‘Squid Game’ Actor Park Sung-hoon Had ‘Concerns’ About Playing a Trans Woman But Felt ‘Relief’ After Fan Messages
Matt Minton mminton@variety.com Park Sung-hoon knew there would be pressure placed on him after taking on the role of Cho Hyun-ju, a trans woman in “Squid Game” Season 2 who participates as a player in the games in order to help fund her gender-affirming surgery. “I was quite amazed at the opportunity — I felt like as an actor it was going to be quite the challenge,” Park tells Variety. “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.” As director and show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has explained since the show’s release last December, the decision to cast Park in the role came as a result 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.
Park echoes Hwang’s outlook on the lack of transgender actors to look up to in South Korea. 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.
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.
