SPOILER ALERT: This textual content incorporates major spoilers from “Squid Recreation” Season 3, Episode 2, now streaming on Netflix.

When Park Sung-hoon filmed Cho Hyun-ju’s dying scene all through “Squid Recreation” Season 3’s memorable recreation of hide-and-seek, he managed to shock himself by nailing it right away.

“Director Hwang [Dong-hyuk] gave me a course saying, ‘When Hyun-ju slips away from the digicam, would possibly you’ve gotten one tear roll down your face?’ And I assumed it might be exhausting, nevertheless I really did it in a single take,” Park tells Choice. “So as soon as I accomplished it, the employees all clapped and cheered for me.”

Nevertheless that doesn’t suggest saying goodbye acquired right here easy, notably because of Hyun-ju’s dying happens so unexpectedly early throughout the season. “Not too way back, I’ve carried out an entire lot of villain characters, so I was so lucky to have the flexibility to play Hyun-ju, who’s such a cool character,” Park says. “It was very exhausting for me to say goodbye to her, because of I assumed she would final extra. I imagine she died ahead of she must have, so it’s a shame.”

Hyun-ju was launched in Season 2 as one in all many major players throughout the new recreation, with the aim of using the cash prize to help fund her gender-affirming surgical process after getting discharged from the military. Relying on her teaching, she ends up teaming up with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), turning into an instrumental chief throughout the stand up. Choice beforehand spoke with Park regarding the preparation that went into collaborating in a trans character as a cis actor.

After Gi-hun’s stand up fails on the end of Season 2, Episode 2 of this final season kicks off with half the players being compelled to kill one different participant, whereas the hiders try to find the exit. Hyun-ju immediately sticks with the older woman, Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim), and the pregnant Kim Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), who’re all on the an identical workforce. Alongside the way in which wherein, Hyun-ju is compelled to kill off players from the opposing workforce, exhibiting off her military teaching. Upon stumbling on the exit, she goes once more to avoid wasting a lot of Geum-ja and Jun-hee’s new little one little one sooner than being stabbed throughout the once more by Lee Myungi-gi (Yim Si-wan).

Beneath, Park breaks down Hyun-ju’s dedication to sacrifice herself, what it meant for a trans character to witness the toddler’s begin, and the way in which the actor continues to duplicate on the LGBTQ+ neighborhood’s warmth response to the character.

Can you talk about regarding the giant emotional scene when Hyun-ju finds the exit, opens the door and decides to return, lastly sacrificing herself to avoid wasting a lot of the alternative two girls? What’s going by way of her head in that second?

When she finds the exit, it was merely an computerized response for her to take a step. Nevertheless I imagine her motivation shifted from Seasons 2 to a few. In Season 2, her major motivation was to get the money so that she would possibly get her gender affirmation surgical process, go to Thailand and start over. Nevertheless in Season 3, her giant motivation turned defending the weaker woman proper right here, Geum-ja, and Jun-hee’s new little one little one as properly. So when she took a step exterior, I imagine there was a rise up identify inside her head telling her to return: “It’s a should to defend these people.” So I imagine the one thought that was left in her head in the mean time was to go and save them. I keep in mind limping and being very bloody, strolling once more to the room, and I actually really feel very emotional correct now, actually, contemplating once more to that scene, because of it was such a tragic and heartbreaking second.

What was the experience like filming that dying scene? Was it the ultimate scene you shot?

The last word scene I filmed was as soon as I’m being photographed by the Squid Recreation organizers. The scene when Jun-hee gives begin was so specific to Hyun-ju because of the beginning of a life is such a holy and sacred issue. Significantly as a trans woman, I imagine Hyun-ju would have loads of emotions swirling inside her watching that happen. When Myung-gi stabs me throughout the once more and kills me, there’s a line throughout the script that claims, “Hyun-ju’s soul leaves her eyes.” So I tried to stay true to the script.

Sooner than Hyun-ju’s dying, we moreover see her in movement, killing two completely different players in self-defense. What preparation went into the choreography for these violent scenes?

Sooner than we obtained into capturing the scene, we went to movement school to start off with the basic teaching, after which we realized the choreo for that scene. We did a little bit bit little little bit of adjustments on set, nevertheless we principally adopted the choreo that was given to us. And one in all many two actors who I fought with in that scene actually spent seven years in a Chinese language language temple known as Shaolin Temple, which is believed for martial arts. So that man was so professional, he knew tips about methods to act and react. Together with him, I knew I would create a extraordinarily cool scene. The required issue as soon as I used to be filming that scene was that Hyun-ju truly wanted to protect Geum-ja and the brand new little one little one, and with the intention to do that, she wanted to kill these people. Nevertheless she is certainly a extremely warm-hearted specific particular person, and has a superb moral compass, so I assumed that she would hate to kill these people, even when she has to. So I thought-about wanting away when stabbing because of she didn’t must see that she was actually killing any individual. So every time she’s stabbing any individual, she’s wanting away.

That’s a extraordinarily fascinating various. I moreover favored the second the place, after you kill the ultimate participant, you trace the blood in your face. One different participant on the crimson workforce thinks of trying to kill you, nevertheless decides to keep up taking place the hallway because of they’re too sacred.

Director Hwang was actually very keen on that scene, because of he suggested me that when Hyun-ju is wiping off the sweat and there’s blood stained all through her face, she obtained to look badass. We went for like 10 or further takes to make her look truly cool in that scene. And as you talked about, there’s the alternative participant who merely passes by and decides to not battle me. I imagine that was very humorous — it’s a scene that displays Hyun-ju’s charisma and aura. So that’s moreover a second I keep expensive to my coronary coronary heart.

All the set for the conceal and search recreation is unbelievable, and feels so overwhelming. Can you talk about how expansive it was? All of it seems very smart.

The set for conceal and search was actually just one floor. It seems choose it’s obtained a variety of flooring everytime you watch the current, nevertheless that’s all achieved with CGI. The overarching thought for the conceal and search set was the ocean. And also you perceive how the ocean is the trail to all life, it gives begin to all life, and Jun-hee gave begin in that setting of an ocean. So I assumed that was important.

I do know you talked about that Hyun-ju died ahead of she must’ve. Now that the gathering is wrapped, how do you’re feeling concerning the place you purchased to go away off the character? Do you’re feeling corresponding to you obtained to do her justice?

It’s always exhausting to say goodbye to your characters, however it’s notably exhausting if it’s Hyun-ju, who’s such a cool character and such a nice specific particular person. It was very exhausting for me to say goodbye to her, notably because of I obtained rather a lot love and help from followers all internationally. And I imagine me being a cisgender actor collaborating in a transgender character, it moreover has its which suggests, to some extent, because of we’re all people, we deserve the an identical amount of affection and respect. Although I’m a cisgender actor collaborating in a transgender character, the LGBTQ+ neighborhood seen Hyun-ju beneath a extremely optimistic light. They appreciated, revered and supported her, and I’m in order that eternally grateful for what they’ve achieved for her.

It feels important that Hyun-ju died alongside the first one who accepted her as trans, along with Geum-ja, who took for for much longer to simply settle for her. There’s two completely completely different views that additionally come collectively for her finally.

The aim for the three girls was the an identical: Defend the brand new little one little one. It was like girls solidarity collectively. And as you talked about, Geum-ja took a little bit bit further time to warmth as a lot as Hyun-ju and accept and embrace her as her pal and family. She goes by way of that transformation, and I imagine that’s what’s truly obligatory. If there are people in the marketplace that even have prejudices and biases in opposition to the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, I hope they may warmth as a lot because it just like Geum-ja did.

This interview has been edited and condensed.