Over three seasons of Squid Game, actor Lee Jung-jae has become synonymous with Seong Gi-hun, also known as Player No. 475. He is now exchanging the lethal realm of survival games for something more humorous, trading in the green tracksuit for a bomber jacket, and switching genres with Prime Video’s romantic comedy Not Nice to Meet You.
He plays the role of Lim Hyeon-jun, a cherished actor stuck in detective roles. He feels suffocated by the sameness of his profession and is looking for a new beginning in stories filled with emotion. His life intersects with that of Lim Ji-yeon’s character, WiJeong Shin, a political journalist moved to the entertainment desk, resulting in numerous misadventures.
Lee Jung-jae, whose distinguished filmography includes the acclaimed K-drama Sandglass (1995) and films like The Affair (1998), Housemaid (2010), The Face Reader (2013), Deliver Us from Evil (2020), and Hunt (2022) over three decades, tells Screen that switching between roles feels seamless for him.
“As performers, it is true that one becomes absorbed in the role one portrays. Will it affect me on a personal level? In short, not that much. I am the type of actor who can distinguish between my role and personal life quite effectively. I find it relatively easy. As soon as I get to the set, exit my vehicle and begin getting ready for the part—hair, makeup, wardrobe—I transform into the character and embody them until filming concludes. As soon as I get home, I easily return to myself and snap out of it. Therefore, I believe that is part of the reason why I feel more comfortable, no matter which character I portray.
He adds, however, that the saying “never say never” is relevant: he might encounter a role in the future that would be hard to leave, even though this has not yet occurred.Lee Jung-jae, who was already a well-known leading man in South Korean entertainment during the 1990s, saw his career revived and his fame grow both domestically and worldwide thanks to Squid Game. He became the first Korean actor to win an Emmy for acting and the first Asian actor to be cast as a Jedi Master in the Star Wars franchise, thus making history. He remains unaffected by fame or achievement, prioritizing his craft and decisions above all else.
“Regardless of the success of your previous project, I believe it has not influenced how I make career choices. When I started out, it was important to have a hit under your belt, but the desire to prove oneself and the ambition for one’s next project to surpass the previous one were also significant motivating factors. However, one discovers that life doesn’t develop the way you wish it to. My choices are no longer based on whether previous projects were successful or unsuccessful. The key consideration is how a project resonates with me. Is it a challenge for me? Is it something the audience anticipates from me? It would be fantastic to receive your next
He claims to be receptive to exploring opportunities in India, as he finds the notion of an India-Korea romance intriguing. “If I had the chance to be a lead in an Indian production, whether it’s a movie or a drama, I would really hope so. As you know, there is a significant cultural difference between Korea and India. Therefore, I believe a rom-com story about a Korean man and an Indian woman falling in love would be wonderful.
