TV - Movies
Why Squid Game's
Creator Needed
To Cast An
Unknown Actor
For Il-Nam
By MIKE WORBY
Audiences for “Squid Game” kept coming back to see which of the series' characters would survive each game. One of these characters was the elderly, ostensibly harmless Il-nam, played by Oh Young-soo, a relatively obscure actor.
To accomplish the many distinct aspects of the character and make him believable, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was adamant that an unknown actor be cast in the part. "We wanted Il-nam to be unknown so that he would seem like the actual character in the show," the creator explained.
Since the performer behind Il-nam has to be able to play the character as charmingly aloof, the role is a tall order. Luckily, Young-soo made him a memorable addition to "Squid Game" even before the big reveal of his true identity in the final episode.