Squid Game star Park Sung-hoon has said he didn’t want his trans character to be a caricature.
Park plays Hyun-ju, also known as Player 120, in the second season of the survival thriller series. His casting led fans to question why the role of a trans woman was given to a cis male. In response, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained that casting a transgender woman would’ve been difficult in South Korea.
Speaking about his casting, Park told Korea JoongAng Daily that growing up with sisters helped him to develop a feminine side, which he believes Hwang recognised.
Park went on to say that the director knew he was right for the role after seeing him in 2021’s Hee-soo, in which he played a father who lost his daughter in a car accident.
‘I never wanted to overdo the voice or exaggerate my gestures’
“I was a bit surprised by how he saw that side of Hyun-ju in me from the role,” he said, adding that he approached playing Hyun-ju with “more detail and caution”, ensuring that he consulted with trans people to ensure the character wouldn’t be a caricature.
“I never wanted to overdo the voice or exaggerate my gestures, and the director fully agreed with me on that,” Park said. “Since my natural voice is quite deep, I felt that altering it too much would undermine the emotional authenticity.”
The character’s appearance was a collaborative effort but he claims the credit for the “short bangs” she sports in the show.
In December, the actor apologised after sharing an adult-video parody of Squid Game on his Instagram. He told Korea JoongAng Daily: “A mistake is a mistake but I still believe it was wrong, and I think the first thing I need to do is take responsibility and endure the consequences.
“I will fully accept all the criticism toward me but I wish for the people to look at the work with a warm heart.”
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