The Battle Royale-esque nine-parter sees 456 cash-strapped people risk their lives in a nightmare-inducing survival game to win billions of Korean won (which roughly equates to \u00a328 million). Unfortunately for them, the survival element of the game is taken very literally, with the price for losing being death.<\/p>\n
As well as its binge-worthy premise, Squid Game features an expansive cast delivering top-notch performances. But who\u2019s who and where have you seen them before? Read on to find out but just remember not to get too attached \u2013 Squid Game does not play around when it comes to dramatically killing off characters.<\/p>\n
Lee Jung-jae plays Seong Gi-hun<\/h2>\n ![\""Squid\"]( "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Seong Gi-hun? <\/strong>Seong Gi-hun is a divorced gambling addict whose financial woes are getting in the way of gaining custody of his daughter. He lives with his mother in a modest abode and soon finds out she has diabetes and needs surgery. When he hears about the secret game and its substantial cash prize, he decides to take part so he can settle his debts and pay for his mother\u2019s medical bills.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Lee Jung-jae before? <\/strong>The South Korean actor began his career as a model before transitioning to television and film. He has appeared in many South Korean series and films, including The Face Reader, The Last Witness, Typhoon and 2000\u2019s Il Mare, which was the inspiration for Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves\u2019 The Lake House.<\/p>\nPark Hae-soo plays Cho Sang-woo<\/h2>\n ![\""SquidGame_Unit_108_0133"\"]( "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_108_0133\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Cho Sang-woo? <\/strong>Cho Sang-woo grew up poor alongside Seong Gi-hun. A gifted student, Cho Sang-woo eventually graduates from Seoul National University and becomes the head of an investment team. Unfortunately, he gets caught stealing money from his clients and is wanted from the police, so he decides to enter the game with Seong Gi-hun.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Park Hae-soo before? <\/strong>Hae-soo\u2019s career began in musical theatre before he got his breakthrough in the 2017 drama Prison Playbook, which earned him a Best New Actor win at The Seoul Awards. He also appears in the Korean adaptation of Money Heist<\/a>.<\/p>\nHoYeon Jung plays Kang Sae-byeok<\/h2>\n ![\""SquidGame_Unit_108_0070"\"]( "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_108_0070\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Kang Sae-byeok? <\/strong>A North Korean defector, the resourceful Kang Sae-byeok joins the game in a bid to secure the money she needs to get the rest of her family out of North Korea and help her little brother, who is in an orphanage in Seoul. She is good with knife and a skilled pickpocket, both of which come in handy in the arena.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen HoYeon Jung before? <\/strong>Squid Game marks Jung\u2019s first acting role, with the newcomer rising to fame after appearing in Korea\u2019s Next Top Model and walking the catwalk for the likes of Chanel and Louis Vuitton.<\/p>\nAnupam Tripathi plays Abdul Ali<\/h2>\n ![\""Squid\"]( "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Abdul Ali? <\/strong>He is a migrant worker hailing from Pakistan who loses several fingers during an accident in the factory where he works. He was never compensated, and he volunteers to take part in Squid Game to provide for his wife and child and the rest of his family in Pakistan.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Anupam Tripathi before? <\/strong>Indian-born Tripathi is one of the few non-Korean actors in Squid Game. Much like Jung, Squid Game is his first major acting role, though he has appeared in Space Sweepers, also on Netflix, and in the film Ode To My Father.<\/p>\nOh Young-soo plays Oh Il-nam<\/h2>\n ![\""SquidGame_Unit_101_216"\"]( "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_101_216\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Oh Il-nam? <\/strong>The eldest player in Squid Game, Oh Il-nam, also known as player 001, joins the game after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. He soon strikes up a friendship with Gi-hun, who feels responsible for the old man \u2013 but he\u2019s not as helpless as he may seem at first glance.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Oh Young-su before? <\/strong>Oh Young-su played a monk in both A Little Monk and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter\u2026 and Spring.<\/p>\nHeo Sung-tae plays Jang Deok-su<\/h2>\n ![\""SquidGame_Unit_101_603"\"]( "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_101_603\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Jang Deok-su? <\/strong>Seoul gangster Jang Deok-su has amassed quite the gambling debt and is on the run from his crime lord boss when he joins the game. He is not to be messed with, in case you didn\u2019t guess that from the picture above.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Heo Sung-tae before? <\/strong>Heo Sung-tae is no stranger to playing villains, having appeared in series Beyond Evil as ruthless businessman Lee Chang-jin. He rose to fame in 2016\u2019s The Age of Shadows and has had roles in Netflix\u2019s Racket Boys and The Fortress.<\/p>\nKim Joo-ryung plays Han Mi-nyeo<\/h2>\n ![\""SquidGame_Unit_107_0013"\"]( "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_107_0013\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Han Mi-nyeo? <\/strong>Not much is known of the mysterious Han Mi-nyeo when she enters the game, other than the fact she\u2019s a poor single mother \u2013 and intent on surviving at all costs.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Kim Joo-ryung before? <\/strong>Fans of Korean dramas will recognise Kim Joo-ryung from her roles in Korean dramas Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny and When My Love Blooms. She also appeared in 2012\u2019s Sleepless Night and Mr Sunshine.