Squid Game Director Praises Performance That 'Took a Lot of Guts'

Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk has praised the "courage" of T.O.P. for his performance in season 2.

The actor, who plays famous rapper Thanos in the dark Netflix drama based around a murderous game show, relies on drugs to compete. His character has drawn parallels to past controversies in his life.

In 2017, T.O.P. (born Choi Seung-hyun) was sentenced to ten months in jail and got a two-year suspension from his mandatory military service in 2017 after being found guilty of using marijuana, which is illegal in South Korea.

With his bright purple hair and brash personality, Thanos is one of the most memorable characters of the season. He's played by T.O.P., who was charged after being caught using marijuana in 2017. Netflix

"He portrays a character that's a rapper & someone who is on drugs," Hwang Dong-hyuk tells People. "I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too."

As a result of his conviction, T.O.P. was blacklisted from the Korean entertainment industry. His turn in Squid Game season 2 is his first major role for nine years.

Hwang adds, "So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role...Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I'm very satisfied with what he did with the character."

T.O.P. doesn't subtly slide into his performance but positively skips there, not shying away from the use of illegal drugs to which he's now forever linked. During the games, his character pops pills to take his mind off the horror of competing, even sharing them with fellow contestants.

Who plays Thanos in Squid Game season 2?

T.O.P. first stepped into the public eye as a rapper in the boy band BIGBANG in the 2000s. When he was indicted, he issued an apology to his fans reading: "First of all, I would like to extend my sincere apology to many of you for causing huge disappointment and disturbance," as reported by the Korea Herald. "I feel so embarrassed that I can't show myself in front of you to apologize."

"I have no excuses and deserve any kind of punishment. I feel very regretful and fearful for having left an irreparable scar in everyone's hearts, including our members, my agency, friends and family. I will reflect on my wrongdoing over and over again. Once more, I apologize for not being able to apologize to everyone personally."

Squid Game season 3 has been announced, with the date set for June 27, 2025.