- Squid Game season 2 features a new character named Thanos
- He was played by K-pop star T.O.P, former star of K-pop band BigBang
- There are contradicting reports about how much he made
Thanos in Squid Game season 2 grabbed people’s attention and refused to let go.
With his purple hair and wreckless attitude, this new player threw plenty of spanners into the works. He made things extra difficult for our hero Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-Jae) while he was trying to prove that money isn’t the answer to life’s big problems.
Read more: What is Squid Game Thanos star T.O.P’s net worth?
The star behind Thanos is better known as Choi Seung-Hyun, a South Korean rapper-turned-actor. He’s also known by his stage name T.O.P. What’s more, he’s had a career trajectory that’s just as attention-grabbing as his Squid Game counterpart.
Shooting to fame in the mid-noughties, T.O.P gained acclaim as part of the K-pop boyband BigBang. Afterwards, he embarking on a successful solo career. This was complimented by roles in various South Korean TV shows and movies. However, it’s his role as Thanos in Squid Game that has shot him to worldwide recognition.
Read more: Squid Game creator praises his new K-pop star actor
With more people recognizing his face, many have been left wondering who the actor behind Thanos really is – and how much he earned from his stint in Squid Game season 2. When it comes to answering this question, there are conflicting reports and no concrete answers.
Let’s take a look.
How much did T.O.P make for Squid Game season 2?
When it comes to answering this question, there isn’t a concrete answer.
As with most movie and TV show projects, star salaries aren’t always readily available which makes it hard to calculate what T.O.P might have pocketed for playing Thanos in Squid Game season 2.
That said, it hasn’t stopped people from guessing. Over on TikTok, some users have suggested that Seung-Hyun took home around $75,000 per episode although it’s unclear where they got his data and insight from. As such, it’s probably worth taking it with a pinch of salt.
According to LifestyleAsia, his Squid Game co-star Jung Jae was paid around $248,000 per episode for the show’s first season and reportedly even more than that for season 2.
Despite an impressive musical career behind him, T.O.P’s acting career could arguably be seen as still taking off, so perhaps $75,000 per episode is a reasonable guess. However, as we mentioned, we don’t know for sure.
Did T.O.P get paid for Squid Game?
Another theory regarding just how much T.O.P was paid for Squid Game season 2 suggests that he wasn’t paid at all. That said, much like the coverage of Seung-Hyun’s paycheques, these rumors are also unconfirmed.
As addressed over on Reddit, many fans on TikTok have suggested that T.O.P’s recent controversies were why he may not have received a paycheque for his appearance in Squid Game season 2. Perhaps as some way of earning back goodwill with audiences.
For those unaware, a few years ago T.O.P was involved in a marijuana scandal that reportedly impacted his ability to participate in Korean-based projects. His role as Thanos in Squid Game season 2 was a return to the public eye after a few years away from it.
However, much like T.O.P’s salary rumors, this gossip is also exactly that – just gossip – with no confirmation or denials issued by anyone in the know.
Considering the same rumor mills suggest he somehow acted without a script, it’s probably safe to assume that there’s little-to-no truth behind the idea that he didn’t receive any salary at all for his portrayal of Thanos.
