(Following [Interview①]) After the global hit of ‘Squid Game’ Season 1, No Jae-won joined from Season 2 after being selected through an audition.
“I didn’t audition specifically for the role of ‘Nam-kyu’; there was a common script and dialogue. I didn’t have high expectations, but I thought, ‘If I do get it, it might just be a minor role among the 456 people.’ I didn’t expect to get such a good role.”
No Jae-won then received a script with the name Nam-kyu on it. He recalled feeling overjoyed upon hearing the news of his success, but also overwhelmed with worry, thinking, “How nervous and burdened will acting be? How should I prepare to overcome this?”
In the series, Nam-kyu bullies the weak and even resorts to murder. No Jae-won, who initially found it hard to relate to playing a cruel character, said, “I thought of it as kids playing around.”
“Acting is about doing things you wouldn’t normally do. I thought, ‘Nam-kyu could shine here,’ and I acted with that special keyword in mind.”
To portray a drug addict, he watched many other works but didn’t use any specific work or character as a reference. He explained, “I didn’t want to imitate anything; I focused on expressing various sensations like hangovers and dizziness.”
Nam-kyu ultimately meets his end during the jump rope game due to drug addiction. In response to comments that his villain's end was somewhat lacking, No Jae-won said, “He dies because of drugs, and since Nam-kyu has a role to play in the story, I acted in a way that I found completely understandable and satisfying.”
He particularly noted that if Nam-kyu had won and taken home 4.56 billion won, it would have led to a great tragedy, saying, “I think Nam-kyu would have used that money for drugs. If he received 4.56 billion won with that mindset, he wouldn’t have been able to live rationally.”
‘Squid Game’ is the work that brought the biggest change in No Jae-won’s life. He candidly shared that he felt a sense of emptiness after the final shoot, wondering, “When will I ever experience something like this again in my life?”
When asked what he thinks brought the biggest change, No Jae-won mentioned his ‘family group chat’.
“My father watched all my works, and the one he enjoyed the most was ‘Squid Game.’ In the group chat, he commented, ‘Director Hwang Dong-hyuk is the Korean Steven Spielberg,’ ‘Your acting was outstanding,’ and ‘I’m worried that Nam-kyu, number 124, might be inside you.’ I think my father being proud of my acting is the biggest change in my life.”
No Jae-won has appeared in many Netflix works, including ‘All of Us Are Dead 2’, ‘D.P. Season 2’, ‘The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die’, and ‘Morning Comes to Psychiatric Wards’, becoming one of the actors with the title of ‘Son of Netflix’. Recently, Netflix even created and released a highlight video showcasing his performances on their official YouTube channel.
“It was really amazing. I want to thank whoever made it. However, these days, while it’s nice to be recognized and to hear many people say ‘You’re doing well,’ I also feel anxious when my heart gets too excited. I find myself reflecting and thinking a lot about how I should grow as an actor in the future.”
Still, No Jae-won expressed his ambitious aspiration, saying, “I will work hard to become the first among the ‘Sons of Netflix.’”
Gradually making a name for himself through various OTT works, No Jae-won expressed a desire to challenge himself with ‘romance’ in his next project, saying, “I want to meet a character who loves freely.” He drew a line regarding real-life romance, stating, “It’s been a long time since I’ve dated.”
“Of course, love in reality is about the love for my parents. (laughs) I briefly had a romance in a movie called ‘Love at the End of the Century,’ but it wasn’t satisfying. I want to love more freely in my next project.”
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
