Lee Jung-jae's career transforms post Squid Game, leading to his casting in Disney+'s new series The Acolyte and a surge in Hollywood interest

Actor Lee Jung-jae's career has taken an upward trajectory owing to the great success of Netflix's 2021 series Squid Game. His rise to fame internationally has opened up many unexpected professional projects for him in Hollywood.

The actor was recently cast as Sol, the wise and kind Jedi Master in Disney+'s Star Wars series The Acolyte. The actor, who won an Emmy for his role in Squid Game, expressed his thanks as well as amazement at this new phase of his career. In a recent interview published on June 4, 2024, by The Hollywood Reporter, Lee Jung-jae also revealed that he was surprised to hear that Leslye Headland, the maker of The Acolyte, was motivated to cast him after watching his Squid Game performance. He stated,

“I was actually quite surprised when Leslye [Headland] said that she saw Master Sol from my acting in Squid Game because I feel like the two characters are so different. So I was very curious about what made her feel that way,”

Headland said that she saw resilience in his portrayal of Seong Gi-hun, his character in the 2021 series, that she believed would suit the character of Master Sol, irrespective of other differences between the two roles. In an interview with IGN posted on March 24, the maker stated,

"I thought [about] Squid Game and I was like, 'that’s the guy, that’s him. I don’t know how I get in touch with this person, I don’t know if they want to perform in English.' To me, it became so clearly [Lee]'s part, as opposed to [casting him for] the fact he’s a Korean movie star."

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Actor Lee Jung-jae discusses his role in Disney+'s The Acolyte, his Hollywood career growth following Squid Game, and more

With no prior experience with a Star Wars franchise before, Lee Jung-jae was especially drawn to the challenge of portraying a Jedi, which called for striking a balance between the emotional and patient complexity that usually goes along with these characters.

In the same interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he draws parallels between his character of a father who was addicted to gambling in Squid Game to his recent role as Master Sol and states:

“I do feel like both of my characters in Squid Game and The Acolyte embody this kindness and this desire to live in harmony with others and help others."

Squid Game had a clear and significant influence on Lee's career. His outstanding acting and the series' compelling plot touched viewers all around the world, making him a household figure during the COVID-19 pandemic. As per Netflix, the series was watched for a total of 2.2 billion hours in its first 91 days of release, equivalent to 265.2 million complete viewings of the series.

After Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae's professional development has been characterized by a notable upsurge in Hollywood interest. His attraction in the worldwide entertainment business won him not only critical praise but also made him the first Asian man to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

During the media preview of The Acolyte in Seoul on June 5, 2024, at Seoul’s CGV Yongsan Park Mall, Lee Jung-jae spoke about the expansion of his career in Hollywood, he stated,

“Aside from increased project prospects like ‘Star Wars’, there’s been little change, except for the remarkable expansion of my professional landscape.”

The drama explores Sol's role as a mentor to young Jedi Padawans and the personal problems he faces, providing Lee Jung-jae with an abundant storyline on which to display his acting talent.

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On June 4, 2024, The Acolyte made its premiere on Disney+ with the release of its first two episodes. There will be weekly releases of new episodes for a total of eight episodes.