'Squid Game' Season 3 actor Noh Jae-won revealed the story of how he completed his own villain, 'Nam Gyu,' in a globally popular work.
Noh Jae-won conducted an interview at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 9th. He spoke with domestic reporters about his recent activities, including his role as Nam Gyu in the popular Netflix original series 'Squid Game' Season 3.
'Squid Game' started to gain global popularity after first premiering in 2021, maintaining its position as the most popular series on Netflix. The story revolves around people who participate in a mysterious survival game with a prize of 45.6 billion won, risking their lives to become the last winner. Since Season 1, it has swept to the top of global TV shows, enjoying global syndrome-level popularity not only in Korea but also in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
Fueled by this success, the total viewership reached 600 million by Season 2, solidifying its status as the most popular original series on Netflix. This Season 3 deals with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who loses his best friend in a game he reenters with his own purpose after winning Season 1, and the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who hides his identity and infiltrates the game, as well as the final fate of the participants who survived the brutal game.
Here, Noh Jae-won played the role of Nam Gyu, a participant who appears in Seasons 2 and 3. In the early stages, Nam Gyu acted like a fan following Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) but gradually developed into a villain expressing his anger through massacre in the game due to feelings of inferiority stemming from Thanos's disregard. Noh Jae-won portrayed this naturally yet dramatically, receiving praise from both domestic and global audiences.
However, the beginning was daunting. Noh Jae-won said, "When I got the role of Nam Gyu, my biggest thought was, 'How do I act?' There was a lot of swearing. I didn't want to act as just a character next to Thanos. I wanted to portray a Nam Gyu with reasons. I thought a lot about how I could achieve that."
Thus, he conceived various attempts from the very beginning. However, he noted, "Given the number of characters, it was hard to fully express my ambitions." Noh Jae-won recalled, "The director mentioned that 'the change in Nam Gyu is important.' Although he is a character next to Thanos, it turns out that Thanos dies, and Nam Gyu will shine, so he told me to endure until then," he laughed.
Noh Jae-won added, "I didn't want to overly rush in from the beginning. I hated being too nervous and timid. I tried to tackle everything with determination and a fighting spirit. But looking back, I thought that being able to view the entire piece and adjusting myself was also an experience. I realized that I am still lacking in that aspect."
Regarding Nam Gyu singing 'I Loved You,' Noh Jae-won said, "Originally, it was just a love song, but the director said, 'I Loved You' is catchy, so from then on, I only thought about how to sing 'I Loved You,'" he laughed.
He also mentioned that the impersonation of Thanos was "not originally in the script. However, as I read the script, I saw that Nam Gyu also started to speak English. Lines like 'You can do it' and 'Let's get it' were actual dialogues. The lines about 'let's kill half of humanity' seemed to describe Thanos. Naturally, I thought I should try to imitate Thanos, and when I did during rehearsals, the director said it was fun and to keep bringing it out," he said.
(Continues in Interview②.)
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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