Park Sung-hoon recalls that, for a while, he was viewed unfavourably by the public.

That’s because he had just come off playing two particu­larly unlikeable characters – first in The Glory (2022), then in Queen Of Tears (2024).

In both dramas, the characters he played made life miserable for the leading ladies.

“I played two villains back-to-back, and whenever I went out to eat, some people would actually be mad at me for those roles,” the 40-year-old actor tells StarLifestyle with a laugh over Zoom.

Fortunately, things began to change when the second season of Squid Game premiered at the end of 2024.

In it, Park portrays Hyun-ju, also known as Player 120 – a highly trained ex-Special Forces soldier who was discharged after coming out as a trans woman. She enters the deadly competition to win the cash prize in order to foot her transition surgery.

“I’m really happy that I have played Hyun-Ju, who is such a cool character. She kind of turned everything around for me and made people like me,” says Park fondly of his character.

“Actually, I was shooting Squid Game and Queen Of Tears almost simultaneously, and it was really fun for me, going back and forth between two totally opposite characters,” he adds.

Hyun-ju quickly became a fan-favourite thanks to her courage and always trying to do the right thing, even in dangerous situations.

Park Sung-hoon says his character in 'Squid Game' is a cool person. Photo: Handout

However, when the series premiered, there were criticisms about casting a male actor instead of a transgender actor for the role of Hyun-ju.

Series creator-director Hwang Dong-hyuk told an American outlet that he did anticipate that this matter would crop up.

“In the beginning we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor... When we researched in Korea, there are close to no actors that are openly trans,” he explained to Entertainment Weekly.

Nonetheless, Hyun-ju stands out among the players in Squid Game especially in the scenes where she’s interacting with Geum-ja (Player 149, played by Kang Ae-sim) and Jun-hee (Player 222, played by Jo Yu-ri).

According to Park, the camaraderie among cast members helped strengthen their on-screen chemistry, even though they were always filming intense, emotionally charged scenes.

“We often talked about our performances, and about life in general. After wrapping for the day, we’d sometimes go for drinks just to relax and chat,” he says.

“I think the bond formed really naturally. Since most scenes were shot in chronological order, we didn’t have to force the chemistry – it built up on its own, with emotions stacking scene by scene.

“So even though some scenes were emotionally draining, the connection made it all feel easier.”

South Korean stars Kang Ae-sim (lef) and Park Sung-hoon bonded while making the show. Photo: AFP

Next up for Park is a new drama opposite Han Ji-min, set to premiere in 2026, an entertainment portal reported. 

Only earlier this year, he was dropped from another K-drama, The Tyrant’s Chef, after receiving backlash for uploading on social media an image of a porn video parodying Squid Game.

Reflecting on the Squid Game experience, Park says: “Over the past few months, I’ve been doing promotions overseas and met so many people – it’s been fascinating to see how many of them already know me and welcome me so warmly.

“It still hasn’t fully sunk in, especially since I look a bit different now with a new hairstyle, but people still recognise me instantly.

“It’s been such a cool experience. And I really hope it opens up more opportunities for me to be part of global projects in the future.”

Squid Game is available on Netflix. 

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