Squid Game is a global hit, Lee Jung-jae still awaiting offers from Hollywood

Top South Korean star Lee Jungjae who is currently enjoying the global success of Squid Game Netflixs survival game TV series says that Hollywood has not called him yet for workNo proposals or requests have come my way Jungjae told Variety adding But if the right one came along Id be happy to be in an overseas production It could be funJungjae plays Gihun a penniless wastrel who gambles too much steals from his family gets beaten up by loan sharks and accepts a mysterious invitation to become contender 456 in the deadly competitionHis affability and carefully crafted backstory make him an easytolike protagonist who faces an evil organisation thats literally playing with peoples livesIt was a role that Jungjae accepted with relish after a more than twodecade career in which he played romantic leads early on but lately has been cast as austere princes killers and crooks His credits include Il Mare The Housemaid New World and 2020s Deliver Us From EvilIndependent producer Jonathan Kim who has known Jungjae since he was 19 said He thoroughly deserves the success hes enjoying with Squid Game It couldnt happen to a nicer personI didnt expect this kind of success at all when I first boarded Squid Game as a project But when I read the script I understood that it contained elements that could resonate with everyone and work outside of Korea said JungjaeJungjae added that he was also attracted to Squid Game by the stellar track record of writerdirector Hwang Donghyuk whose feature films include historical action drama The Fortress and the musical comedy Miss GrannyHwangs success comes from being very detailed about explaining the characters their roles and their feelings Sadness wears many different faces and in Squid Game the characters different sadness can easily be felt by viewers says JungjaeHwang is very capable of building characters from the ground upwards which is why when the characters have to take big decisions they are believable And it is why the audience is willing to believe in the shows climactic ending It is actually touchingIndustry gossip says that Lee is now the most bankable actor in South Korea but he shakes off the idea that he has been fundamentally changed by Squid GameNothing much has changed for me as an actor But Gihuns character changes a lot over the course of the show It has a large spectrum which any actor would want to try out at least once in his career This was possibly the first time Ive played a character with such a range says LeeSouth Korean films have grabbed the global spotlight thanks to titles like Old Boy Snowpiercer and Oscar winner ParasiteJungjae added There are always questions about whether something is better as a film or as a series Im not sure how much that matters What is important is whether the script fits the form whether the story is entertaining and captivatingWe are living at a time when an actor can choose freely between the two These days in Korea many series of ten episodes or less are being made by writers and directors from the film scene That makes me feel very at homeBut series are naturally longer which gives you more time to develop a character Maybe as an actor I should do more series explore some moreJungjae used the fruits of his past success to become entrepreneurial and venture into restaurants property and interior designHe says he increasingly wants to focus on acting He is currently producing and making his feature directing debut on Namsun a Koreanlanguage spy thriller that he got caught up in after buying the rights and rewriting the screenplayJust because Im doing the directors job on this film doesnt mean Im going to be giving up acting I still like acting the best and intend to focus on that he saysWhen I was younger I was curious about other trades I wanted to see other parts of the world try things out But it has been quite a while since I was involved in those thingsThe star shared that after he turned 40 he felt his stamina dropping and rationalised that he should just focus on one thingAnd I decided to focus on acting alone he says with a grin Now that Im nearly 50 I feel it more And Ive decided that Ill only do one job at a time For now I dont have any plans to do an overseas project But if a good opportunity presented itself of course Id be open to itAlso Read What makes Netflixs Squid Game the mostwatched series globallyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliabilitsy and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the contents in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever