The Bold and Famous Korean Actor Who Turned Down Both 'Squid Game' Season 1 and 2—Here’s Why He Said 'No!'

As Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 garners massive attention despite mixed reviews, actor Son Suk-ku’s bold decision to decline offers to appear in both seasons has become a topic of renewed interest.

His reasons for rejecting the roles in Season 1 and Season 2 were subtly different, according to sources.

A close associate of Son recently revealed to Newsen that during his time with his former agency, Saetbyeoldang, he was offered the role of Cho Sang-woo, played by Park Hae-soo in Season 1. “After careful consideration, he ultimately declined the offer,” the source shared. The decision was made roughly three years ago, before ‘Squid Game’ premiered in September 2021.

Cho Sang-woo, a key character in Season 1, is portrayed as the head of Team 2 at Joy Investment Securities, who joins the deadly competition to escape a crushing debt of 6 billion won. Sang-woo’s relationship with Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), his childhood best friend from Ssangmun-dong, culminates in an intense and ironic showdown as the final two contestants.

In hindsight, turning down the role meant passing up what could have been a golden ticket to global stardom, as Sang-woo was one of the main protagonists, appearing in nearly all nine episodes.

The associate admitted, “Son and his agency were intrigued by the script but had no way of predicting how massively successful it would become. After ‘Squid Game’ became a global phenomenon, it’s fair to say we felt some regret, but we consoled ourselves with the idea that every role has its rightful owner.”

As for Season 2, many assumed he would join the cast after missing out on Season 1. However, the source explained, “Son was interested in appearing, but by the time he received the script, most of the key roles had already been cast.”

The partial script Son received included limited details due to confidentiality measures, and actors Im Si-wan and Kang Ha-neul had already been confirmed. Concerns about the character’s screen time and plot significance reportedly led to disagreements, and Son was also busy with commitments to Disney+’s ‘Big Bet’.

Son Suk-ku himself referenced ‘Squid Game’ during a 2022 appearance on JTBC’s ‘Movieroom’ to promote his directorial project, ‘Unframed’. He described the show as “fresh and innovative” from a director’s perspective, adding, “I found the team-based collaboration within the death game concept particularly engaging.”

Meanwhile, ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 continues to dominate globally, despite polarizing opinions. According to FlixPatrol, a platform tracking streaming content rankings, the show reached the top spot in Netflix’s global TV program rankings on December 30. Season 2 follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he re-enters the deadly games seeking revenge and faces off against the enigmatic Frontman (Lee Byung-hun) in a fierce showdown. ‘Squid Game’ Season 1, released in 2021, remains Netflix’s most successful series to date. It recorded an astounding 1.65 billion viewing hours within its first 28 days and became the first non-English Asian production to win at the 74th Prime time Emmy Awards.