, especially regarding his interpretation. T.O.P, who played the role of “drug addict rapper” Thanos, received harsh criticism for his acting.
In response, Lee Jung-jae stated: “He worked hard on set. The director carefully directed all the actors. Since the director is also a creator and a writer, he explained that he wrote the script with a certain emotion in mind. We have discussed this with Choi Seung-hyun many times.” He added, “Audience reaction is inevitable depending on the type of acting the actor delivers. For me it’s the same. It’s something an actor has to endure.
“Squid Game 2” features not only the return of stars such as Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo and Wi Ha-joon, but also a host of new faces, including Im Si-wan, Jo Yu-ri , Yang Dong -geun, Kang Ae-sim, Park Kyu-young and Kang Ha-neul. When asked about the most impressive actor during filming, Lee Jung-jae said: “Everyone was impressive. It seemed like all the great Korean actors were gathered together. Being a good actor requires careful observation of the performances of others.” He added, “All the actors observed each other and adapted their performances, creating a perfect balance on the set.”
Lee Jung-jae also talked about his reunion with Lee Byung-hun, “I never had many opportunities to work with him, so I wondered why we didn’t act together before. We met briefly in the first season, but in the second season I was happy to be able to work closely with him. We often met on set and shared many stories, and it was a pleasure to watch him work.”
As for Gong Yoo, who played the role of Ddakji Man, Lee Jung-jae revealed, “I didn’t know Gong Yoo had such squinty eyes, but he made great use of them. He is such a good actor that his energy exploded on set. Gong Yoo acted freely and I had to match his energy. I spent a lot of time thinking about how to match the tone during rehearsals.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s “Squid Game 2” was released on December 26, and season 3 is expected to be released in 2025.
