A true icon!
Squid Game‘s O Yeong-su, 77, has soared to popularity following his portrayal of Player 001, going so far as to say that the show has changed his life.
Squid Game has shot to popularity since its release on September 17, earning itself the title of the most-watched Netflix original in history. O Yeong-su played Oh Il-nam, or Player 001 if you are a true fan.
Appearing on South Korea’s How Do You Play? O explained that his life has been changed forever.
He said: “I feel like I’m floating on air. It makes me think, ‘I need to calm down, organize my thoughts, and hold myself back right now.
“So many people have been contacting me, and because I don’t have a manager to help me, it’s hard for me to handle the volume of calls and messages I’ve been receiving.”
He explained that his daughter has been helping him with the calls and messages.
“Things have changed quite a bit. Even when I go out to a cafe or somewhere like that, I now have to be aware of [how I appear to others]. It’s made me think, ‘Being famous is tough, too.'”
Player 001’s constant smiles and chuckles in the face of adversity made him a fan favourite. As the episodes draw on, it becomes apparent that he is not just a loveable character but integral to the plot and overarching narrative of the show.
“Our society often only acknowledges first place, as if everyone else doesn’t matter,” he says.
“As if only first place exists, and second place is meaningless.
“But even though second place lost to first place, second place also beat third place. So everyone is actually a winner.
“That’s why I think a true winner is someone who is working hard at the things they want to do and attempting to reach a certain state on the inside. I feel like that kind of person is a winner.”
Despite his rise to stardom, Yeong-su insists that he has no “grand ambitions”.
“Big or small, I’ve received a lot of things while living my life. Now, I want to leave behind those things that I’ve received.
“To put it simply, let’s say you go to a mountain and see a flower. When we’re young, we pick the flower and take it for ourselves.
“But by the time you reach my age, you leave it there exactly as it is, and you go back to see it again later on.
“It’s the same with life. Leaving things exactly the way they are. It isn’t easy.”
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