After three increasingly intense seasons and a grueling global publicity campaign for the finale, Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae is finally ready to part ways with Player 456.
The veteran Korean actor, who became an Emmy winner and a global icon thanks to the historic success of Squid Game‘s first blockbuster season, says he returned for the shooting of the final episodes physically and emotionally transformed. Long gone was the actor’s signature toothy grin and everyman charisma. From the start of season two, Lee knew how his character Gi-hun’s journey would conclude — in a heartbreaking final moment that has sparked fierce debate among fans — and he used that knowledge as the emotional foundation for everything that followed. Already quite lean, the 52-year-old actor also dieted aggressively throughout production, dropping over 20 pounds to underscore the ravages of his character’s deepening spiritual disillusionment.
Reflecting on the series finale’s release a little over a week ago, Lee connected with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the meaning of Gi-hun’s last words, how his character would react to The Front Man’s final actions, and the stark message he hopes global viewers will take from Netflix‘s most successful series ever.
What was the hardest scene for you to shoot in Season 3?
I would have to say, without a doubt, the most challenging scene to shoot was Gi-hun’s last scene. To get that scene just right — all of the effort that went into mentally preparing for it and maintaining that psychological state — all of that process was really not easy. Physically, I had gone on a very strict diet for about 14 months, which actually got more strict by the day, up until the day we shot Gi-hun’s final scene. Over that time, I lost about 10 kilograms (22 pounds). I wanted to portray the character in a way where, even if you just saw Gi-hun standing there, you’d be able to feel how much anguish and pain he was going through.
I understand you had all of the scripts from the beginning of Season 2 through to the end of Season 3. How did knowing Gi-hun’s ending inform the way you approached the rest of the story?
It indeed had a huge influence — the fact that I knew where this was heading. That ending is the most important scene and is very much in direct contact with the overarching theme that penetrates all three seasons. It was always top of mind and something I thought about more than any other scene. So, in a way, it was from that last scene that I built out the rest of the moments — whether it was Gi-hun’s dynamic with other characters, his emotional arc, or the way he responds to what happens around him. The foundation for building the character was always that final moment.
So, can you complete that final line for us? “Humans are…” — does the series end with a note of humanity, or is it the opposite?
For me, my character’s heart was truly genuine in only wanting to protect and save that baby. So for me, that line was interpreted as: “Humans are worthy of respect.”
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game S3
No Ju-han/Netflix
Yeah, how did you initially react to the major twist of the baby becoming a player in the Game in Season 3? It felt to me that near the beginning of Season 3, Gi-hun is nearly or fully broken as a person — his faith in humanity hanging by a thread, if not severed — but then the baby reignites something in him.
Your description of the character’s reaction is very accurate to my intention, so I thank you for that. But when I first read that part in the script, it was such a horrible page to read — very painful. I thought, “How did he come up with this?! Why have a baby be born under such cruel circumstances?” But it’s true — I believe it was the birth of the baby that sparked something again in Gi-hun. I think if not for the baby, Gi-hun probably would have just let go — maybe even of his own life. But with the birth of the baby, he had something he wanted to protect. It rekindled the humanity that Gi-hun had always harbored before all of this. It gave him renewed purpose — to protect this child no matter what. And I think that’s a very human feeling. It reminded me that we all live for our future generations, just as our parents did. I’ve thought about that before, but this story made me reflect on it in a new way, which will stick with me.
How do you interpret the final scene between the Front Man and Gi-hun’s daughter? Is he trying to stir something in her — maybe curiosity about the Game — or is it a sign of his own changed humanity? That he was moved by Gi-hun and now wants to give her closure and the money her father fairly won?
Honestly, I don’t know — the Front Man is so enigmatic. You really don’t know what’s going on in his mind. But when I saw that scene, all I can say is: As Gi-hun, I was not happy about it. How dare you go see my daughter! [Laughs]
I’ve read that Director Hwang didn’t initially plan to kill Gi-hun. Did you talk with him about alternate endings? And how did you feel about the one we got?
If this project had been more focused just on the entertainment side of being a death-game genre, I don’t think the director would have wanted to end it this way. But Squid Game is different. It’s not just spectacle — it’s about the themes of our inner humanity and societal relationships. I think director Hwang wanted a very clear and complete ending — one that fits his overall message — even if it meant signaling that there won’t be a Season 4. I believe he felt strongly that Gi-hun’s final decision was the right end for his arc.
Personally, if Season 1 hadn’t been such a big success, or if the script had been written by a different writer/director, I might have been more involved in suggesting changes or pushing back. But with everything that’s happened — and the trust I have in director Hwang — I made the choice to fully support his vision. I believed it was the best choice for the story.
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in the ‘Squid Game’ series finale.
No Ju-han/Netflix
That’s certainly rare — especially when the show has been this successful.
Exactly. When something is that successful, you can usually keep going. Season 4, Season 5… but the fact that he decided to stop here — that’s a huge act of courage. I think that’s only possible when you value and believe in your work that deeply. Seeing that determination from him made me want to fully support his decision.
Now that it’s complete, do you think Squid Game is ultimately about the survival of humanist values — or something else entirely? What do you hope viewers take away from the ending and the full sweep of the series?
What I hoped the audience would feel, through watching Gi-hun — a character driven truly to rock bottom and the most intense darkness — is how he still struggles to find hope and to live a meaningful life. What I hope people take away is that we all get hurt and betrayed by others, which can lead to hatred, but we still have to carry on and live together in society. We have to try to understand each other, to keep our dignity and work towards harmony. If we can do that — work together with others, no matter what we’ve been through — we may see a future with less division and conflict. That’s where hope lies.
