Squid Game season 2’s breakout star Choi Seung-hyun, also known by his stage name T.O.P, breaks his silence following his casting backlash as Thanos. Following the release of season 2, Thanos immediately became a standout new Squid Game character due to his antics during the games. While T.O.P received praise for his outlandish performance, his casting didn’t come without backlash due to the star’s controversy over his marijuana scandal eight years ago. Despite Squid Game being his massive comeback, the actor limited his involvement with season 2’s press and promotion since many Korean audiences voiced their boycott against his casting.

In an interview with The Korea Times, T.O.P spoke about his casting as Thanos and reflected on his life since the marijuana scandal. In his comments about his Thanos casting, he expressed how the character echoes his own past, where he was initially hesitant to take on the role. However, with encouragement from the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, he eventually accepted the role and wanted to provide the best performance to repay his trust. Read his response below:

“The offer to play Thanos was a daunting proposition. The character mirrored my past, reflecting aspects I’d rather keep hidden. The fear of being pigeonholed into one role made me hesitate. But destiny seemed to be pulling me in this direction.”

“For almost 10 years, I felt no one looked at me, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk reached out to me first. The trust (and) the belief he had in me gave me the courage to take this on. As an actor, it is my duty to repay the trust. Excelling in my performance is another assignment in my life.”

The star researched the potent drugs that Thanos was taking to give the most authentic performance possible. He learned that the side effects of using strong drugs could lead to people enduring dental damage and intense anxiety, especially when they are not under the influence. He elaborated that he used these details to create his character, including his “mumble rap.” Read his response below:

“The drug that Thanos uses in the series is extremely potent, so I researched the effects of such substances while developing the character.

I tried to act differently in scenes where Thanos had not yet used the drug versus those where he had.

There’s a type of rap style in southern U.S. hip-hop called ‘mumble rap,’ often associated with rappers who use powerful stimulants. I tried to channel that in the way Thanos delivers his lines.”

T.O.P concluded his interview by addressing why he decided to return to acting and his isolation during those eight years. He shared that he had been spending time at home during those years and was working on his music, which helped him cope during that time away from the spotlight. He now hopes that his life will be less dramatic and peaceful, where he isn’t “being bombarded by negative news.” Read his response below:

“For the past seven years, I have lived almost isolated from society, spending most of my time at home and in my music studio. So I just kept working on music in the dark and the reason I did that was not for any other reason, but because music was the only place where I could breathe, when I was composing music and standing in front of the microphone. I think I made music to survive.”

“My primary goal is to establish a stable and less dramatic life. I want to reach a point where I can wake up without being bombarded by negative news and feel more at peace.”

Why T.O.P’s First-Ever Interview Since Squid Game Season 2’s Release Is Important

It’s A Comeback Story That Needs To Be Heard

Before venturing into acting, T.O.P was previously a member of one of the biggest K-pop groups, BIGBANG. Much like his Squid Game character, he was also a rapper, who eventually made his way into acting in the 2007 Korean series, I Am Sam. However, in 2017, his career took a massive hit when he was prosecuted for the use of marijuana while he was serving two-year mandatory military service. He was suspended from police work while this was being investigated, but days later, he was found unconscious and was hospitalized. He was suspected to have overdosed on prescribed medication as a result of the scandal making headlines.

The star’s performance has been embraced by Netflix subscribers, leading to many viral edits and memes surrounding his scene-stealing character Thanos.

Since then, the star pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years of probation. Since drugs are also considered taboo in Korean culture, T.O.P. was blacklisted and censored from the media, which has played a part in why he hasn’t made much of an appearance in public since that time. His last acting performance was in 2017’s Out of Control. It wouldn’t be until seven years later that T.O.P would make his comeback in Netflix’s most-viewed show ever, Squid Game.

While there were calls for a boycott of the show, Hwang and his cast members defended his casting, calling it a necessary comeback for the megastar, who had paid his dues since the scandal. While his involvement in the show was divisive in the Korean media, the opposite can be said internationally. The star’s performance has been embraced by Netflix subscribers, leading to many viral edits and memes surrounding his scene-stealing character Thanos. Thus, embarking on Squid Game may have been the best path for T.O.P’s slow resurgence on the big screen.

Our Take On T.O.P’s First Comments

It’s Time To Move On & Forgive

I have been following the developments of this controversy very closely, and I believe it is time that people forgive. The scandal itself is not a major issue since marijuana is legal in many Western countries, including the United States. However, it’s understandable how the drug wouldn’t be tolerated in Korean society.

Still, this is probably one of the best responses to a scandal nearly a decade ago, and perhaps it is time to finally move on and give T.O.P a second chance. I have also been reading about how he was super committed to the role, which showcases his seriousness in making his comeback. This even included enduring a ribcage injury while filming his character’s final moments in the show. I certainly hope that his career will thrive moving forward, especially with what he was able to offer in Squid Game season 2.