‘Squid Game’ lead actor Lee Jung-jae on his season 2 character’s new mission and development

“Squid Game” protagonist Player 456 may have shed the iconic green tracksuit and returned in the show’s upcoming second season for another round in the killer survival game. But he no longer focuses solely on his own victory, and now carries the weight of his fellow contestants on his shoulders.

Lee Jung-jae, who reprises his role as game winner Seong Gi-hun in the new season, which begins streaming on Netflix on December 26, said that this time his character is darker and more serious after a traumatic first season.

He told NBC News that he also has a mission to save others who have participated in the high-pressure, high-stakes game. The character development even made the actor himself evolve, he said.

“When actors really immerse themselves in their characters, I think sometimes their values ​​can change depending on what the character thinks,” Lee said in Korean through a translator. “‘Squid Game’ is really about justice and how to bring people together. And I really thought about that a lot, too.”

In the upcoming season, a traumatized Gi-hun abandons her plan to hop on a plane to the US with her winnings. Instead, he chooses to re-enter the game three years later with the sole purpose of putting an end to it. Surrounded by a new crowd of players, Gi-hun seeks to protect them all from the violence that comes with the tempting gambling winnings of 45.6 billion won.

While the first season features a rather optimistic Gi-hun, still naive in the depths of the game’s horrors, the second season shows a hardened man who has only focused on his noble task. And with such universal themes at play, including greed, humanity and temptation, Lee said he hopes fans find the show not only entertaining but also an opportunity for introspection.

“I hope that people who watch the show will also have some time to reflect on human nature and think about whether we’re on the right track – if we’re on our way to making the world a better place, or are we going the other way around,” Lee said.

The upcoming season, which has already received a Golden Globe nod for best drama series, was no less daunting to make than the show’s wildly successful first season. Lee said he was equally stressed, bringing the two versions of Gi-hun to light. And director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who said he lost seven teeth while making the first season, said the show was up against some high expectations and noise this time around.

“Because Season 1 was so universally loved, when it was decided that there would be a second season, it’s true that I felt enormous pressure,” Hwang said. “So many people out there were like, ‘Season 1 was perfect. Why don’t you just end it with Season 1?'”

Hwang added that there were concerns that he would “disappoint the world” and ruin his reputation with another season.

“But instead of letting it weigh me down, I tried to use it as a creative catalyst and a drive for me,” he said.