“Squid Game” Actor Wi Ha Joon Wasn’t Originally Meant To Be In The Series, And Here’s The Reason Why
With the rising popularity of the Netflix series Squid Game, fans of the K-Drama have fallen in love with the actors and become attached to those characters that they play! Despite the dark storyline and violent nature, it has captured the hearts of fans worldwide.
In particular, one actor who has gained the attention of viewers is Wi Ha Joon, who plays the handsome police officer Hwang Jun Ho! After the series aired, netizens wanted to know all about the actor and even made a video of him dancing to TWICE‘s “Cheer Up” go viral.
Yet, the producers recently revealed that fans almost didn’t get a chance to fall in love with this character.
In a recent interview with Netflix Korea, some of the actors and production crew sat down and discussed different aspects of the show, from the set, actors, and behind-the-scenes stories.
Alongside speaking about some TMI from the show and the inspiration behind the props, the director Hwang Dong Hyuk actually explained that the character of Jun Ho wasn’t in the initial script, especially as it started off as a movie.
When I was originally writing the movie script, Jun Ho wasn’t there. Two hours wasn’t enough to even cover all the games. But when it was turned into a series, we were able to add more stories to the plot.
— Hwang Dong Hyuk
Hwang Dong Hyuk also added that it was all thanks to Netflix that he could write this storyline for Jun Ho, which eventually became a huge part of the series.
After the character was created, Hwang Dong Hyuk emphasized just how important this character was in the grand scheme of the series.
Through his human eyes, he shows us the world of the pink masked men and the people beyond the game that are controlling them as well.
— Hwang Dong Hyuk
As the series progresses, Jun Ho becomes an important character and was described as, “A character that sees the essence of the game.”
It almost seems impossible to imagine the series without this handsome character. Although Wi Ha Joon has been acting for many years, with roles in K-Dramas such as 18 Again and Romance is a Bonus Book, this character catapulted him to fame, and fans cannot get enough!
Luckily, Netflix came to the rescue, and by allowing the initial movie script to become a series, fans were lucky enough to watch Wi Ha Joon transform Jun Ho into a much-loved character.
You can watch the whole video below.
