Popular K-series actor Park Sung-hoon always knew there was a possibility of a backlash on him playing a trans character in Squid Game but when he received messages congratulating him for the feat and for playing the part convincingly, the actor was taken aback.
In Squid Game season 2, Park Sung-hoon took on the role of Cho Hyun-ju, a trans woman who participates in the deathly games in order to help fund her gender-affirming surgery.
Park Sung-hoon was concerned with how the audience will take to him playing a trans character
Speaking to Variety, Park Sung-hoon said, “I was quite amazed at the opportunity. I felt like as an actor it was going to be quite the challenge. I did have concerns about portraying a trans woman because I am a cisgender man, so I really wanted to approach it as cautiously and thoughtfully as possible.”
Earlier, director and show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained that it was extremely difficult to cast a transgender actor because of the lack of openly transgender actors in South Korea. He told TVGuide that while he was thinking of doing more authentic casting, it would be “near impossible to find someone who we could cast” in the role.
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Park Sung-hoon faced a similar issue as he couldn’t find any actors or roles to study for the preparation of his role in Squid Game. In order to prepare for the role, Park, who previously played openly gay characters in productions of The Pride and Two Weddings and a Funeral, consulted transgender people to learn from their experiences.
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Park adds that “I really hope that Hyun-ju will play a part in maybe getting rid of some of those biases. I hope that people who belong in those communities will no longer feel discriminated against or experience disadvantages within society. I hope that everyone can be true to who they really are and feel confident in doing so.”