(Ed. remark: This post contains spoilers for games/characters released later in the season. Only read on if you know these details well.)
It’s very easy to watch Squid game and think: I could do that. It may even be easier than some other reality competition shows. After all, that is the Faustian bargain of the elite, violent games Squid game. It’s the exact same level of thinking that gets the characters killed – after all, how hard would it be to get through a single round of red light, green light?
Squid gameas a show, makes it clear that it is often more luck than skill that gets people through the games. But for the cast and crew, even getting a guaranteed result was far from a simple child’s play. And because Season 2 deviated from the schoolyard games of Season 1 with some tougher competitions, the question had to be asked: Which game was the hardest to actually play?
The cast themselves, while not risking their lives, certainly have a dog in that fight. We interviewed the cast Squid game‘s second season to find out what was actually challenging about this year’s challenges.
“I enjoyed the six-legged game. (…) That was the best part. But at the same time it was very difficult because we had to keep our legs tied together all the time.”
Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun)
“So for me it was Red Light, Green Light, because we filmed that for four or five days, and I was screaming at the top of my lungs the entire time. I’m like, ‘Freeze!’ or ‘Stop!’ and kind of bossing people around. I was screaming all the time, and sometimes you get a little dizzy when you scream so much.
“Luckily I didn’t lose my voice and we were able to finish the scene well. But yes, that was the biggest challenge for me.”
Kang Ae-sim (Jang Geum-ja)
“It would definitely be the (pentathlon). It reminded me of pep rallies or those big games we used to have in school where we were divided into the red team and the blue team and people were cheering and everyone was watching, and it really had the excitement and excitement. emotion of those matches.”
Showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk
“For me it was definitely the pentathlon – first and foremost because it was just So a lot of people who had to appear on screen and on set. And there was so much sand dust on the ground. So that led to many people having to cough constantly; I remember that I also had a lot of difficulty breathing, and later developed respiratory colds. And we also had (only) a limited number of shooting days to film the entire series. It was almost a nightmare at the time, I think, because I think we went through about 15 to 16 days of shooting in the space of probably at least two or three weeks. So if I had to do it all again, I don’t think I could do it.”
Lee Byung-hun (frontman)
“Although I truly believe that director Hwang probably had to go through the most difficulties (and for whom it was probably the greatest challenge, because he had to think about all the complexities), as an actor he participates in I believe that the pentathlon is one of the most difficult was to film. First of all, because of the dust: the air was always filled with sand dust, so it was difficult to breathe. And there were so many people on screen, which as an actor you always have to take into account.
“But also in season 2, because my character needs different facets, where I have to be part Front Man, part In-ho and then part the fake persona Young-il. So sometimes I had to turn my eyes on and off, because I had to be Young-il’s and then the next look, had to be In-ho’s, and immediately turn them on and off with each fleeting glance. moment. That was both very challenging and intriguing and a fun challenge for me to take on as a performer.”
Yang Dong-geun (Park Yong-sik)
“I think for me it was definitely the (merry-go-round) game because I had to show a lot of these deep inner emotions. And I think it was a difficult process for me to get to the point where I could express these emotions.
Lee Seo-hwan (Park Jung-bae)
“For me it was the (merry-go-round) game. It was actually physically difficult for me because I have very poor eyesight and the lights go out and then come back on in a second, and sometimes it blinds you and you just can’t see for a few seconds. The floor was also very slippery and there were so many people, so it was physically challenging for me.”
Yim Si Wan (Lee Myung Gi)
“Before I started shooting, I thought the green and red light would be relatively simple. But that was not the case, because I actually found it very difficult to stand still without any movement.”