Actor Son Suk-ku reportedly turned down offers to appear in both seasons 1 and 2 of "Squid Game."
According to the news outlet Newsen, Son Suk-ku was offered roles in "Squid Game," one of Netflix's biggest hits, but turned them down. The report also shed light on the reasons behind his decision.
A close associate of Son Suk-gu revealed, "When Suk-ku was with his former agency, Saetbyeoldang, he was offered the role of Sang-woo, portrayed by Park Hae Soo, by the production team of 'Squid Game.' After careful consideration, he declined. This was obviously a while ago; about four years ago."
In Season 1, Sang-woo joins the deadly competition due to a 6 billion won (approximately 4.1 million dollars) debt.
The character ultimately becomes one of the final two contestants, facing off against his childhood friend, Ki-hun (actor Lee Jung Jae).
Sang-woo was a central character in the nine-episode series, appearing almost as much as Lee Jung Jae.
The outlet described Son Suk-ku's decision as similar to throwing away an unclaimed winning lottery ticket.
The associate added, "Suk-ku and his agency at the time reviewed the script with interest but didn't foresee the show becoming such a massive hit. After 'Squid Game' blew up globally, there were definitely some regret. But they comforted each other, believing that every role has the right actor for it."
As for why he decided not to join Season 2, the source explained, "Although Suk-ku was interested in participating, by the time he received the script, most of the key roles had already been cast."
They said that for security reasons, Son Suk-ku only received a partial script. And at that point, the casting of actors like Yim Siwan and Kang Ha Neul had been finalized. This raised concerns over Son Suk-ku's potential role, screen time, and the main plot.
Additionally, Son Suk-ku was committed to filming Disney+'s series "Big Bet," leaving him with no choice but to decline the offer again.
(Credit= SBS Entertainment News/Baik Seung-chul, Netflix Korea)