IT HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR SQUID GAME STAR Lee Jung-jae. He's won Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards, been nominated for a Golden Globe, an Emmy (Squid Game got 14 Emmy nods) and received a 7-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival in May, for the premiere of Hunt, a spy thriller he both directed and stars in.
In one of his first in-depth interviews with a major U.S. publication, Lee spoke to Newsweek from Seoul, where he's been working on post-production for Hunt, which opens in South Korea August 10 (a U.S. release date is in the works). He reflected on directing his first film, his Hollywood aspirations and the "greater responsibility" he feels since the enormous success of Squid Game.
'A Strong Sense of Guilt'
The Netflix K-drama made the 49-year-old Lee, long a star in South Korea, an international pop culture icon. The series is the streaming service's most popular ever, surpassing even other monster hits like Stranger Things and Bridgerton.
In the intriguing final scene of the show's first season, Lee's character, Gi-hun, the surviving winner of the fatal contest of the title, was seen dramatically walking out of a jetway at an airport following a cryptic phone call with a staff member from the games.
This story is from the August 15, 2022 edition of Newsweek Europe.
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This story is from the August 15, 2022 edition of Newsweek Europe.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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