Spoilers ahead for “Squid Game” Season 2.
Every good story needs a good villain, and the second season of “Squid Game” has no shortage of those. But one flashy bad guy stands a bit taller than the rest. It’s time to meet Thanos, the purple-haired rapping agent of chaos responsible for some of this season’s biggest shocks.
Like the actor who plays him — T.O.P. — Thanos is a famous rapper in the real world. Thanks to his nearly endless supply of drugs, he plays the games unlike any other player, often dancing, cheering and hitting on young women as the players around him cower for their lives. He brings an unhinged jolt of energy to this retread of a well known story.
Whether you’re completely new to the world of K-pop idols or just wondering how this character came to be, TheWrap has you covered.
That would be Choi Seung-Hyun, who is also known as the South Korean rapper T.O.P.
Choi was originally an underground rapper before he joined the record label YG Entertainment. He was given his stage name T.O.P. by Seven (real name Choi Dong-wook), who was also under YG Entertainment. T.O.P. emerged as the lead rapper in the boy band BigBang in 2006, a group that included fellow rapper G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong) as well as Taeyang (Dong Young-bae), Daesung (Kang Dae-sung), Seungri (Lee Seung-hyun) and Hyunseung (Jang Hyun-seung). Once called the “Kings of K-pop,” BigBang is considered to be one of the most influential acts in K-pop. They were the first Korean artists to be added to Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list in 2016, and they’re ranked as one of the bestselling groups of all-time in Asia as well as one of the best-selling boy bands in the world.
T.O.P. has dabbled in solo work since 2007. Most notably, he released “Turn It Up” in 2010 and “Doom Dada” in 2013, both of which charted on the Gaon Digital Chart. However, T.O.P. has largely moved away from music to focus more on his art and acting. In 2023, he officially announced his departure from BigBang following the end of his contract with YG Entertainment.
Series creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk created Thanos before T.O.P. was cast in the role. The rapper was picked to play the character because of his “serious” approach to the role.
“It was a moment for him to reflect on his career and his life in the music industry,” executive producer Kim Ji-yeonso told TheWrap. “T.O.P. was very serious about his approach, and he had already shown his talent in previous work. So we just it was a good match for this role.”
In “Squid Game,” Thanos is never seen without his massive cross necklace, which contains an assortment of party drugs. Though Kim told TheWrap this aspect of Thanos’ character was developed by Hwang before T.O.P.’s casting, the actor behind this villain does have a history with illegal substances.
In February of 2017, T.O.P. began his two-year military service, which is mandatory in South Korea. During this time, news broke that Choi would be prosecuted without detention for using marijuana, a drug that is still illegal in the country. He pled guilty to the charges and received a 10-month suspended jail sentence.
“I’m truly sorry that I disappointed my fans and the public. I will do my best to make a fresh start and not to make such a mistake again with what I’ve learned from this lesson,” T.O.P told reporters at the time.
After the marijuana incident, T.O.P. was hospitalized after he overdosed on prescribed tranquilizers. He was found unconscious but recovered.
The rapper first made his acting debut in the 2007 TV series “I Am Sam.” That was followed in 2009 by the series “Iris” as well as the TV movie “Nineteen.” But he really gained praise for his acting work in 2010 for “71: Into the Fire,” a role that earned him Best New Actor at the 2010 Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 2011 Baeksang Arts Awards. He’s also been praised for his role in 2013’s “Commitment.”
“Squid Game” is the first project T.O.P. has starred in since he appeared in the German-Chinese thriller “Out of Control” in 2017.
The post Who Plays Thanos in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2? How Choi Seung-Hyun, aka TOP, Brought His Rapper Persona to Netflix appeared first on TheWrap.
