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Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Park Sung-hoon on playing a trans character in 'Squid Game': Wanted to avoid caricature
New Delhi, South Korean star Park Sung-hoon says as a cis-gender actor playing a transgender woman Cho Hyun-ju in the globally popular "Squid Game", he approached the character with empathy and hoped viewers would also warm up to her. In a virtual interview with PTI, the actor spoke about the challenges of portraying a character like Hyun-ju, the massive global popularity of "Squid Game" and his wish to travel to India someday. A prominent name in the Korean entertainment world with his roles in "Memorials" , "Not Others", "The Glory" and "Queen of Tears", Park's casting initially attracted criticism in the media but he was eventually praised for his sensitive portrayal. "That was the most difficult part of playing this character... Because I'm a cis-gender actor playing a transgender woman, there could be backlashes and concerns about that," Park told PTI. "Squid Game", created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, revolves around a deadly contest where 456 players, all facing financial hardship, play a series of deadly children's games to win 45.6 billion won in prize money. Park, who is returning for the third and final chapter of the series, said he realised early on that authenticity was the key to playing a character like Hyun-ju, a former sergeant in the South Korean military who has been discharged for wanting to transition. Unemployed and disowned by her family, she gets into the games in the hope to earn enough money for a gender-affirming surgery. "I wanted to avoid caricature and I didn't want to imitate any mannerisms or cliches... I really focused on the qualities that she has. She's a very selfless person, she's charismatic, has leadership, and is very brave. "Because she's such a cool character, I thought her being a transgender woman was just one of the qualities that she has. If I am empathetic of her when I'm portraying her, I just hoped that the viewers would warm up to her. Like Jang Geum-ja , the old lady, warmed up to Hyun-ju in 'Squid Game'," he added. The third season of "Squid Game" is slated to premiere on Netflix on June 27. The first season of the show premiered on September 17 in 2021 and quickly became the most watched show on the streamer by attracting more than 142 million member households in the first four weeks of its release. It also won lead star Lee Jung-jae an Emmy Award. Park joined the show in the second season, which aired on Netflix on December 26 last year. The actor is happy that he got to play such an important role in the series but found it difficult to say goodbye. "It is always very sad to let a character, series or movie go, especially when you have such a cool character like Hyun-ju," he added. The 40-year-old actor said the many characters and their backstories in "Squid Game" make it easy for viewers to put themselves "in one of the character's shoes and resonate with that person". "It also talks about the sacred value of life and whether humanity is walking down the right path towards evolution and whether the voting system, for example, is the best way in a free democracy. So, it poses a lot of great questions that we all need to think about," he added. Does he have any plans to visit India someday? The actor said he would love to. "I was talking to Anupam Tripathi, who played Ali in season one, and I got very curious about this beautiful country, India, and I definitely want to visit there," he said. Season three of "Squid Game" will also feature Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri, Lee David, and Roh Jae-won.
News18
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
K-Pop Star Choi Soo-young To Star With Ana de Armas And Keanu Reeves In Ballerina
Ballerina marks Choi Soo-young's Hollywood debut, where she takes on the role of Katla Park. The excitement for Ballerina among fans is at an all-time high, and the makers have just dropped fresh character posters featuring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro and Keanu Reeves reprising his role as John Wick, among others. However, it's South Korean actress and Girls' Generation member Choi Soo-young, also known as Sooyoung, who is stealing the spotlight. Ballerina marks her Hollywood debut, where she plays Katla Park. One of Eve's first missions in the film is to protect Katla from dangerous enemies. Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Ballerina follows Eve, a young woman trained as an assassin at the Ruska Roma Ballet School after her father's death. As per IGN, 'Katla Park is the daughter of the Ruska Roma's colleague Il Seong. Eve's first field mission is to protect Katla Park at the lavish Minus Eleven club." Seeing Sooyoung among the key cast members has left her fans excited. Along with the makers, the idol also shared her official character poster on her social media and wrote, 'Protect her at all costs." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sooyoung Choi (@sooyoungchoi) While Ballerina will mainly follow Ana de Armas' character Eve, it will also bring back several familiar faces from the John Wick world. Fans can expect to see Ian McShane as Winston, the owner of the Continental Hotel, late Lance Reddick as Charon, and Anjelica Huston as the Director of the Ruska Roma. The cast also includes Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Byrne, Choi Soo-young, David Castaneda, Robert Maaser, Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Norman Reedus. Keanu Reeves will also return as John Wick. Choi Soo-young has been a familiar face in the South Korean entertainment industry for years. She has impressed viewers with her roles in popular projects like Not Others, If You Wish Upon Me, Run On, and movies such as New Year Blues and Girl Cops. Now, she's ready to reach a global audience with her Hollywood debut in Ballerina. Her fans can also look forward to seeing her in a new drama titled Second Shot at Love, scheduled to premiere on May 12. First Published:
Hype Malaysia
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
(Video) SNSD's Sooyoung Making Hollywood Debut In Upcoming 'John Wick' Spin-Off 'Ballerina'
It's always exciting to see K-pop stars step into the Hollywood scene. Lionsgate recently revealed the characters appearing in the upcoming 'John Wick' spin-off film, 'Ballerina'. Amongst the high-profile cast was Girls' Generation's (소녀시대) Choi Sooyoung (최수영). Earlier this morning (25th April 2025, Friday), Lionsgate dropped the character posters for the cast of the upcoming movie, 'Ballerina'. The film is part of the 'John Wick' cinematic universe, focusing on Eve Macarro, a ballerina-assassin trained at the Ruska Roma Ballet School. Actress Ana de Armas will play Eve, alongside actor Keanu Reeves, who will play the titular character John Wick. However, the cast member who surprised K-pop fans was Girls' Generation's Sooyoung. The idol-turned-actress will be playing the role of Katla Park in the upcoming blockbuster. According to a report by IGN, Katla is 'the daughter of the Ruska Roma's colleague Il Seong'. The report also highlights Katla's connection to the main character, revealing that 'Eve's first field mission is to protect Katla Park at the lavish Minus Eleven club'. This role marks Sooyoung's Hollywood debut since starting her acting career in 2008. Apart from her career in the iconic K-pop girl group, Sooyoung has made a name for herself as an actress, starring in movies and dramas, such as 'Miss and Mrs Cop' and 'Not Others'. Since it's still rare for Korean actors to transition into Hollywood films, this news excited many fans. Most comments mention how proud they are of Sooyoung for making her Hollywood debut in a high-profile film. Others said they look forward to catching her on the big screen. Some noted they're happy that the 35-year-old's appearance in the movie is finally confirmed. In January, a photo of Sooyoung posing alongside the cast and crew of 'Ballerina' was posted on social media, prompting rumours that the star will be in the movie. We also can't wait to see Sooyoung's Hollywood debut when 'Ballerina' premieres in cinemas on 6th June 2025. While there's no clip of Sooyoung in the movie yet, check out the official movie trailer below: Sources: Twitter, Instagram (1)(2), IGN
