Exclusive | Squid Game’s ‘Front Man’ Lee Byung Hun on his ‘utterly evil’ character: ‘Behind the mask, there’s still…’

In Squid Game, Lee plays The Front Man, a former winner of the deadly contest who becomes its mastermind and masked overseer. Season 2 sees him reenter the game as Player No. 001, revealing his name—Hwang In-ho—and positioning himself directly against protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung Jae), who returns to dismantle the sinister organisation. As the story deepens, so does the moral complexity.

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Lee admits the character appears to be pure villainy at first glance. “The Front Man does seem utterly evil,” he says. “But as an actor, I needed to understand him—his motives, his past. I imagined that behind the mask, there was still a trace of humanity.” Perhaps, he muses, The Front Man envied Gi-hun’s moral conviction. “There may have been a part of him that was rooting for Gi Hun, because some part of him still wanted to believe in people.”

With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Lee Byung Hun remains one of the most acclaimed and sought-after actors in South Korea. He has received both critical and commercial acclaim for his performances across diverse genres, in films such as Joint Security Area (2000), Masquerade (2012), and Concrete Utopia (2023), as well as in television dramas including All In (2003), Iris (2009), Mr. Sunshine (2018), and Our Blues (2022). As one of the first Korean actors to establish a presence in Hollywood, his international portfolio includes roles in The Magnificent Seven and Terminator Genisys, among others. At 54, the actor jokes that while he may have acquired a few wrinkles over the years, one thing has remained unchanged: he cannot portray a character with whom he does not personally resonate. “At 54, I may have added a few wrinkles,” he laughs, “but one thing hasn’t changed: I can’t play a character I don’t connect with.”

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Lee’s creative process has evolved over the years. “In the past, I focused mostly on the character,” he says. “But at some point, I became more fascinated by the overall narrative. When the story is compelling, I want to be part of it. That shift—toward the story as a whole—changed how I choose my projects.”

Squid Game, is set to premiere June 27 on Netflix, Lee’s portrayal of The Front Man remains one of the most intriguing aspects of the series. Mysterious, calculated, and possibly redemptive, the character has captured imaginations worldwide—much like Lee himself.