Actor Lee Jung-jae (53) shared his thoughts on the ending of 'Squid Game' Season 3.
Released on the 27th of last month, 'Squid Game' Season 3 depicts Gi-hun, who loses his best friend while re-entering the game with his own purpose, the Frontman who hides his identity while infiltrating the game, and the final fates of the participants who survive in that brutal game.
Within three days of its release, it topped the Netflix non-English TV show category. It also reached number one in 93 countries worldwide, becoming Netflix's first show to rank first in every country during its opening week. Additionally, it entered the top 9 of Netflix's all-time series (non-English) in its opening week, with Seasons 1, 2, and 3 all making it into the top 10 of Netflix's most popular series (non-English) of all time.
Lee Jung-jae underwent extreme dieting to create the increasingly gaunt and haggard appearance of Seong Gi-hun as the story progressed.
He stated, "The director probably wrote with the fans of 'Squid Game 1' in mind. I haven't received such great support and love. It was a global support. So I thought I had to try my best and do whatever it takes. One of those things was to show a bit more of a physical transformation. I even skipped enjoyable gatherings and hardly ate from the food truck on set."
He continued, "I lost 10kg. I asked the person preparing my meals to just steam vegetables. They packed three meals in a lunch box for me to eat for lunch, dinner, and one to take back to my accommodation for breakfast the next day. From the middle, I reduced it to two meals and then to one. Two months before filming the last scene, I divided that one meal into three portions."
He added, "The basic concept of 'Squid Game' is that they don't provide lunch boxes. But I wondered if Gi-hun would actually eat. I wanted the stress and panic that Gi-hun experiences to come across well on screen. During the filming of 'Assassination,' I lost weight drastically without thinking, and I experienced severe hair loss and digestive issues. I learned that if you diet incorrectly, those symptoms can occur, so this time it wasn't to that extent."
He also mentioned the most impressive moments and viewer reactions. He said, "There are many interpretations, hypotheses, and humorous writings or videos. Many of these videos cannot be made overnight. It takes a lot of love to produce high-quality videos, and I appreciate the effort and time put into it. I think that will leave a lasting memory overall."
Regarding the 'Squid Game' meme, he said, "It's fun. Isn't it the era of memes these days?" and added, "The 'ice' meme is my favorite. Many people are imitating it. I wonder if anything can surpass ice."
Lee Jung-jae gained global popularity through 'Squid Game.' He won the Best Actor award at the prestigious Emmy Awards in the U.S. and has also appeared in the long-loved 'Star Wars' series in the English-speaking world.
When asked if he is the most famous Korean in the world, he jokingly replied, "I think so," and added, "People recognize me everywhere. It's quite amazing. 'Squid Game' is really something special. Sometimes, we can't easily distinguish foreigners, but they recognize me right away."
He is also receiving various offers from Hollywood. He cautiously responded, "I've received many offers, but I'm not at the stage of making decisions yet. I'm considering some of the proposals I received."
Lee Jung-jae's next project is 'Annoying Love' with actress Lim Ji-yeon. He said, "I'm having fun filming it," and added, "I can't keep comparing successful and unsuccessful works. I can only be satisfied with what I'm doing now and think about how to make it more complete. 'Squid Game' is really over, but I can't just feel regret. I have to focus on the new project I'm working on."
Having made a successful directorial debut with the film 'Hunt,' he said, "I'm writing a lot and preparing for directing. I've already finished the script and am in preparation. I'm not directing it myself, but I'm collaborating with a writer to develop ideas. I don't know which project will go into production first. I think I need to finish 'Annoying Love' well and then make a decision. A lot of progress has been made."
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
