Im Si-wan and Jo Yu-ri, who joined the second season of the global hit Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ as ‘new faces’, said “We‘re still in a state of shock” to the global attention they’re receiving. They smiled, saying, “It‘s a great honor”, from the time they heard the news that they were confirmed to join season 2 until now.

In season 2, they played the roles of Myung-gi (Im Si-wan), a coin (cryptocurrency) YouTuber who runs away from debt collectors and subscribers after causing huge losses for himself and his subscribers through bad investments, and Joon-hee (Jo Yu-ri), Myung-gi’s ex-girlfriend who trusted him and invested in him but also lost a huge amount of money. Global fans‘ interest in the future of this ‘tragic couple’ who reunite in the ‘Game of Death’ is skyrocketing.

○“Small screen time? The size of the role doesn’t matter

Im Si-wan, who tried to bring out the character‘s nuance by looking up coin analysis videos while playing the role of a YouTuber, laughed as he said, “I just dipped my toes in order to keep up with the times,” when asked about his actual coin investment experience. He also said that he tried to portray Myeong-gi, who has a personality that is not cruel despite causing great harm to others, as “a person who is between good and evil.”

Si-wan’s outstanding looks have also become a hot topic among overseas viewers since the release of the new season. He embarrassedly laughed and said that he hopes to hear more positive reviews for his acting rather than “praise for his looks.”

“The most memorable reaction from overseas viewers was about my age. Many people were surprised to find out my age (36) and say that I‘m older than they thought. But actually, that reaction isn’t surprising. “I often hear that I look younger than my age.”

Although some people are expressing regret over Im Si-wan’s relatively small screen time, he said, “The screen time isn’t important to me at all.”

“Even when I first read the script, I knew that my screen time wasn’t that big. Nevertheless, being able to participate in season 2 is a great honor and has great meaning to me. Season 1 of “Squid Game” is my “life series.” My fandom might be disappointed by my smaller screen time, but in season 3, the relationship between Myeong-gi and Jun-hee will be highlighted more.”

Photo courtesy of Netflix

○“Impressive acting chemistry with Choi Seung-hyun”

He also showed off intense acting opposites with Choi Seung-hyun from Big Bang, who played the role of Thanos, a rapper who lost all his fortune after investing in a coin recommended by Myeong-gi. He, who had previously described Big Bang as “celebrities among celebrities”, said that he could not forget his acting chemistry with Choi Seung-hyun.

“When I was a singer (as a member of Empire), Big Bang was such an amazing presence that it would become a topic of conversation among us if we just made eye contact once on a music show. I got to act with someone like that. In the scene where I fought with (Choi) Seung-hyun hyung, Seung-hyun‘s ribs were dislocated. I know because I’ve had my ribs dislocated, and it hurts so much I can‘t breathe. But my brother didn’t care and just kept filming. I thought he was really different.”

He‘s participating in the filming of MBC’s new entertainment show ‘GD and Friends’ (tentative title) which will be aired soon, and he‘ll be working with Big Bang member G-Dragon. He said that his recent series of connections with Big Bang members is “amazing.“

”(Kwon) Ji-yong is the same age as me, but he’s an amazing person who leads an era and culture. He must have felt a heavy sense of responsibility for a long time in that position, and I really respect him for enduring that weight.“


Reporter Seungmi Lee smlee@donga.com

SHARE

URL 복사

창 닫기