Three Things You Need to Know About ‘Squid Game’ Villain Player 101

Netflix’s Squid Game is probably the hottest series ever to hit the streaming platform. The survival drama has enticed viewers around the world with its unconventional plot and exciting, albeit violent, scenes. It wasn’t a surprise that the show– and its actors — would enjoy a meteoric rise to fame.

One such actor, however, is catching the attention of many fans. Heo Sung-tae, or Jang Deok-su, is known for playing the villainous gangster who often antagonizes other players. While his TV persona seems to be that of a toughie, there’s actually much more to him than you’d think.

Here’s what you need to know about Player 101.

He was once called the “King of TV Sales” in Russia

Yes, Russia. Before going into acting, the 44-year-old studied Russian language and culture at Pusan ​​National University and worked abroad at LG Electronics’ business marketing team. There, he sold TVs in the local market.

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Image from Netflix

He once detailed being dubbed the “King of TV Sales” as he’d “installed all the LG LCD TVs in hotels in Moscow.”

He’s the resident household villain

Unsurprisingly, Heo made it big by playing villains throughout his career. He has over 60 acting credits in films like The Age of Shadows and The Outlaws and shows like Beyond Evil and Psychopath Diary.

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Heo Sung-tae as Ha Il-soo in The Outlaws (2016)
Image from Warner Bros. Korea

Though he’s often typecasted, it was his industry reputation as a big, burly gangster that earned him the part in Squid Game.

The old him would’ve never wanted him to do “that” scene

We’re talking about that bathroom sex scene with Player 212, Han Mi Nyeo. Like users on the Internet do, they scoured the web and found an old interview of Heo on a radio show in 2016 where he revealed that he had promised his wife not to shoot any intimate scenes.

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Squid Game characters Jang Deok-su (Player 101) with Han Mi-nyeo (Player 212)

He shared that his wife could accept him being naked on screen, but not him in bed scenes. He also said that he wouldn’t do them even if he was offered 1 billion won (42 billion pesos).

“No, I can’t do it. I will just earn my money gradually,” he asserted.

Though it seems he’s changed his mind, it doesn’t really matter. He’s still the rough-and-tough Player 101 that we know!

Art Daniella Sison

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