Exclusive: Park Sung-hoon discusses playing transgender Hyun-ju on Squid Game 3
Actor Park Sung-hoon has played his share of antagonists' characters that make you grit your teeth and occasionally hurl popcorn at the screen. But in 'Squid Game 3', the Korean star flips the script in more ways than one. As Hyun-ju, a transgender woman who displays remarkable empathy and strength amidst the series' trademark chaos, Sung-hoon delivers a performance that's tender, layered, and full of quiet power.advertisementIn an exclusive chat with India Today, the actor opened up about the challenges and choices that came with portraying Hyun-ju, and what made him say yes when most people turned down the offer. 'So, I did have my concerns and worries being a cisgender actor playing a transgender character,' he admitted. 'I thought it would be a challenge, but I knew that it would help me grow as a person and as an actor," he explained.What makes Hyun-ju compelling isn't just her identity, but the way she navigates the brutal games with unwavering grace. 'I think Hyun-ju being a transgender woman is just one of the qualities that she has,' Sung-hoon said. 'She has other amazing qualities - like she's a selfless person, she cares about others and she has a good moral compass. So, I wanted to focus on those qualities.'advertisement
That emphasis on humanity pays off in one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the season, where Hyun-ju makes a moral choice that will get fans talking. When asked whether he would make the same decision in real life, the actor didn't hesitate. 'I definitely would make the same choice that Hyun-ju made, because I love kids and I know that the sacred value of life surpasses everything else. And now that I have three, not two friends, I would have run back to them. But one difference that I would have is that after finding the exit and opening the door, I would look back once at the exit maybe,' he remarked.This role marks a significant tonal shift for the 'Queen of Tears' actor, who previously stirred strong reactions as the manipulative Ha Do-yeong in 'The Glory'. 'Because I've been doing a lot of villains lately, I think this was a really nice air-freshening thing for me,' he added with a laugh.When it comes to his personal ranking of roles that have shaped him, 'Squid Game's' Hyun-ju has earned his top billing. 'Ranking first would be Hyun-ju, definitely, and ranking second would be Eun-seong of 'Queen of Tears', and ranking third is a character that I'm currently filming for a Korean TV show called 'Efficient Dating for Singles'.'advertisementAnd as for his fans in India? Park had a special message: 'I want to make the time to definitely go see the Indian fans as soon as possible.''Squid Game 3' premieres on Netflix today. The season has a total of 6 episodes.- Ends
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