Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk is all praise for T.O.P, aka Choi Seung-hyun. In 2017, the K-pop star was sentenced to a 10-month jail sentence and a two-year suspension from his mandatory military service after being guilty of using marijuana, which is illegal in South Korea. After being shunned from the Korean industry for a couple of years, he made a comeback as Thanos on Squid Game Season 2.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on December 28, 2024, Hwang Dong-hyuk opened up about his decision to cast T.O.P in the highly anticipated second installment of the popular Netflix series. The director explained how Choi couldn’t secure any projects in Korea after the marijuana scandal for the past nine years. Hwang shared how the role of Thanos, a drug-addicted rapper on the show, hit close to home for T.O.P and deemed it a comeback for the star.
Hwang lauded Choi Seung-hyun for his performance and explained how it took guts for someone to embody a character who is essentially portrayed in a negative light and shares similarities with one’s real-life persona. The director expressed how it takes an immense amount of courage to do what Choi did and showered the actor’s performance with praise, which included but wasn’t limited to the following words:
“Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I’m very satisfied with what he did with the character.”
T.O.P Had Attempted To Commit Suicide After His Indictment
Image via Netflix
The past couple of years has definitely been challenging for Choi Seung-hyun. The K-pop star who made his mark as T.O.P in K-pop band BIGBANG went through a tumultuous phase in 2017. One day after his indictment for using Marijuana, Choi was found unconscious after overdosing on a prescribed tranquilizer while working as a policeman in Seoul as part of his mandatory military service.
After his indictment on June 5, 2017, the K-pop star issued an official apology on his agency YG Entertainment’s website, where he apologized to his fans and expressed embarrassment over his behavior. Choi expressed how he would reflect on his actions as he continued to express remorse, which included but wasn’t limited to the following words:
“I have no excuses and deserve any kind of punishment. I feel very regretful and fearful for having left an irreparable scar in everyone’s hearts, including our members, my agency, friends and family.”
YG Entertainment shared a news article at the time reporting that the K-pop star had regained consciousness and had been receiving psychiatric care. Choi had been shunned from the industry until his appearance on Squid Game Season 2 as Thanos, a famous rapper turned erratic Player 230 who uses drugs while competing in deadly games. He has already made quite an impression on viewers and has received widespread recognition.
All episodes of Squid Game Season 2 were released on Netflix on December 26, 2024. The previous season can be streamed on the same platform.
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Squid Game |
|---|---|
| Cast | Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae |
| Release Date | September 17, 2021 |
| Stream On | Netflix |
| Directed by | Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Produced by | Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk, Kim Tae-hyun, Kim Young-kyu |
| Based On | Original concept by Hwang Dong-hyuk |
| Plot Summary | A survival game series where 456 contestants risk their lives in deadly games to win a massive cash prize. |
| Musical Elements | Score by Jung Jae-il, adding tension and atmosphere to the intense survival story |
| Current Status | Season 2 premiered on December 26, 2024, on Netflix |
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