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| ▲ This photo, provided by Netflix, shows actor Park Hae-soo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- Actor Park Hae-soo (40), who plays the role level-headed and rational Cho Sang-woo in Netflix's hit drama series "Squid Game," has said the attention the show received is something he never expected.
"I was confident about the drama and scenario, but I didn't know it would receive so much attention worldwide. I'm so thankful and happy that I was part of this work," Park said in a online interview with Yonhap News Agency held on Wednesday.
Asked about the secret behind the popularity of "Squid Game," Park said, "There seems to be points where the audience are able to relate in terms of human nature and the character's psychological change. I think people also find it interesting to see a traditional children's game turned into a cruel survival game for adults."
Debuting on the theater stage in 2007, Park has built a solid acting career for 14 years and has been praised for delicately expressing Sang-woo's complex and subtle feelings and changes in "Squid Game."
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Netflix, shows actor Park Hae-soo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Park, who came in the interview wearing the iconic green training suit, said, "First of all, my family is very thrilled and I'm starting to realize my popularity after getting a lot of calls from people around me," adding, "It's very (popular) because I got a lot of calls from people around me," adding, "This has become a very honorable work within my actor career."
In addition of recently becoming a father of a son, Park expressed his feelings on his "double celebration," saying, "I could only meet my baby through video calls while filming for 'Squid Game,' and I can't explain how grateful and amazing I feel."
Park's character, Cho Sang-woo, recently joins a large firm as a graduate of Seoul National University however falls into a huge debt due to investment failures and decides to participate in the game to seize the last opportunity of earning money.
"In order to get into my character's thoughts and judgements, I imagined a lot of reasonable choices only Sang-woo could make. I talked to the director a lot as well," Park said. "I think the scene that best expresses Sang-woo is where he doesn't tell his friend Ki-hoon (Lee Jung-jae) about what the next ("Dalgona" Candy Challenge) game is."
As for the ending, Park said, "I'm 100 percent satisfied because I think it was very optimized for my character," however added that it is a "shame" as to whether he will appear in the second season.
About entering the game in real life, Park said, "I don't think I would be able to participate," adding, "If I were to actually enter the game I have to survive to arrive at the last gate. Overall, I do have some confidence, but I'm most worried about the marble game."
Apart from acting as Sang-woo, Park chose Ki-hoon and Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) as the characters he would want to play.
"Ki Hoon as a character changes a lot and it's fun. Deok-su has so many charms that I want to try acting as him if I can," Park said laughing.
As for Lee Jung-jae, Park expressed his affection towards the actor, saying, "I really want to meet him again."
"As a person who grew up watching a lot of Lee Jung-jae's movies, I had a very interesting experience in watching another side of him. He was such a cool and talented actor to me, and I would like to thank him for approaching me as the most down-to-earth and comfortable brother to me."
The 40-year-old actor also expressed his gratitude towards director Hwang Dong-hyuk, saying, "It was a really fun collaboration because director Hwang helped me shared my concerns about the character," adding, "In the future, I would like to continue meeting with him even if we're not meeting as a director to actor."
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Netflix, shows actor Park Hae-soo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Park, who is scheduled to spend busy days by starring in new weekend drama "Chimera," the Korean versions of Netflix's original series "Money Heist" and "Suriname," as well as movies "Yacha" and "Ghost," expressed his passion for acting, saying, "I'm waiting for my next work."
"I'm also continuing to make plans for theatre works. I'm thinking about preparing a new work with my theatre colleagues, but I think it'll probably be next year when we reveal what it is," Park said laughing.
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