- Squid Game season 2 has got people talking
- It’s full of new characters but Thanos has stolen the show
- Squid Game season 3 isn’t far away, says director
New episodes have officially arrived and everyone has been left asking the same question – who plays Thanos in Squid Game?
After debuting on Netflix on 26 December 2024, audiences wasted no time diving back into director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s dark, dystopian and highly bingeable world.
Read more: What is Squid Game Thanos star T.O.P’s net worth?
The filmmaker has dished out seven new episodes so far to whet fans’ appetite for a third that is reportedly already in the can.
Squid Game season 2 sees our reluctant hero Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) forced to re-enter the Squid Game. This time, he’s trying to prove to its players that money isn’t the answer to their woes.
Read more: Who is Player 001 in Squid Game season 2?
However, his task is made more complicated thanks to the arrival of some new players. In addition to a mysterious newcomer named Player 001 trying to disrupt his every move, Gi-hun also has to compete with wild cards like the purple-haired Thanos.
He’s a character that easily grabbed the attention of viewers worldwide. So who is the actor behind Thanos and where might you have seen him before?
Here’s everything you need to know…
Thanos in Squid Game career history
Thanos in Squid Game is played by South Korean singer-turned-actor Choi Seung-hyun – better known by his stage name T.O.P.
Seung-hyun is a rapper, singer and songwriter and a star of the K-pop scene. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the band BigBang. Together with bandmates Taeyan, G-Dragon, Daesung and former member Senguri, BigBang become one of Asia’s best-selling groups ever.
Read more: Squid Game creator praises his new K-pop star actor
In 2007, Seung-hyun pursued a solo career. He also started acting, a path that’s led him to Squid Game. T.O.P made his screen debut in 2007’s rom-com TV series I Am Sam. He followed it up with a role in the action thriller Iris in 2009.
After winning the 2010 Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actor, Seung-hyun starred in the 2013 action drama Commitment. Next, he moved on to the crime drama Tazza: The Hidden Card in 2014.
Despite all this success, it’s his role as the unpredictable Thanos in Squid Game season 2 that has propelled him to Western acclaim.
Squid Game Thanos actor controversy
Those who have already seen Squid Game season 2 will know that Thanos is also a rapper, just like Seung-hyun. Throughout the series, he’s also seen taking drugs in order to help survive certain games. This is something that also has links to T.O.P’s personal life.
Like every South Korean citizen, Seung-hyun was required to deliver two-years of mandatory military service which he began in early 2017. However, just a year later he was discharged early due to marijuana use. This ultimately led to prosecution but while waiting for the police’s verdict, Seung-hyun was found unconscious due to what was believed to be an overdose of anti-anxiety medicine.
By 2018, he had resumed his military service and was eventually discharged in July 2019.
What did Squid Game’s director say?
Squid Game director Dong-hyuk has commended Seung-hyun’s bravery for playing Thanos – a role that contains many similarities to his own personal struggles.
“As you may know, Choi Seung-hyun was embroiled in a marijuana controversy about nine years ago, which made it impossible for him to participate in any projects in Korea. Squid Game 2 is his return to acting after a long hiatus,” Dong-hyuk told People.
“In particular, he plays a character who is a rapper and a drug user. In some ways, I think it must have taken a great deal of courage for Choi Seung Hyun to take on this role, especially since the character shares many negative similarities with his personal experiences.
“I believe it required a lot of bravery to step into that character,” he continued.
“Despite his long break, as a director, I found his acting to be very impressive, and I am extremely satisfied with how he portrayed the character.”
