Choi Seung-hyun, also known as T.O.P, has spoken out after facing backlash for being cast as Thanos in Squid Game season 2. Although his performance as Thanos stood out and received praise, some people criticized his casting because of a marijuana scandal from eight years ago.
Despite Squid Game being his big return, T.O.P kept a low profile during the season’s press and promotion, as many in Korea called for a boycott of his involvement.
In an interview with The Korea Times, T.O.P shared his thoughts on playing Thanos and how the character reflects his own life. He admitted he was hesitant at first but decided to take the role after encouragement from the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk. T.O.P wanted to give his best performance to show his appreciation for the trust Hwang had in him. Read his response below:
Advertisement The offer to play Thanos was a daunting proposition. The character mirrored my past, reflecting aspects I’d rather keep hidden. The fear of being pigeonholed into one role made me hesitate. But destiny seemed to be pulling me in this direction.
For almost 10 years, I felt no one looked at me, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk reached out to me first. The trust (and) the belief he had in me gave me the courage to take this on. As an actor, it is my duty to repay the trust. Excelling in my performance is another assignment in my life.
The actor studied the powerful drugs Thanos was using to make his performance as real as possible. He found that using strong drugs could cause problems like tooth damage and serious anxiety, especially when not high. He explained that he used these details to shape his character, even influencing how he did his “mumble rap.”
The drug that Thanos uses in the series is extremely potent, so I researched the effects of such substances while developing the character.
I tried to act differently in scenes where Thanos had not yet used the drug versus those where he had.
There’s a type of rap style in southern U.S. hip-hop called ‘mumble rap,’ often associated with rappers who use powerful stimulants. I tried to channel that in the way Thanos delivers his lines.
T.O.P finished his interview by talking about why he chose to return to acting and his time spent away for eight years. He said he stayed at home, focusing on his music, which helped him deal with being out of the spotlight. Now, he hopes for a quieter and peaceful life, away from all the bad news and drama.
For the past seven years, I have lived almost isolated from society, spending most of my time at home and in my music studio. So I just kept working on music in the dark and the reason I did that was not for any other reason, but because music was the only place where I could breathe, when I was composing music and standing in front of the microphone. I think I made music to survive.
My primary goal is to establish a stable and less dramatic life. I want to reach a point where I can wake up without being bombarded by negative news and feel more at peace.
Before becoming an actor, T.O.P was a member of one of the biggest K-pop groups, BIGBANG. He was also a rapper, just like his character in Squid Game. His acting career started in 2007 with the Korean show I Am Sam.
However, in 2017, his career faced a big setback when he was caught using marijuana while serving his two-year mandatory military service. He was suspended from police duties while being investigated, and later, he was found unconscious and hospitalized, with a suspected overdose of prescribed medication related to the scandal.
Despite the controversy, T.O.P’s performance in Squid Game has been well-received by Netflix fans, leading to viral memes and edits of his character, Thanos. After pleading guilty to the drug charges, he received a two-year probation sentence.
Because drugs are highly frowned upon in Korean culture, T.O.P was banned from the media, which is why he stayed out of the public eye for so long. His last acting role was in the 2017 film Out of Control. It wasn’t until seven years later that he made his comeback in Netflix’s Squid Game, which became the most-watched show ever on the platform.
I’ve been following this controversy closely, and I think it’s time for people to forgive. The scandal isn’t a huge issue, especially since marijuana is legal in many Western countries, like the United States. However, I understand that it’s not accepted in Korean society.
That said, T.O.P has responded well to the scandal, almost a decade later, and it’s time to give him a second chance. I’ve also read about how dedicated he was to his role, even pushing through a rib injury while filming his character’s final scenes. I really hope his career takes off from here, especially after what he brought to Squid Game season 2.
Source: The Korea Times