Did you notice a familiar face in the first episode of Squid Game?
In Episode 1 of the Netflix series, "Gi-hun" and the players cross paths with a mysterious "Salesman" who invites them to play ddakji for money — or for slaps. South Korean star Gong Yoo played the part. Here's where you may know him from.
Squid Game: "Salesman" actor Gong Yoo was in Train to Busan
Gong Yoo (공유) is probably best known to international viewers as the star of the zombie film Train to Busan, which like Squid Game was another Korean production that became a global streaming phenomenon in 2016.
It's been five years since Train to Busan, and Gong Yoo once again plays a sharp-dressed and put-together character in the pivotal first episode of Squid Game.
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was not involved with Train to Busan, but he has worked previously with Gong Yoo, and their connection led to the actor's appearance in the 2021 Netflix series.
In 2011, Hwang wrote and directed the drama film Silenced with Gong Yoo in a lead role. In the Korean press, the star's new part in Squid Game was described as a "special appearance" owing to his work with Hwang on the earlier film.
Silenced (a.k.a. The Crucible) is about the sexual abuse suffered by deaf students at a school in South Korea. The film made such an impact that South Korean lawmakers passed a bill changing the statute of limitations on sex crimes against minors.
Gong Yoo, the Korean film star, is now 42 years old, and he's also from Busan. He's been a popular celebrity in South Korea since acting on TV in the 2000s, and he also appeared this year in the action film Seo Bak.
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