As a cinephile who has been following the evolution of Asian cinema for decades, I must admit that the upcoming season of Squid Game is a topic of great interest to me. Having grown up in South Korea and witnessing firsthand the societal stigmas surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals, I can empathize with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s struggle to find an openly transgender actress for his show.
In a fascinating twist, it’s been announced that the sensational hit series of the 21st century, “Squid Game,” is set to return for another season. This move suggests that Netflix just can’t resist the allure of more from this captivating show. Instead of simply replicating the success of the initial season, the creative mind behind it, Hwang Dong-hyuk, opted to craft a distinct sequel to his explosively popular Korean drama about a lethal game show. However, developing an authentic and unique story within Korea proved to be a considerably greater challenge than Dong-hyuk initially anticipated.
In planning the next season of Squid Game, Dong-hyuk aimed to present an array of genuine stories. However, the societal prejudice towards transgender individuals, particularly prevalent in culturally conservative nations like South Korea, posed challenges when trying to find a transgender actress willing to portray a trans character openly for the upcoming season. Dong-hyuk shared with The Wrap his struggles in finding a Korean trans actress for the role.
In Korea, it’s rare to find openly trans or gay actors, as sadly, the LGBTQ+ community remains largely overlooked and marginalized in current Korean society. This reality is deeply unfortunate.
Despite the sad reality that many Korean transgender actresses might choose to keep their identities private due to the heavy stigma and discouragement of queer identities in South Korean culture, it is understandable why they would do so to avoid potential harassment. In an effort to portray a trans character’s story accurately, director Dong-hyuk may have wished to cast a trans actress, but ultimately chose cisgender male actor Park Sung-hoon for the role, ensuring that the trans character could still be included in the series without risking any backlash or exclusion.
Should Trans Stories Be Portrayed By Cis Actors?
The depiction of transgender individuals on TV has been limited and simplistic, often confining trans characters, performers, or actresses to stereotypes or punchlines. Many roles have traditionally been taken by non-transgender actors, such as Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club, for which he received an Oscar. However, with more actors and actresses coming out as transgender, we are witnessing a rise in authentic representation of the community, leading to more diverse stories about actual trans people.
In an ideal world, stories about the LGBTQ+ community would be as common and accepted as straight narratives are, without being stereotyped or oversimplified. Regrettably, in certain countries such as South Korea, progress is slow. Let’s hope for a future where people become more open-minded towards LGBTQ+ topics overall.
Despite Pixar initially including a trans character voiced by a trans actress in their upcoming series, they’ve chosen to eliminate all references due to external criticisms. This situation serves as a reminder that while cisgender actors portraying trans roles might not be ideal, it could still be better than no trans characters or narratives being presented in media. Regrettably, the representation in Squid Game 2 was limited to this extent, but hopefully it will foster more understanding of the trans community in South Korea, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk may consider casting an openly trans actor or actress for season three.
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2024-12-19 05:32