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Squid Game was a massive surprise hit for Netflix, becoming the network's most-watched series. The survival drama pit participants drowning in financial debt against each other for a significant cash prize. Throughout the series, viewers fell in love with Squid Game's rich cast of characters including Seong Gi-hun, Kang Sae-byeok, and the Front Man. From cast to crew, everything came together perfectly to produce one of the most engaging television series in recent history.
Following the critically-acclaimed film, Parasite, Squid Game was another South Korean production that explored capitalism, economic struggle, and class divide. The death count in Squid Game was very high, with viewers forced to say goodbye to some of their favorite characters. But while the characters may be dead, the actors that portrayed them are not. Here are some interesting facts about the cast of Squid Game.
9 Jung Ho-yeon is in a Music Video with The Weeknd and Jim Carrey
The Weeknd has become one of the most popular artists in modern times. In 2022, he released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, which included the single, "Out of Time." To promote the song, a music video was released that featured Squid Game's Jung Ho-yeon. Her character enjoyed a night of karaoke, singing, drinking, and dancing with The Weeknd. The music video paid homage to Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation and even featured Jim Carrey at the very end.
8 The Director Always Knew Who He Wanted for Gi-hun and Sang-woo
Creator of Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk, always had in mind the actors he wanted to play the game's finalists. Lee Jung-jae was very famous but was concerned with only being offered villainous roles. He got his wish when Hwang Dong-hyuk offered him the role of Gi-hun, who was more a representation of the everyman. Park Hae-soo was cast as Gi-hun's friend, Sang-woo, and did a phenomenal job. Hwang Dong-hyuk knew the right actors who could do his characters justice and bring them to life.
7 Anupam Tripathi Originally Moved From India to Korea to Study Acting
Ali Abdul quickly became one of the most beloved characters in Squid Game. Without Ali, Gi-hun would have died in the very first episode. While the fictional character of Ali moved to South Korea from Pakistan, actor Anupam Tripathi was from India. Tripathi moved to attend the Korea National University of Arts on an Arts Major Asian scholarship. In a report from Variety, it was revealed that Tripathi quickly learned Korean and mastered it within two years. Before landing his role in Squid Game, Tripathi took on minor unnamed roles in several films and television series.
6 Lee Yoo-mi Also Appeared in Netflix’s All of Us Are Dead
The sixth episode of Squid Game, "Gganbu," was full of heartbreaking emotional moments. During the game of Marbles, Sae-byeok was paired with Ji-yeong. But instead of competing against Sae-byeok, Ji-yeong intentionally lost the game so that Sae-byeok could survive. It was unfortunate that that was the last viewers got to see of actress Lee Yoo-mi. But she was also part of another popular and bingeworthy Netflix series in All of Us Are Dead.
5 Gong Yoo Played the Main Character in Train to Busan
Before Gi-hun became a contestant in Squid Game, he was first approached by a well-dressed man in a subway station. The man was a recruiter for the games, and repeatedly slapped Gi-hun in the face while playing the Korean game of Ddakji. Fans recognized the actor, Gong Yoo, from the hit zombie movie, Train to Busan. Gong Yoo was the main character who protected his daughter, just long enough for her to reach safety.
4 The Front Man Actor Lee Byung-hun is a Long-Time Friend of Lee Jung-jae
In South Korea, Lee Byung-hun has been a very famous actor for many years. The actor who played the Front Man has appeared in films such as The Good, the Bad, the Weird and A Bittersweet Life. But in Hollywood, Lee Byung-hun was part of The Magnificent Seven, Red 2, Terminator: Genisys, and Paramount's G.I. Joe films. Although Gi-hun and the Front Man were enemies in Squid Game, the actors that portrayed them were actually long-time friends in real life.
3 Wi Ha-joon’s Character Originally Wasn’t Part of the Script
Wi Ha-joon played Hwang Jun-ho, the police detective that disguised himself and infiltrated the 33rd Squid Game. He was a very important character, but he was not part of the original script. It was only until after Squid Game began being developed as a series instead of a film that Hwang Jun-ho was eventually added. Although the detective subplot explored the world of Squid Game from a different angle, Hwang Jun-ho was kept away from the other main characters. The meeting behind Gi-hun and Hwang Jun-ho is likely to occur during the second season.
2 Jung Ho-yeon is Louis Vuitton’s Global Ambassador
Jung Ho-yeon was a model before she was an actress. Becoming a model in 2010, Ho-yeon participated in Seoul Fashion Week and competed in the fourth season of Korea's Next Top Model. She was already an exclusive model for Louis Vutton in 2016, but became a Global House Ambassador for them in 2021. Ho-yeon has also partnered with Adidas and in February 2022, became the first Korean cover star for Vogue Magazine.
1 Ali, Il-nam, and Sae-byeok Were Roles the Creator Wanted to Be Played By Lesser-Known Actors
The incredible success of Squid Game has brought lots of attention to all of its stars. Before it became Netflix's most-watched show, Anupam Tripathi and Jung Ho-yeon did not have any major acting credits to their names. O Yeong-su on the other hand, was cast as Player 001 after appearing in over 200 stage productions. He often played monks and other minor characters, but was never a very famous actor in Korea prior to Squid Game's release. Hwang Dong-hyuk told Netflix Korea that he wanted actors who were not necessarily in the public spotlight.