- T.O.P AKA Choi Seung-hyun plays Thanos in Squid Game season 2
- The purple-haired wildcard stole the show as a drug-taking rapper
- Now, T.O.P has revealed the inspiration behind his iconic look
Squid Game Thanos star T.O.P AKA South Korean musician-turned-actor Choi Seung-hyun has emerged as one of the most popular characters in Squid Game season 2.
With his purple hair, frequent pill-popping and nails that pay homage to his villainous Avengers: Infinity War namesake, fans have been left wanting more Thanos despite his fate leaving little wiggle room for future storylines.
Read more: What is Squid Game Thanos star T.O.P’s net worth?
During a new interview with Rolling Stone UK, T.O.P discussed some of the key elements of his character. These included the thought process behind his iconic look.
Read more: What happens to Thanos in Squid Game season 2?
Speaking to the outlet, T.O.P revealed that he thought Thanos’s Infinity Stone nails would play into the character’s “cringe-worthy” qualities.
The show’s creator and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, instantly agreed.
Why does Thanos have Infinity Stone nails in Squid Game season 2?
T.O.P discussed Thanos’s nail color choices with Rolling Stone UK, unpacking the major inspirations behind them.
“As for his nails, which are coloured in the colours of Infinity stones too, because you know, he’s such an absurd and over the top character, I thought that it would add more to his cringe worthy character if he had the manicure in the colour of Infinity Stones,” the singer told the music outlet.
“When I shared the idea with the director, he said, hey, that is not something that we see every day, let’s do it. And when I had the manicure on and showed it to him, he loved it.”
The character’s favorite treat was also an unlikely inspiration. “He also said that his favorite snacks are Skittles, and it almost looks like Skittles too,” added Seung-hyun.
Elsewhere in the same chat, the K-Pop star said that Thanos almost didn’t have his now-iconic purple hair.
“We designed the character through multiple meetings. One day the director said that I don’t think Thanos would have just regular black hair. And so, from that we were thinking about how because Thanos is just such a simple-minded character, he would probably have purple hair,” explained the singer.
“Thanos is my destiny”
T.O.P got surprisingly candid about his previous battles during the same recent interview. In fact, he went so far as to suggest that playing Thanos in Squid Game season 2 was his “destiny.”
A few years ago, he was arrested for the use of marijuana an event that forced his acting and singing career to be put on hold. His role as Thanos in Squid Game is his first major project after emerging from the other side of this public scandal.
“To be able to portray Thanos meant that I had to come face to face with some of my shameful past. And so, I had a lot of internal debating going on,” he revealed. “But after thoughtful consideration, I came to the conclusion that in a way, the fact that I met a character like Thanos is my destiny.
“I think that gave me the courage to step up to the challenge.”
