[비즈한국] Choi Seung-hyun (T.O.P) has won the Gold Derby Award for Best Supporting Actor in the United States. It’s perplexing—at least to any Korean, that would be the case. Most of all, because his competitor for the Best Supporting Actor award was actor Lee Byung-hun. Lee Byung-hun played a leading role in Seasons 1, 2, and 3, yet he was surpassed by Choi Seung-hyun. How did Choi, who was mired in controversy over his acting skills, receive the award? The controversy surrounding Choi Seung-hyun's acting and his Gold Derby win prompt a rethink on the trajectory of casting and character direction.
In fact, controversy began the moment news of Choi Seung-hyun's casting in 'Squid Game' broke. This was due to past social misconduct unrelated to acting. In 2017, Choi left Big Bang after being sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for marijuana use. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said he hadn't anticipated such a backlash, yet he did not reduce Choi’s screen time. That wasn't the end of it. Next came the "wooden acting" controversy. Critiques emerged that his poor diction hindered clarity. Some also argued that his overly exaggerated gestures and expressions were inappropriate. Others complained that his constant, unsolicited rapping distracted from the viewing experience. The fact that he had more lines than Im Si-wan and Kang Ha-neul also became a point of contention.
However, overseas assessments were different. The U.S. "Hollywood Reporter," while criticizing several new characters in Season 2 as inferior to those in Season 1, praised Choi Seung-hyun's character, Thanos, describing him as "mercurial and vibrant." "Entertainment Weekly" noted his "swag and uniquely distinctive energy." The UK's BBC stated, "He played the drug-addicted rapper with a possessed intensity." Why were domestic and international reactions so different?
Perhaps in Korea, he was judged more harshly due to his past conduct. Much like how one dislikes everything about a person once they are viewed negatively, his past behavior led his every word and action to be perceived unfavorably—a phenomenon known as the "Devil Effect." While understandable from an emotional standpoint, this can be a limitation when analyzing objective acting ability or character synchronization.
In the drama, Choi Seung-hyun played a rapper character who displayed erratic and bizarre behavior due to failed coin investments and drug addiction. Rather than drawing affection like a lead actor, his role as a villain—committing evil acts to make other leads stand out—was sufficient. Kang Ha-neul and Im Si-wan, whose screen time was compared to his, will have larger roles and greater importance in Season 3. Furthermore, since marijuana is legalized in some U.S. states, Choi's past may not be viewed with the same gravity as it is in Korea. Cultural differences in acting likely extend beyond just this.
In 2021, Youn Yuh-jung, who played Soon-ja in the film 'Minari,' became the first Korean actor to win Best Supporting Actress at the British Academy Film Awards, followed by a win at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and the Academy Awards. However, it is doubtful whether she would have received the same spotlight had 'Minari' been produced as a local Korean film and stayed within the bounds of domestic film festivals.
Soon-ja, whom Youn Yuh-jung masterfully played in 'Minari,' is different from the traditional Korean grandmothers often seen in dramas like 'Country Diaries' (played by Kim Hye-ja). Youn has spent her life playing "supporting roles that feel like leads," always choosing distinctive, unique, and independent characters. In that vein, Soon-ja is a grandmother who seems unconventional by prioritizing her own life, yet she maintains a steadfast set of values. At the same time, she is full of familial love, showcasing an exquisite character and performance that provided warmth and comfort to Western audiences.
Now that Korean films and dramas are exposed to the world—whether by choice or by force—judging them solely by our own standards is no longer sufficient. Before collectively criticizing overseas reactions that differ from ours, we need to look with an objective eye. In reality, Lee Byung-hun's performance was not particularly well-received by audiences, domestic or international. What matters now is individuality and uniqueness. Of course, it must align with the drama's worldview, storyline, and modern character settings.
Returning to 'Squid Game,' a truly wasted character was the Front Man, Hwang In-ho, played by Lee Byung-hun. The character setting—a man who seems like a villain but isn't, struggling with human conflict and agony—was not fully realized. Lee Byung-hun not winning an award is not solely his fault. I wonder what might have happened if the director had pushed his narrative further. If they had spun off from his perspective, showing his descent into madness while he suppressed it to maintain his course, might he not have surpassed Choi Seung-hyun? If Seong Gi-hun had been revived amidst that, wouldn't the drama's perfection have reached even greater heights? It leaves a sense of regret.
Author Kim Heon-sik has been walking through or clearing paths in the forest of pop culture phenomena since his 20s, driven by the expectation that there are ways to make the world a better place through culture. He continues on the same path in the 21st century, where artificial intelligence and quantum computers are at play, with that same belief.