Director Hwang Dong-hyuk has once again defended TOP (Choi Seung-hyun), a former member of Big Bang, who has been a subject of controversy.
On the 28th (local time), the American entertainment media People published an exclusive interview with director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who directed and wrote the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’.
In the interview, Hwang addressed the controversial casting of TOP, stating, “Choi Seung-hyun was involved in a marijuana controversy in Korea about nine years ago, which prevented him from participating in any projects in Korea since then. Therefore, ‘Squid Game 2’ is quite a significant comeback after a long break.”
He continued, “He plays a rapper and a character who uses drugs, and in some ways, I think it took a lot of courage for him to portray this character. Since he shares many negative traits with the character, I believe it required a lot of bravery to take on that role.”
Additionally, director Hwang stated, “Despite his long hiatus, I found his performance to be very impressive as a director, and I am very satisfied with how he expressed that character.”
This interview has garnered more attention, especially after the release of ‘Squid Game 2’, where TOP's performance as the rapper Thanos received harsh criticism.
TOP was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 2-year probation for marijuana use at his home in October 2016. Afterward, he left Big Bang and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry. However, he joined the cast of ‘Squid Game’ Season 2, signaling his return and becoming the center of controversy.
In this work, TOP plays the character Thanos, a rapper who loses his fortune due to poor coin investments and participates in the game, secretly using drugs and tormenting others. TOP faced criticism for his unstable delivery and exaggerated gestures, leading to accusations of poor acting. Nevertheless, director Hwang once again expressed his satisfaction with TOP's acting and defended him.
Previously, when suspicions arose regarding nepotism in TOP's casting, director Hwang stated, “It had been quite some time since we decided to cast Choi Seung-hyun, and the verdict had already been made, with the probation period also having ended. I thought that after this amount of time, it might be possible for him to start working again.”
He added, “We did a lot of verification. He showed strong determination, and when I thought he should audition, I said, ‘Let’s have an audition, send me a tape.’ He worked hard, sent me acting videos, and when there were uncertain parts during the reading, we verified again, showing a lot of effort and talent. Personally, I have been keeping an eye on Choi Seung-hyun as an actor,” showing his affection.
