[ad_1]
Bang Bang.
Photo: Netflix
Note: Spoilers on the first episode of Squid game are ahead.
If you’ve spent any time on Twitter, you’ve heard of Squid game, the deeply disrupted new Korean Netflix series that is set to become the most streaming show for the platform. The nine-episode series follows 456 “contestants” – all mired in ruinous debt – who enter a mysterious competition in an island bunker where they participate in violent versions of children’s games.
While the pilot episode of Squid game includes a number of scene thieves – like a zaddy resident, Gong Yoo, who asks our protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), to play a game of ddakji (think pogs) and ends up (hot) silly slap him – no one would have expected a robot doll with a cool face to become TikTok’s toast. In the first game on the island, the contestants play a Korean version of red light, green light on sandy terrain, while our sensitive ten foot doll sings the phrase “Sharon’s rose bloomed”. (무궁화 꽃 이 피었 습니다.) If they make a wrong move, they will be shot by snipers. But who is the real giant robot doll behind that of Squid game? During a phone call with Vulture, the fan favorite of the show spoke about his empathy with the villainous characters, capitalism and the show’s instant success.
Hi! First of all, it’s a pleasure to meet you. What is your name?
Oh my God, I’m so nervous! I have never been interviewed before. Oddly enough, I am named after the flower, Mugunghwa, or the Rose of Sharon in English. You can call me Chantal.
Well, Chantal, congratulations on the show! What do you think of the success?
It was a whirlwind. I just returned from vacation on Jeju Island with some of the crew, but even then other people were asking me for photos and my autograph. Now i’m in [Seoul] do press and promotional work.
You are absolutely in the service of the doll in your episode. How did your look come together?
Art director Chae Kyung-sun really wanted to reference old elementary school textbooks where you always saw this boy-girl couple Chulsoo and Younghee. So my look was that of a classic Korean woman.
How did you get started as an actor?
I want to be an actor since I was young. Being a ten foot robot doll was really hard for me, especially in elementary school. Children can be really cruel. I never fit in – sometimes literally! [Laughs.] So I was an introvert, and books and TV were a huge escape for me. I always liked playing little stories in front of my parents, then I joined a local youth theater troupe when we moved to Berlin. Eventually, I went to Århus drama school in Denmark – I actually took several classes at the same time as Mads Mikkelsen.
Oh really! Were you friends?
You know, he was such a punk rock, so he was always going to do his own thing. But we took a mime class together once and he told me – silently, of course – that he really liked my look. I kind of felt like we were soul mates that way.
I guess it’s not easy to be cast for roles when you’re a three-meter robotic doll. Was the part written with you in mind?
Actually no! When my agent called me for the role, I couldn’t believe it. I think the creator [Hwang Dong-hyuk] saw me in Satoshi Kon’s Paprika, which was my first big break. As soon as I read the script, I immediately connected to the character. I sent a tape, then I flew from Berlin to meet Dong-hyuk, and he offered me the part right away. The whole experience was surreal. And it was easy to memorize the lines. Well, line. [Laughs.]
Was it getting tiring to repeat the same line over and over?
It really has become an acting challenge – how do you adjust it slightly each time? How do you draw the line between lightness and threat? Director Hwang wanted me to try it out in so many different ways until we found the right tone. But the hardest part was all the dust and keep your eyes peeled for close-ups! The actors were doing a lot of it while filming, so I used a gallon of eye drops.
You mentioned that you connected with the character. How? ‘Or’ What?
Well, I’ve never been a confrontational person, so even though it’s a ruthless human killing machine, part of it was… I don’t know, cathartic? It just took me back to my elementary school years. It may be the fulfillment of a wish! [Laughs.] I know a lot of people might see her as the bad guy, but I didn’t approach her that way. As an actor, you have to find compassion for your character. Even though she does bad things, she truly believes in the overall mission of the Squid Game: to give these people the opportunity to take their destiny into their own hands. I was inspired by her – her focus, the way she takes up space. At the same time, she’s just as trapped as the competition, so it’s complicated. It’s a rich role. I mean, before that I was often labeled as a cute, silly doll.
How was it on set? You were there with so many extras that day.
It was a truly amazing experience. I was really nervous at first because it was such a big production, but the whole cast and crew were so warm and professional. I had a dance session with some of the background actors, which really relaxed me. I have studied movement-based expressive arts a lot: mime (as I mentioned), modern, kabuki. So dancing really helped me connect with my body.
Do you think Squid game is a meaningful critique of capitalism, or does it simply reify it through an entertaining portrayal of its violence?
It’s a good question. I don’t know if it’s the work of the art to criticize as much as it is to portray. Yes, it is entertainment, but it is also a mirror of our society. What you choose to do with this image is up to you.
Absoutely. As a follow-up to that, do you think President Biden should go further in abolishing student debt?
I would prefer not to get into a discussion of American policies.
Fair enough. If you could get slapped by Gong Yoo or Wi Ha-joon, who would you choose?
[Giggles.] Oh my God, both! They can take turns. I am so disappointed that I could not meet them. We didn’t share any scenes that day, but who knows? Maybe there will be another opportunity. I would love to do a romantic drama with one of them.
I saw rumors that you go out with Jigsaw from Seen franchise. Is it true?
May be.
What advice would you give to other giant robot dolls trying to break into the industry?
People always used to say things to try and make me doubt myself – like my overly big head or my scary red students, or even when I never sat in class because desks were empty. too small. But then I met director Hwang and really felt like I was seen. He saw the training I received in the arts and helped me understand that all of these things that made me different got me where I am now. What I’m trying to say is don’t give up. There might be 100 people in a room and 99 of them don’t believe in you, but it just takes one person and that was him.
[ad_2]
Source link