"One more defining character in my life": Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae reflects upon his iconic role

Squid Game Season 3 is just around the corner and will be available to stream on June 27, 2025. With three successful seasons, the Korean series has topped charts and made its actors globally popular. Squid Game revolves around the story of Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun, who entered the game in Season 1 to win the money and was left horrified by the death and greed that surrounded it.

He returned in Season 2 to obliterate the system and prevent people from dying, be it for money or the amusement of others. As per Soompi, Lee Jung-jae, in an interview with Arena Homme Plus Korea magazine, talked about how the role became one of his biggest in his career, and a role that helped him connect with the audience. He said:

"Because it’s a role I spent a long time reflecting on and filming, and because I connected with audiences through the character, there’s also a joy in knowing that it’s become one more defining character in my life."

More on this in our story.

Lee Jung-jae shares his way of staying grounded after the global success of Squid Game

After its premiere in 2021, Squid Game became a massive hit series on Netflix. In the series, the participants competed with each other in various games, which resulted in death if they lost. The structure of the series undertook a compelling approach that reflected human nature and society.

The series not only garnered global recognition but also skyrocketed Lee Jung-jae's popularity, as he went on to win a Primetime Emmy for his role as Seong Gi-hun. In a recent interview with Arena Homme Plus Korea, as reported by Soompi, the actor talked about staying grounded and not getting wrapped up in success. He stated:

"I’ve been doing this job for a long time and have taken on many different roles. Some were well-received, others less so. I try to stay grounded and view Seong Gi Hun as just one of those roles."

He further added:

"Of course, it’s a character from a massively successful project, but I can’t let myself be consumed by that success. Still, because it’s a role I spent a long time reflecting on and filming, and because I connected with audiences through the character, there’s also a joy in knowing that it’s become one more defining character in my life."

In the interview, Lee Jung-jae shared more about his career and how his success made him more grateful.

Gi-hun’s story might be coming to an end with Squid Game Season 3, but hopefully Lee Jung-jae will continue to entertain us with his performances with new projects in the future.

Also Read: "Almost rooting for Gi-hun to be right": Lee Byung-hun shares surprising take on Front Man's inner conflicts in Squid Game Season 3

More about Squid Game

As mentioned, Squid Game Season 3 will be released on June 27, 2025, on Netflix. It will pick up from where we left off in Season 2 and introduce new, even deadlier games. There will also be a face-off between Gi-hun and the Front Man in Season 3, which may be one of the highlights of the final season, as Gi-hun will discover who the Front Man is.

Apart from Lee Jung-jae, Season 3 of Squid Game also stars Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Jo Yu-ri, Park Gyu-young, Kang Ha-neul, Kang Ae-shim, and Wi Ha-joon, among others.

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Before the release of Squid Game Season 3, you can catch up on the earlier 2 seasons available on Netflix.

Also Read: 5 Squid Game Season 3 theories you should definitely keep an eye on

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