Lee Jung Jae, the South Korean actor who gained global recognition with? Squid Game,? has been making headlines recently. It emerged that the famous star demanded a whopping $1 million per episode for his work in season 2 of the globally acclaimed Netflix show.
The first season of the popular thriller series saw 456 players compete in a series of deadly riffs on children’s games for a massive cash prize. The show pushed Lee to new heights of popularity, netting him an Emmy nomination and landing him a role in the upcoming Star Wars series, The Acolyte. It also helped him make his directorial debut with Hunt.
However, despite his increased fame and success, he still values his craft and is unwilling to cut corners. And he will go above and beyond for his second season of Squid Game, as he has been reported to demand a whopping $1 million per episode, more than double his $245,000 salary from the first season.
Squid Game cast members Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, and Wi Ha-jun are all returning for the second season. The trio will take on their original roles from the first season, while newcomers Yim Si-wan (Unlocked), Kang Ha-Neul (Midnight Runners), and Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) will join the lineup.
And as soon as the remaining cast for Squid Game 2 was announced, it caused a stir among Korean netizens. The list of actors included former BigBang member T.O.P, whose casting in the sequel has been criticized due to his previous marijuana scandal, which landed him a ten-month prison sentence and two years probation.
Dispatch has revealed that Lee Jung Jae had a hand in securing T.O.P. a pivotal role in the second season of the hit drama. The actor was close friends with T.O.P, and the two would meet up at each other’s apartment for dates. Hence, seeing him return the favor by giving his friend T.O.P. a coveted spot in the globally acclaimed show is unsurprising.
In his statement to the media, Lee Jung Jae confirmed that he had seen T.O.P’s face for the first time since his return to acting in Squid Game at the Table read for season 2. However, he insisted that his company, Hiin Entertainment, was not involved in the casting of T.O.P. for the upcoming season of the popular series.
Fans have been highly excited about the second season of Squid Game, and it looks like it’ll be a thrilling ride from start to finish. And with the new additions to the cast, the second season is bound to be even more intense than the first. Stay tuned for more updates on the highly anticipated drama! The series is set to premiere in June 2022. Until then, check out the trailer for the highly anticipated drama below!