<\/p>\nWi Ha-joon plays Hwang Jun-ho<\/h2>\n ![\""Squid\"]( "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Hwang Jun-ho? <\/strong>Hwang Jun-ho is a Seoul police officer whose missing brother is connected to the game. After an encounter with Gi-hun, Jun-ho goes undercover as a guard in the game.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Wi Ha-joon before? <\/strong>The prolific Wi Ha-joon has starred in a string of popular Korean films and dramas, including found footage horror Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum and thriller Midnight, and dramas Romance Is a Bonus Book and Something in the Rain.<\/p>\nLee Byung-hun plays The Front Man<\/h2>\n ![\""SquidGame_Unit_107_0295"\"]( "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_107_0295\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is The Front Man? <\/strong>The Front Man is in charge of running the whole game. Like all those who work on the game, he wears a mask to maintain strict anonymity, with viewers not finding out who is beneath until episode eight.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Lee Byung-hun before? <\/strong>The face under the mask is perhaps one of the most well-known among the Squid Game cast, with actor and singer Lee Byung-hun appearing in some of the highest-grossing films in Korea, including Inside Men, Master and The Good, the Bad, the Weird. He has also portrayed T-1000 in 2015 Terminator Genisys and has appeared in The Magnificent Seven and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.<\/p>\nLee Yoo-mi plays Ji-yeong<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\""Squid\"]( "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Ji-yeong? <\/strong>Another cash-strapped player \u2013 number 240 to be exact \u2013 Ji-yeong forms an unlikely bond with Sae-byeok. It is revealed she was in prison for killing her abusive father.<\/p>\nWhere have I seen Lee Yoo-mi before? <\/strong>The actress has had roles in the likes of 365: Repeat of the Year, Hostage: Missing Celebrity, and Doctor John.<\/p>\nSquid Game is currently streaming on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix<\/a> and best movies on Netflix<\/a>, or visit our TV Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Your guide to the key players in Netflix’s smash hit, and the actors who play them. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5114,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-scaled.jpg",2560,1705,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-768x511.jpg",768,511,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-1024x682.jpg",800,533,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-1536x1023.jpg",1536,1023,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-2048x1364.jpg",2048,1364,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Your guide to the key players in Netflix's smash hit, and the actors who play them.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/5113"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\""Squid\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Squid-Game-Lee-Jung-Jae-f9f69cc.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nWho is Seong Gi-hun? <\/strong>Seong Gi-hun is a divorced gambling addict whose financial woes are getting in the way of gaining custody of his daughter. He lives with his mother in a modest abode and soon finds out she has diabetes and needs surgery. When he hears about the secret game and its substantial cash prize, he decides to take part so he can settle his debts and pay for his mother\u2019s medical bills.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Lee Jung-jae before? <\/strong>The South Korean actor began his career as a model before transitioning to television and film. He has appeared in many South Korean series and films, including The Face Reader, The Last Witness, Typhoon and 2000\u2019s Il Mare, which was the inspiration for Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves\u2019 The Lake House.<\/p>\n Who is Cho Sang-woo? <\/strong>Cho Sang-woo grew up poor alongside Seong Gi-hun. A gifted student, Cho Sang-woo eventually graduates from Seoul National University and becomes the head of an investment team. Unfortunately, he gets caught stealing money from his clients and is wanted from the police, so he decides to enter the game with Seong Gi-hun.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Park Hae-soo before? <\/strong>Hae-soo\u2019s career began in musical theatre before he got his breakthrough in the 2017 drama Prison Playbook, which earned him a Best New Actor win at The Seoul Awards. He also appears in the Korean adaptation of Money Heist<\/a>.<\/p>\n Who is Kang Sae-byeok? <\/strong>A North Korean defector, the resourceful Kang Sae-byeok joins the game in a bid to secure the money she needs to get the rest of her family out of North Korea and help her little brother, who is in an orphanage in Seoul. She is good with knife and a skilled pickpocket, both of which come in handy in the arena.<\/p>\n Where have I seen HoYeon Jung before? <\/strong>Squid Game marks Jung\u2019s first acting role, with the newcomer rising to fame after appearing in Korea\u2019s Next Top Model and walking the catwalk for the likes of Chanel and Louis Vuitton.<\/p>\n Who is Abdul Ali? <\/strong>He is a migrant worker hailing from Pakistan who loses several fingers during an accident in the factory where he works. He was never compensated, and he volunteers to take part in Squid Game to provide for his wife and child and the rest of his family in Pakistan.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Anupam Tripathi before? <\/strong>Indian-born Tripathi is one of the few non-Korean actors in Squid Game. Much like Jung, Squid Game is his first major acting role, though he has appeared in Space Sweepers, also on Netflix, and in the film Ode To My Father.<\/p>\n Who is Oh Il-nam? <\/strong>The eldest player in Squid Game, Oh Il-nam, also known as player 001, joins the game after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. He soon strikes up a friendship with Gi-hun, who feels responsible for the old man \u2013 but he\u2019s not as helpless as he may seem at first glance.