It seems Korean star Park Sung-hoon took Squid Game’s tagline “Let nothing hold you back” to heart when he opted to sign up for the current Season 2. In the hit series, Park plays a prominent character named Cho Hyun-ju, a transgender woman with a military background who enters the games hoping to secure winnings to complete her gender-affirming surgery.
Initially, there was controversy at casting, leading creator Hwang Dong-hyuk to give a public explanation regarding why Park, a cisgender man, was given the role, telling TV Guide it was “near impossible” to find an openly gay or trans actor in South Korea due to the country’s more conservative nature. Understanding the pressures of accepting the role, Park remained receptive and vigilant in capturing an authentic portrayal of someone from that community. “I was very surprised and honored that Director Hwang cast me for the role of Hyun-ju. I thought it would be a great new challenge for me to take on as an actor,” Park said. “I really wanted to focus on the fact that I did not want to make a mockery of the character. I went into focusing on understanding the way she treats other people, and what kind of person she is and her attitude towards everything.”
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In the month since Squid Game Season 2 was released, it has become Netflix’s third-most-watched season in the platform’s history. Despite the initial wave of dissension, Hyun-ju has championed herself as a fan favorite on social media due to her cunning, bravery, wit and relatability.
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Below, Park spoke with Deadline about the controversy, making a found family with his co-stars and the creative challenges that came with playing Player 120.
DEADLINE: Director Hwang calls to tell you about this role where you get to play this badass, complex character who’s also transitioning into a woman. Were there any doubts about how this role could change your image in the industry? And how did you end up working through that with him?
PARK SUNG-HOON: No, I don’t think I had any concerns about my image in the entertainment industry. I was very surprised and honored that Director Hwang cast me for the role of Hyun-ju, and I thought it would be a great new challenge for me to take on as an actor. Being a cisgender man having to portray this transgender woman that is Hyun-ju, there were certain things that I had to think about because of that aspect. But I really wanted to focus on the fact that I did not want to make a mockery of the character, and I went into it focusing on understanding the way she treats other people, what kind of person she is and her attitude towards everything.
DEADLINE: Despite the initial backlash online when the casting announcement came, your character has been received positively on social media. Does it feel like a giant weight that has been lifted off your chest?
PARK: Yes, of course. So many of you out there love Hyun-ju so much. I’m just filled with a lot of gratitude. Compared to other players, Hyun-ju thinks of other people and is also altruistic and fierce. I think all of those things are why people love her so much. Honestly, while I was preparing for the role and going into it, I expected people to show a lot of love for Hyun-ju. But I think the response has been even greater than I ever expected. So, as someone who portrayed this wonderful character, I feel very proud.
DEADLINE: Hyun-ju is a very nuanced character. She risks her life to save others but also votes to stay in the games. Was she justified? How do you view her?
PARK: I would say that because Hyun-ju hasn’t completed her gender affirmation surgery yet, she is voting yes because she wants to achieve that dream of hers, where she wants to complete her affirmation. She needs the money to do that, and then she wants to buy a small house in Thailand and live there. So, I would say that that’s what drives her in terms of those actions.
DEADLINE: Was there a scene that you initially thought wouldn’t work while filming but resonated more than you thought it would after completion?
PARK: Team Hyun-ju, the five of them talk about how they will all vote no and then get out of there and have a nice meal together. But after they say that, Hyun-ju goes up and she votes to stay. Then she comes back, and there’s that monologue where she explains to Geum-ja why she chose to stay. That particular scene is very layered and nuanced. So, going into it and preparing for the scenes, I was quite concerned about portraying that. However, Director Hwang gave me very detailed directions as to how he would like that scene to come off, and thankfully, we were able to pull it off.
DEADLINE: What were your favorite and most challenging scenes to film?
PARK: My favorite scene would be when, after many moments, Hyun-ju and Young-mi become closer to one another and form solidarity when Young-mi says to her, “You’re beautiful, too, unnie.” I really love that moment. For the most challenging aspect, I’ve played a lot of villains in the past. However, Hyun-ju is someone who is good at heart, and she has a sweet proposition. When she goes into the rebellion to save people who are there with her and also save people who might end up becoming future participants of the game, she has no choice but to kill Pink soldiers. And even though she may come off as someone who’s very bold, tough and fierce, inside, I felt a lot of guilt in portraying those scenes. It made me quite uncomfortable having to film those scenes.
DEADLINE: Talk about that battle scene. What do you think is going through Hyun-ju’s head when she sees Dae-ho, who has completely succumbed to his PTSD and couldn’t hand over the clips? She had to handle the mission herself. Is she going to beat him up in Season 3?
PARK: Well, Hyun-ju does beat up the shaman lady, Seon-nyeo, at one time by slapping her. [Kang] Ha-neul (who plays Dae-ho) and I were joking about how, when Hyun-ju finds Ha-neul, she should definitely slap him [laughs]. But that was a joke between us. Honestly, though, I think probably the first thing that went through Hyun-ju’s mind at that moment was that she has to carry the magazines back to those waiting ASAP.
DEADLINE: Geum-ja stops Hyun-ju from going out in a blaze of glory. Was that the right decision for that character to make? What’s your take on that scene?
PARK: Well, I think that at that moment, partly, it was what Geum-ja said that resonated with her. I think there is some truth to that. But also, you see so many Pink soldiers barging in at that moment. And so, I think Hyun-ju thought that it might not be realistic or feasible for her to pass through all of them just on her own.
DEADLINE: Talk more about building a relationship with your coworkers on set.
PARK: I have to say that all members of the cast of Squid Game, they’re just all such great people. They’re so wonderful, especially for Team Hyun-ju, because we share a lot of scenes together; I think we actually felt like a team. And on set, there were many cases where we would eat our meals by teams, so we spent a lot of time together. We would eat together; we would sometimes share drinks after the day was over. And so, since then, we have been quite close friends, and if someone were putting on a play, we would all go there to root for one another. So, it’s really wonderful to have that. And even outside of team Hyun-ju, characters like Myung-gi, Thanos, Se-mi, Min-su, Nam-gyu, all of us, because on Squid Game there’s long waiting hours, we would all get together, chat, have jokes, and we got to spend a lot of time getting close to each other like that.
[This interview, conducted through an interpreter, has been edited for length and clarity]