'Squid Game' Creator Explains 'Heartbreaking' Reason Why a Cis Man Plays Trans Character Hyun-ju (#120)
Squid Game has earned praise for the way it handles a trans storyline in season two, but fans have been shocked to learn that a cis man actually plays the role of trans woman Hyun-ju.
Hyun-ju, also known as Player 120, is a former soldier who is undergoing her transition and hopes to win money to put toward her gender-affirming surgery.
The role is played by celebrated South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon, 39. Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has opened up about the “heartbreaking” reason why they didn’t cast a transgender woman in the role. Keep reading to find out more… “I did anticipate such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character Hyun-ju,” he told TV Guide. “In the beginning we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor.
When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans, let alone openly gay, because unfortunately in the Korean society currently the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking.” “It was near impossible to find someone who we could cast authentically,” he added. “And that led us to the decision to cast Sung-hoon.
