'Squid Game' Creator Defends T.O.P.'s Acting Amidst Criticism: 'It Took Him a Lot of Guts'
The Netflix showrunner explained why he'd given the rapper his first gig in over five years.
After years of remaining dormant, K-pop idol T.O.P has made a comeback, thanks to Squid Game 2.
A member of the boy group BIGBANG, T.O.P -- real name Choi Seung Hyun -- was blackballed from the Korean entertainment industry in 2017 after he was sentenced to ten months in prison and a two-year suspension for smoking marijuana.
The drug, under South Korea's 1976 Cannabis Control Act, is illegal, with only medical cannabis made legal under the more recent 2018 Narcotics Control Act.
Read more: 'Squid Game' Creator Fantasizes About No Longer Getting Phone Calls From Netflix: 'I'm So Exhausted'
After over a half-decade of inactivity, Choi made his return in Squid Game 2, where he plays player 230 Thanos, a popular rapper who uses drugs as he traverses the competition's deadly games.
On release, Korean outlets slammed the IRL rapper for his acting skills, with some scorning his character's backstory against his own.
"Thanos being a character who uses drugs overlaps with T.O.P's real-life controversies amplifies the unpleasantness of watching him portray such a character," said MBC's Kim Kyung Hee.
"His acting isn't particularly impressive either. Instead, it feels awkward and unsettling. Was it truly necessary to cast someone with a criminal record for such a role? The character's rap-heavy lines are also hard to understand. And, frankly, just watching him walk into a scene feels unappealing."
Director Hwang Dong Hyuk defended the actor in an interview with PEOPLE, explaining that T.O.P had shocked him with his moxie and lived experience.
"As you may know, the actor Seung-hyun, about nine years ago got involved in a marijuana scandal in Korea and wasn't able to do any projects for the past nine years in Korea," Hwang said.
"And so this is a comeback after quite a long hiatus and particularly because he portrays a character that's a rapper and also someone who is on drugs. I feel that it took him a lot of guts, in a way, to portray a character, especially someone who shares a lot of similarities that are quite negative to him as a person too. So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role."
The director added that he had no regrets about his casting decision.
"Despite the long hiatus, I have to say, as a director, he performed very impressively and I'm very satisfied with what he did with the character," he said.
Upon receiving his sentence in July 2017, Choi issued an apology, one of multiple, to the Korean public.
"I'm truly sorry that I disappointed my fans and the public. I will do my best to make a fresh start and not to make such a mistake again with what I've learned from this lesson," he told reporters at the time, according to Yonhap.
At his indictment, the rapper apologized via his agency, professing his regret.
"First of all, I would like to extend my sincere apology to many of you for causing huge disappointment and disturbance," he wrote, per the Korea Herald. "I feel so embarrassed that I can't show myself in front of you to apologize."
"I have no excuses and deserve any kind of punishment. I feel very regretful and fearful for having left an irreparable scar in everyone's hearts, including our members, my agency, friends, and family. I will reflect on my wrongdoing over and over again. Once more, I apologize for not being able to apologize to everyone personally."
