Despite mixed reviews from some, Netflix’s 'Squid Game Season 2' is showing signs of another massive success, following in the footsteps of its predecessor. 

Amid the global spotlight that has elevated its cast to world stardom, actor Son Suk Goo is drawing attention for turning down roles in both seasons of the hit series. Interestingly, the reasons behind his refusals for Season 1 and Season 2 differed.

A close associate of Son Suk Goo recently revealed to Newsen that he was offered the role of Sang Woo, played by Park Hae Soo, during his time at his former agency, SBD Entertainment. They shared, “He received the offer from the Squid Game production team, but after careful consideration, he declined." This offer was made roughly three years ago, as Season 1 premiered in September 2021.

In Season 1, Sang Woo is a central character, a team leader at Joy Investments, who enters the deadly games due to a debt of 6 billion KRW (~4.1 million USD). The character’s storyline culminates in an ironic showdown against his childhood friend, Gi Hun (played by Lee Jung Jae), making him one of the series’ two final contenders.

As the second most prominent character after Gi Hun, Sang Woo appeared throughout the majority of the nine-episode series. In hindsight, turning down the role could be seen as passing up a winning lottery ticket.

The source explained, “At the time, both Son Suk Goo and his agency reviewed the 'Squid Game' script with interest but never anticipated it would become such a massive hit. After the show’s explosive success worldwide, it would be a lie to say there weren’t regrets. Still, we consoled ourselves by saying that every role finds its rightful actor.”

With the success of Season 1, many assumed Son Suk Goo would jump at the chance to join Season 2. However, his close associate shared that while he was open to the idea, the timing wasn’t right. They explained, “By the time he received the script, most of the major roles had already been cast.”

Son Suk Goo was only provided partial scripts for security reasons, and actors like Im Si Wan and Kang Ha Neul had already been confirmed. This led to concerns over his character’s screen time and involvement in the main plot. Additionally, Son Suk Goo was already committed to his filming schedule for Disney+’s 'Big Bet' at the time.

Son Suk Goo briefly mentioned 'Squid Game' during his appearance on the JTBC variety show 'Movie Room' in 2022 while promoting his film 'Unframed.' He commented, “From a director’s perspective, the concept felt very fresh. Unlike other death games where it’s every person for themselves, the team-based cooperation was quite heartwarming."

Despite polarizing opinions, 'Squid Game Season 2' has achieved an overwhelmingly strong opening. According to FlixPatrol, a platform that tracks OTT content rankings, the series ranked first globally in Netflix’s TV category as of December 30.

Season 2 focuses on the intense conflict between Gi Hun (played by Lee Jung Jae), who re-enters the games seeking revenge, and the Front Man (portrayed by Lee Byung Hun), who awaits him.

Season 1, released in 2019, remains Netflix’s most successful series to date, accumulating 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first 28 days. It also made history as the first non-English Asian production to win at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.

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