‘Squid Game’: What Has the Cast Been up to Since K-Drama Fame?
While Squid Game gained fame and made many of its South Korean actors globally known, many of its cast members continued with their scheduled dramas and more. There is no denying that model HoYeon Jung stunned audiences with her first acting role after a successful career as a top model. With veteran actors like Park Hae-soo and newbies like Wi Ha-joon, what has the cast been up to?
Wi Ha-joon, Oh Yeong-soo, and Heo Sung-tae now star in other popular dramas
Actor Wi Ha-joon joined the cast of Squid Game in the role of Hwang Jun-ho, the young detective who infiltrates the Games looking for his brother. But not soon after his role in the K-drama, Wi was already scheduled to star in a new crime drama, Bad and Crazy. He starred alongside Lee Dong-wook as a mysterious character named W.
While Squid Game excited Wi’s fame, he was well into his career and will soon star alongside Kim Go-eun in Netflix’s September K-drama, Little Women. Meanwhile, Squid Game’s Oh Yeong-soo has become the topic of conversation for his hit role as the antagonist Il-nam.
While Oh has been acting for over 60 years, the K-drama earned him a Golden Globe. Since his cast role in Squid Game, Oh is not scheduled to appear in new work. He has explained that the drama has his phone ringing off the hook with offers.
Everyone’s most hated K-drama gangster, Jang Deok-sum, was played by actor Heo Sung-tae. The actor has many accolades and continued his career after Squid Game. Not soon after, he starred as Kim Jae-sun in Netflix’s The Silent Sea, The Bloody Heart, and Insider and currently stars in the hit thriller Addams as Chief Choi.
‘Squid Game’ cast members HoYeon Jung, Park Hae-soo, and Lee Jung-jae are on to bigger and better projects
It is important to remember that many of the cast members in Squid Game were household names in Korea before global fame. Soon after the release of the K-drama, actor Park Hae-soo lead the crime K-drama Chimera alongside Marvel actor Claudia Kim. That is not all, as Park is now taking Netflix by storm. He starred as the infamous Berlin in Netflix’s K-drama remake Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area. He is also rumored to return for the second season.
Park is far from done as he will star as Choi Chang-ho in the September Netflix K-drama, Narco-Saints, inspired by actual events. Every K-drama fan knew Lee Jung-jae before his award-winning leading cast role as Gi-hun in Squid Game. Still buzzing and dealing with the K-drama’s fame, Park returned to the big screen.
The 2022 movie Hunt is Lee’s directorial debut and as a producer. He stars as Park Pyong-ho in the espionage movie alongside longtime friend and actor Jung Woo-sun as Kim Jung-do. Hunt also stars Park’s Squid Game co-star, Heo Sung-tae.
Out of all the cast members in Squid Game, it made the most impact with HoYeon Jung. From runway and cover model to first-time actor, the K-drama changed the trajectory of her life. Instead of continuing work in Korea, Jung will star in the Apple TV+ Series Disclaimer, according to Deadline. According to Nylon, Jung was also cast in Joe Talbot’s movie The Governess.
Lee Yoo-mi joined the cast of Netflix’s hit teen zombie K-drama
It is hard to forget actor Kim Joo-ryoung, who played the foul-mouthed Han Mi-nyeo in Squid Game. Fans also cannot forget her infamous sex scene that defied K-drama rules. But the actor has not appeared in a leading cast role since Squid Game. She has made a cameo in the August drama Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist.
One Squid Game cast member that deserves praise is actor Lee Yoo-mi. Lee played the role of Ji-yeong, who sacrificed her life for Sae-byeok to win the marbles game. But after the hit drama, the actor played the opposite of Ji-yeong in a villain role. In Netflix’s coming-of-age zombie K-drama, All of Us Are Dead, Lee played the most hated character of Na-yeon. She will not star as Cha Ga-eul, a short-track speed skater in Mental Coach Jegal.
