Former BigBang rapper T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun) has returned to the spotlight in a surprising and controversial role in the second season of Netflix’s Squid Game. Known for his time as a member of the iconic K-pop group, T.O.P. plays a character named Thanos, or Player 230, a purple-haired villain who quickly establishes himself as a major antagonist in the deadly games.
The casting choice is loaded with both historical and personal significance. Choi’s real-life scandal in 2017, where he was caught using marijuana while serving mandatory military service, led to a swift downfall in the K-pop industry’s unforgiving spotlight. After a 10-month suspended sentence, he was demoted to public service duty and largely vanished from the public eye. His return to the screen in Squid Game 2 has sparked intense debate, with some questioning the ethics of featuring a former drug offender and others critiquing his acting skills, given his mixed reception in past films like Commitment (2013) and Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014).
However, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk defended Choi’s casting, calling him “the best person for the role” and praising his “courage” in taking on a role that mirrors the public’s harshest perception of him. Since the season’s premiere on December 26, reactions to T.O.P.’s portrayal have been divided, reflecting the complex intersection of celebrity, scandal, and art.
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