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'Squid Game' Star O Yeong-Su Or Player 001 Makes History As First Korean Actor To Win A Golden Globe

He won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a series, limited series, or television movie.

Source: IMDb

O Yeong-Su, the actor who played Oh II-Nam in the hit Korean series, Squid Game, has made history. He won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a series, becoming the first Korean actor to do so. 



 

Oh Il-Nam, better known as Player 001, managed to beat the odds and make it through four deadly rounds of the games in the show. The 77-year-old actor has in real-life, managed to beat other impressive actors including Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass (The Morning Show), Kieran Culkin (Succession), and Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) to claim the title of the best supporting actor in this year's Golden Globes. Since there was no physical event held this year with celebrity attendance, the winners were announced in a private ceremony that was streamed online. 



 

Il-Nam had a very vital role in the show. The elderly man joins the game because he has a brain tumor and prefers playing the game, to try and earn the grand prize money instead of waiting to die in the outside world. If you haven't watched the series yet, then warning for spoilers ahead. Il-Nam, however, seems to get shot in the fourth game in the marble game after his partner in the game, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) beats him. We say goodbye to several other beloved characters in this round as well. But it is only in the last episode that a shocking revelation is made.

Squid Game, Netflix

Il-Nam was never shot and was actually one of the creators of the games. He was one of the ultra-rich people betting on the lives of the poor and desperate. He had decided to become a part of the games because the thrill of betting no longer interested him and he wanted something more. And because he did in fact have a brain tumor, he wanted to feel the thrill again and decides to participate in the game disguised as a player. He reveals these secrets on his death bed to Gi-hun. The character he played did a complete 180 and was a really shocking plot twist that added to the excitement of the show.

Source: IMDb

Before this, O Yeong-Su had been a part of a lot of stage plays. He has been a part of over 200 stage productions. He later started acting in films and television roles. Most of his roles were limited to portraying monks due to his experience with Buddhist plays. In an interview on South Korean TV last year, O revealed how that his life had changed significantly since appearing on the hit show. "I feel like I'm in the air. So I'm trying to calm myself down now so I can restrain myself," he said. "When I go to cafes or other places, I become self-conscious. Being a famous actor was hard too." 

The show is set to return for a second season. Hwang Dong-hyuk said, “I think we’ll be reaching some sort of conclusion [to our discussions] soon. We know that many people are waiting, so everyone is working hard to prepare for the next season with a positive outlook.”

Squid Game