Credit: Netflix
Former BIGBANG member T.O.P has found himself at the center of a controversy over his acting in Netflix’s Squid Game 2 .
T.O.P takes on the role of “Thanos,” a rapper who loses everything to drug addiction and reckless spending, but his performance failed to impress many viewers.
His casting in Squid Game 2 marked a return to the entertainment industry after his conviction for marijuana use and a suspended prison sentence, which led to his departure from BIGBANG and a hiatus from acting. The decision to cast him sparked widespread debate.
Amid the controversy, the Squid Game 2 director recently praised T.O.P’s performance. Speaking to People , Hwang Dong Hyuk said, “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. 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,” said Hwang. “So I think it took him a lot of courage to take on that role. 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.”
However, following the release of Season 2, viewers criticized the casting decision. They pointed out issues with T.O.P’s exaggerated gestures, unclear diction, and acting that didn’t mesh well with the other cast members, as well as the outdated depiction of a rapper.
The controversy intensified when rumors spread online that T.O.P was paid 300 million won ($203,688) per episode. While this hasn’t been confirmed, some viewers felt his performance didn’t justify such a high fee.
On the other hand, some defended T.O.P, arguing that his portrayal and effort weren’t as bad as critics claimed and that the backlash was overly harsh.
Below are some reactions from viewers who watched his performance:
“Honestly, I can’t understand the taste of this 50-something man at all. T.O.P feels like the kind of actor you might almost find impressive (but nope, not even 0.00000000001%—not even a speck).”
나 50대 아저씨 감성을 이해할 수가 없어 탑이 대견해보일 정도임(안 대견함 하나도 안 대견함 0.00000000001%도 눈꼽만큼도 안 대견함) pic.twitter.com/5Vz9sfDUxz — 도리 (@NanenDduck) December 26, 2024
