According to TOP, he had planned to step away from the entertainment industry. However, that changed after he received an offer to audition for the role of Thanos in Squid Game Season 2.
“No one sought me out for ten years. Then [director Hwang Dong-hyuk] invited me to audition, and I wanted to repay that trust by giving my best performance. Honestly, I didn’t plan on returning to the entertainment industry before that,” he said.
The role of Thanos, a washed-up rapper who consumed drugs, forced TOP to confront his “past mistakes and shame”.
“It made even auditioning for it a tough decision. From an objective perspective, there was a risk of my image being permanently associated with this role. Filming the scenes where the character uses drugs was mentally taxing. It felt like a battle with myself but at the same time, I felt it was a fateful role.”
TOP’s portrayal has received a mixed response, with Korean media outlets criticising him for being hammy and cringeworthy. On the other hand, TOP has received overwhelming praise from international outlets who called Thanos one of the highlights of Squid Game Season 2.
TOP himself is aware of the reception, saying: “I accept all opinions humbly because evaluating acting is the audience’s right.”
He also clarified that Thanos’ “cringeworthy” behaviour was intentional.
“If Thanos were a cool rapper, he wouldn’t have participated in this kind of game, nor would he have become a hip-hop loser reliant on drugs. The exaggerated gestures and ridiculous raps were all part of the concept.”
.jpg?itok=BbHTMvvL "Veteran actor Li Nanxing says young actors lack confidence when acting: ‘They always think too much’")
