‘Squid Game: Season 2’: Hear from the cast of the Netflix sensation

Your appearance in Squid Game: Season 1 was short, but impactful. In Squid Game: Season 2, however, your character plays a much larger part in the narrative. What were your thoughts on this change? 

There were more scenes where I was no longer behind a mask and I got to portray these complex, intertwined emotions. It was challenging, but it was the complexity of emotions that attracted me to the character as an actor in the first place. So, I felt more free, and it was more fun to portray this character.

What was it like working with director Hwang? 

You know how people always say things about a sophomore slump? This sophomore does even better than the freshman! I thought the scripts for Squid Game: Season 1 couldn’t get any better, but then director Hwang would make little tweaks on set, and guess what? It got even better. I’m amazed at what a genius storyteller he is. An actor is only able to confidently pull off one’s character when they fully understand what the character’s motives are. 

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Front Man is the mastermind behind the game, but he’s also human, and I believe there is a last remaining piece of benevolence inside of him. Regarding to what extent I should express that was something I always had to figure out by talking with the director. There were so many scenes where there were no lines and I just had to express everything through my facial expressions, and it was critical for those scenes for me to clearly understand what was going on in In-ho’s mind and gauge how much humanity is actually left in him. So every time we had those moments, director Hwang and I would have conversations and improvise, more so than any other character, to strike the right balance. 

What was it like reuniting with Lee Jung-jae? 

I worked with Lee Jung-jae on a series that came out about 20 years ago and after all these years we got to work together again. I felt proud that both of us had become seasoned, older, and more serious about acting. He’s a peer who I share a long history and friendship with so I very much enjoyed working with him again.

Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho, whose journey in ‘Squid Game: Season 2’ is fraught with challenges and shaky situations through which he remains unshaken.

Where do we find Hwang at the start of Squid Game: Season 2?

First of all, I’m so thankful that director Hwang revived this character, and I was honoured to work on the series again. That said, in Squid Game: Season 2, Hwang is alive and is back at his job as a police officer. From his experiences in Squid Game: Season 1, he now knows the truth, but he can’t get any support from his captain and continues to struggle alone because he has no evidence. In a way, this solo journey in his life is exhausting. He’s faced with the mission of uncovering the truth, exposing gross injustices, searching for his brother, and saving people from a dangerous organisation.

I think each day over the last three years must have been lonely and difficult for him. His journey in Squid Game: Season 2 is fraught with challenges and shaky situations through which he remains unshaken, and in portraying him, I focused on his unwavering gaze.

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Squid Game: Season 2 explores the relationship between Hwang and his brother, In-ho (aka Front Man), in greater depth. In what ways does their relationship impact the story?

Compared to Squid Game: Season 1, Squid Game: Season 2 digs deeper into their narrative. They’re brothers, but the details of how In-ho impacted Hwang’s life remain unclear. However, my own understanding of the narrative is that their childhood environment was not a good one. As the older brother, In-ho was a father figure, someone Hwang looked up to. They were close, so much so that Hwang followed in In-ho’s footsteps and became a cop. And because he loved and looked up to his brother so much, he just couldn’t let go. That’s why he searches for him relentlessly. 

Lee Seo-hwan as Jung-bae, a long-time friend and former coworker of Seong’s who was last seen gambling alongside Seong at the horse race track in ‘Squid Game: Season 1’.

Fans may recognise Jung-bae from his brief appearance in Squid Game: Season 1 as Gi-hun’s friend at the horse race. How did you build upon that relationship in Squid Game: Season 2?

There’s a scene in Squid Game: Season 2 where Jung-bae and Seong are chatting and Seong's in a serious mood, but Jung-bae’s walking down memory lane. That’s when I first had an aha moment where I realised what the camaraderie between the two friends was really like. In Squid Game: Season 1, we were just silly, middle-aged former coworkers who frequented horse races together. But in Squid Game: Season 2 I saw that we shared a deeper bond. 

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What was it like reuniting with Lee Jung-jae?

I first worked with Lee Jung-jae in the film Deliver Us from Evil. He murdered me in the story in a gruesome way (laughs). When I met up with him in Squid Game: Season 1, it was daunting at first to act in a scene with him. If you look closely, you’ll see that I didn’t even look him in the eye. Only towards the end, I stole a glance at him. For Squid Game: Season 2, I was determined to erase my memories of him in Deliver Us from Evil (laughs). Acting next to him was an awe-inspiring experience. There may be more flowery words to describe it, but I was simply in awe.

Squid Game: Season 2 will air on Netflix on December 26, 2024.

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