Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae Reveals Hollywood's Surprising Reaction to His Performance

Squid Game is one of the biggest shows in the world! So, how has Tinseltown responded to the Netflix hit? Star Lee Jung-jae's answer may surprise you.

By Alyssa Ray Oct 12, 2021 12:27 AMTags
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With Squid Game well on its way to breaking streaming records at Netflix, we feel that Hollywood should be calling up the show's star Lee Jung-jae faster than you can say "Red Light, Green Light." Yet, as the Squid Game leading man revealed in an interview with Variety, no offers have come his way amid the show's success.

"No proposals or requests have come my way," he said in an interview from Oct. 11. "But, if the right one came along, I'd be happy to be in an overseas production. It could be fun."

For those who need a refresher, in the survival drama, Lee plays Seong Gi-hun, a divorced dad with a severe gambling addiction and a tendency to be self-involved. He's then presented an opportunity to compete in a mysterious game, which could settle his ever-growing debt.

The only catch? The participants who fail to successfully complete each round will be eliminated—for good.

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Throughout this harrowing experience, viewers watch as Gi-hun grows into a respectable and empathetic man. And this flawed yet likeable portrayal is all thanks to Lee, who apparently predicted the series would reach audiences beyond his home country.

"I didn't expect this kind of success at all when I first boarded Squid Game as a project," he added. "But when I read the script, I understood that it contained elements that could resonate with everyone and work outside of Korea."

It's more than resonated with audiences, as Squid Game is set to be the streamer's "biggest non-English-language show" worldwide, per Ted Sarandos, Netflix's co-chief executive officer and chief content officer.

So, it's actually mind-boggling that Hollywood isn't fighting over Lee as we speak! Still, Lee is unbothered by Hollywood's underwhelming reaction—though it likely helps that he has a well-established career in South Korea.

"Nothing much has changed for me as an actor," he said about himself during Squid Game's ongoing success. "But Gi-hun's character changes a lot over the course of the show. It has a large spectrum, which any actor would want to try out at least once in his career. This was possibly the first time I've played a character with such a range."

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We hope Hollywood comes to their senses and books Lee in something ASAP, because we'd watch him in just about anything.

Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix.

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