South Korean superstar Lee Jung Jae, known globally for his role in the Netflix hit "Squid Game" and now "Star Wars: The Acolyte", says it's a joy to be an actor in the age of social media as he gets to interact with audiences in real time from around the world.
Lee said the world has changed a lot since his debut in the 1990s. He started out as a model and ventured into acting with TV drama "Sandglass". He got his breakthrough with the 1998 movie "An Affair".
"Squid Game", which premiered in 2021 and became an instant global phenomenon, is a gift that keeps on giving for the 51-year-old, who is now travelling to the galaxy far, far away with "The Acolyte", streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India.
"For actors, a huge joy is how the world has changed and from country to country, it feels so much closer now. We have so many new types of media and social networks which allow us to feel close to our fans, even though we may be far away physically. I think to be an actor living in these times is truly a great joy," Lee told PTI in an Zoom interview via an interpreter from Seoul.
"If I think of the early '90s when I first started out as an actor, I don't think I ever felt that close to my fans. Now, I get to share my joy in real time in a very close way with my fans. The world has changed so much... That we have this one series that we worked on and through that I get to meet so many audiences around the world, gives me a lot of happiness," he added.
Lee, whose films such as "The Housemaid" and "Hunt" (his directorial debut), have travelled to the Cannes Film Festival over the years, has also featured in popular Korean drama "Chief of Staff".
But it was "Squid Game" that earned him international popularity, acclaim and accolades. In the Netflix survival thriller, the actor starred as the main protagonist Seong Gi Hun, a down-on-his-luck gambler who gets recruited to be part of a deadly competition. The series brought him awards such as a Primetime Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award.
"The Acolyte" creator Leslye Headland has spoken about how she found Lee to be perfect for the series while watching "Squid Game".
In his new show, Lee plays Sol, a respected Jedi master, who must investigate a shocking crime spree which pits him against a dangerous warrior from his past (played by Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.
Playing a Jedi master, a rank given to prominent leaders and scholars in the "Star Wars" universe, was a lot of fun and a great experience for Lee.
"Being an actor is sometimes not easy but it has some great benefits and one of them is that I get to play so many characters and by doing that, I get to study many real life people and indirectly experience life in their shoes.
"Having the experience of playing a Jedi master in the 'Star Wars' universe is one of them. I had a lot of fun while preparing for the character and while working on the show and now (talking to journalists) through these interviews," he added.
Besides Lee and Stenberg, "The Acolyte" stars Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Headland directed the first two episodes while director Kogonada took on the responsibility for episodes three and seven. The fourth and fifth episodes were helmed by Alex Garcia Lopez, with the sixth and the eighth episodes were directed by Hanelle Culpepper.
Award-winning composer Michael Abels, known for his work on “Get Out” and “Us”, scored “The Acolyte”.
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