Squid Game Creator Addresses Choosing a Cisgender Actor for a Trans Role
Hwang Dong-hyuk. Presley Ann/Getty Images for Netflix
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has clarified the reasons behind casting cisgender actor Park Sung-hoon as the transgender character Hyun-ju in the show’s second season.
At 53, Hwang, who wrote and directed both seasons, understood that some audiences might expect a transgender woman to portray Hyun-ju, a former special forces officer who competes in the series’ deadly games to fund gender-affirming surgery.
“From the very start of developing the character Hyun-ju, I anticipated discussions about casting choices,” Hwang told TVGuide earlier this month. “Initially, during our research, I was considering an authentic casting of a trans actor.”
However, he soon discovered that there were “almost no openly trans actors” in South Korea.
“Sadly, the LGBTQ community in Korean society is still largely marginalized and often neglected, which is quite disheartening,” he remarked.
After concluding that it would be “nearly impossible to authentically cast” a trans woman, the Squid Game team chose Park, 39.
Park Sung-hoon in ‘Squid Game.’ No Ju-han/Netflix
“I have admired his performances from his debut onward, and I was confident he was the right talent to bring this character to life,” Hwang expressed regarding Park.
Hwang’s inclusion of a transgender character in season 2 aligns with the themes presented in season 1, which debuted on Netflix in 2021.
“I view the contestants participating in Squid Game as individuals who are often marginalized or overlooked by society, not solely in a financial sense,” Hwang shared with Decider on Friday, December 27. “Regrettably, in today’s Korean society, gender minorities remain a group that is not widely accepted, which inspired me to create Hyun-ju as a male-to-female transgender character.”
While the practice of transgender actors portraying transgender characters is gaining traction, trans activists argue that casting cisgender actors in such roles reinforces detrimental stereotypes that trans individuals are merely donning a facade. Annette Bening, whose son Stephen Ira Beatty is transgender, articulated these ideas during a 2020 interview with The Telegraph.
“I have come to realize that people sometimes perceive trans individuals as simply putting on a performance,” Bening, 66, noted. “However, that perception is fundamentally flawed; it’s a misunderstanding.”
Despite the criticism surrounding Park’s casting, Hwang remains optimistic that Hyun-ju’s character will serve a positive purpose.
“Through the character of Hyun-ju and her choices, actions, and demeanor in the game, I hope to elevate awareness about these pressing issues we face today,” he remarked to Decider.
Season 2 of Squid Game premiered on Netflix on Friday, December 26. The dystopian series follows participants in a game of survival as they vie for a life-altering cash prize.