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Oh Young-su before? <\/strong>Oh Young-su played a monk in both A Little Monk and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter\u2026 and Spring.<\/p>\n Who is Jang Deok-su? <\/strong>Seoul gangster Jang Deok-su has amassed quite the gambling debt and is on the run from his crime lord boss when he joins the game. He is not to be messed with, in case you didn\u2019t guess that from the picture above.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Heo Sung-tae before? <\/strong>Heo Sung-tae is no stranger to playing villains, having appeared in series Beyond Evil as ruthless businessman Lee Chang-jin. He rose to fame in 2016\u2019s The Age of Shadows and has had roles in Netflix\u2019s Racket Boys and The Fortress.<\/p>\n Who is Han Mi-nyeo? <\/strong>Not much is known of the mysterious Han Mi-nyeo when she enters the game, other than the fact she\u2019s a poor single mother \u2013 and intent on surviving at all costs.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Kim Joo-ryung before? <\/strong>Fans of Korean dramas will recognise Kim Joo-ryung from her roles in Korean dramas Kingmaker: The Change of Destiny and When My Love Blooms. She also appeared in 2012\u2019s Sleepless Night and Mr Sunshine.<\/p>\n Who is Hwang Jun-ho? <\/strong>Hwang Jun-ho is a Seoul police officer whose missing brother is connected to the game. After an encounter with Gi-hun, Jun-ho goes undercover as a guard in the game.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Wi Ha-joon before? <\/strong>The prolific Wi Ha-joon has starred in a string of popular Korean films and dramas, including found footage horror Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum and thriller Midnight, and dramas Romance Is a Bonus Book and Something in the Rain.<\/p>\n Who is The Front Man? <\/strong>The Front Man is in charge of running the whole game. Like all those who work on the game, he wears a mask to maintain strict anonymity, with viewers not finding out who is beneath until episode eight.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Lee Byung-hun before? <\/strong>The face under the mask is perhaps one of the most well-known among the Squid Game cast, with actor and singer Lee Byung-hun appearing in some of the highest-grossing films in Korea, including Inside Men, Master and The Good, the Bad, the Weird. He has also portrayed T-1000 in 2015 Terminator Genisys and has appeared in The Magnificent Seven and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.<\/p>\n Who is Ji-yeong? <\/strong>Another cash-strapped player \u2013 number 240 to be exact \u2013 Ji-yeong forms an unlikely bond with Sae-byeok. It is revealed she was in prison for killing her abusive father.<\/p>\n Where have I seen Lee Yoo-mi before? <\/strong>The actress has had roles in the likes of 365: Repeat of the Year, Hostage: Missing Celebrity, and Doctor John.<\/p>\n Squid Game is currently streaming on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix<\/a> and best movies on Netflix<\/a>, or visit our TV Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Your guide to the key players in Netflix’s smash hit, and the actors who play them. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5114,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-scaled.jpg",2560,1705,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-768x511.jpg",768,511,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-1024x682.jpg",800,533,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-1536x1023.jpg",1536,1023,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2021\/09\/meet-the-cast-of-squid-game-full-list-of-actors-and-characters-in-hit-netflix-series-2048x1364.jpg",2048,1364,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Your guide to the key players in Netflix's smash hit, and the actors who play them.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/5113"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Park Hae-soo plays Cho Sang-woo<\/h2>\n
![\""SquidGame_Unit_108_0133"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/SquidGame_Unit_108_0133-89895c3.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_108_0133\"\\"")
<\/div>\nHoYeon Jung plays Kang Sae-byeok<\/h2>\n
![\""SquidGame_Unit_108_0070"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/SquidGame_Unit_108_0070-acc6180.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_108_0070\"\\"")
<\/div>\nAnupam Tripathi plays Abdul Ali<\/h2>\n
![\""Squid\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Squid-Game-Abdul-Ali-ad38a5b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nOh Young-soo plays Oh Il-nam<\/h2>\n
![\""SquidGame_Unit_101_216"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/SquidGame_Unit_101_216-91ec448.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_101_216\"\\"")
<\/div>\nHeo Sung-tae plays Jang Deok-su<\/h2>\n
![\""SquidGame_Unit_101_603"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/SquidGame_Unit_101_603-8640cd8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_101_603\"\\"")
<\/div>\nKim Joo-ryung plays Han Mi-nyeo<\/h2>\n
![\""SquidGame_Unit_107_0013"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/SquidGame_Unit_107_0013-5154579.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_107_0013\"\\"")
<\/div>\nWi Ha-joon plays Hwang Jun-ho<\/h2>\n
![\""Squid\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Squid-Game-Cop-cf0a351.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\nLee Byung-hun plays The Front Man<\/h2>\n
![\""SquidGame_Unit_107_0295"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/SquidGame_Unit_107_0295-6964a64.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"SquidGame_Unit_107_0295\"\\"")
<\/div>\nLee Yoo-mi plays Ji-yeong<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Squid\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/09\/Squid-Game-Ji-Yeong-a3b1b10.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Squid\\"")
<\/div>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"