Lee Byung-hun reflects on fame, ‘Squid Game’ role

“One day, my son asked me with a sad expression, ‘Why are you such a bad person, Dad? Why did you kill so many people?’”

Actor Lee Byung-hun shared this anecdote during his appearance Tuesday (local time) on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” recounting a humorous moment with his 10-year-old son, who mistakenly believed Lee’s villainous character from the Netflix series “Squid Game” was real.

“My son hasn’t actually watched ‘Squid Game,’ but I think he heard about it from school friends,” Lee said. “I explained that I’m an actor, but I don’t think he fully understood.”

Lee appeared on the show to promote Season 3 of “Squid Game,” which premieres globally on June 27. Conversing fluently in English, Lee joked with Fallon while reflecting on the show’s extraordinary success.

“When I first read the script, I thought it was a very interesting story with a unique structure, but also very experimental,” he said. “I thought it would either be a huge success or a complete failure.”

He added, “Even though I’ve been acting for over 30 years and have been in Hollywood blockbusters, ‘Squid Game’ is a Korean story made by a Korean director with Korean actors speaking Korean.” He said he was “shocked” by the enthusiastic response from fans when he first arrived in Los Angeles and New York for promotions.

Lee also shared that he hadn’t told his family about the Front Man’s identity, which angered his mother when she eventually found out.

During the show, Fallon playfully questioned Lee using “O” and “X” buttons about Season 3. When asked, “Will there ever be a spin-off with the Front Man as the main character?” Lee pressed the “O” button and replied, “I can’t say for sure, but it’s possible. You never know what might happen.”


이호재 기자 hoho@donga.com