Latest news with #Mimicus
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Jo Yu-ri says she didn't expect her 'Squid Game' role to be this difficult
Jun-hee has to be extra careful in the game due to her condition. Photos: Handout Actress Jo Yu-ri, who plays Kim Jun-hee or Player 222, confesses she was a huge fan of the Squid Game when the first season was released in September 2021. 'I remember watching S1 with my family and thinking to myself, 'I really, really want to be part of a show like this',' recalls the 23-year-old to StarLifestyle in this exclusive Zoom interview to talk about the series' third season. 'What felt so fresh to me was the concept of turning innocent childhood games into something deadly. It was something I had never seen before – shocking, yet incredibly original," she adds. Hence, when she got the chance to audition for S2, she jumped at it. However, Jo says that she had no idea what was in store for her character who turns up at the game, very much pregnant. 'The audition script I received was a dialogue between Jun-hee and Myung-gi (Player 333 portrayed by Im Si-wan). Im Si-wan (left) and Jo Yu-ri play former lovers in the show. Photo: AP 'I knew the role would be challenging, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult,' she shares, smiling at the memory. The level of difficulty she faced is especially impressive considering Jo made her acting debut in 2022's Mimicus and had appeared in just one episode of another K-drama, Work Later, Drink Now 2 (2023), ahead of Squid Game. Prior to acting, she was best known as a member of the South Korean-Japanese girl group Iz*One. While she says there were many challenges as Jun-hee, her biggest concern was playing a pregnant woman convincingly. 'I kept wondering – what if real mothers feel my performance isn't believable, that it lacks authenticity? 'That thought weighed heavily on me. "But thanks to support from my co-star Kang Ae-Shim (who plays Jang Geum-Ja or Player 149), as well as friends and mothers I spoke with, I was able to overcome those fears and carry the part successfully.'
Pink Villa
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Squid Game 2: Did Jo Yuri get paid 300 million KRW per episode for Netflix starrer? Fans debate if she deserves it
Jo Yuri, a former member of IZ*ONE, has made a name for herself in the acting world with her role in Squid Game 2. Her portrayal of a pregnant woman in the intense survival drama earned her critical acclaim. Given the massive global success of the show's first season, it's no surprise that the cast of the second installment would command high fees. However, rumors of Jo Yuri's alleged per-episode fee sparked online debate among fans, considering her relatively rookie status. Jo Yuri stepped in the acting scene a year after IZ*ONE's disbandment. She made her debut with the 2022 web drama, Mimicus. Just 3 years following that, her next project was the globally popular Netflix series Squid Game 2. Fans were curious as to how she landed the big role and what her fees might be. As per a recent post made in an online community, she received 300 million KRW (2,19,315.99 USD) per episode. Some fans felt that she didn't deserve the hefty paycheck as it was just her second acting gig, as reported by K-media Timetalk. They felt that Jo Yuri's existing fame as an idol helped her secure the role and compared her journey with seasoned actors who struggle for years to get similar opportunities. However, others rallied in support of her, saying she deserved the recognition and fee, citing her improvement as an actress. Notably, Jo Yuri faced her share of challenges. She revealed in a YouTube interview with Kkondaehee that she auditioned for around two roles per week and faced numerous rejections before landing the role in Squid Game. Regarding the fees, as per industry insiders, lead roles in major OTT series typically range from 100 million to 400 million KRW per episode. In that context, Jo Yuri's rumored fee of 300 million KRW doesn't seem out of the ordinary. Reportedly, her Squid Game 2 co-star, T.O.P, also received similar or slightly higher payment than her. Discussions regarding Jo Yuri's paycheck had been persistent since the second season aired back in December 2024. She was previously reported to have earned 4.2 billion KRW for her appearance in the series, but she humbly denied the news.
