Cheyenne Suarez

T.O.P 'grateful, proud' of 'Squid Game' role Thanos

Article (news)

Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1738109305583tHANOS.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A scene from &#x27;Squid Game&#x27; showing Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos. Photo courtesy of Netflix"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A scene from &#x27;Squid Game&#x27; showing Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos. <em>Photo courtesy of Netflix</em></span></span></span></div><div><strong><em>This article contains spoilers of &quot;Squid Game&quot; Season 2.</em></strong></div><p>South Korean rapper-actor Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P, expressed pride in his &quot;Squid Game&quot; character Thanos, noting the love the character has garnered from viewers.</p><p>&quot;We didn&#x27;t develop this character with the expectations that he would be so loved worldwide,&quot; Choi said in a subtitled video recently released by Netflix on its K-content channel, in which he provided commentary for most of his scenes in the blockbuster survival drama.</p><p>&quot;But as I see more and more memes and clips of Thanos everyday, I feel incredibly grateful and proud to have brought this character to life,&quot; he added.</p><p>Choi, 37, joined &quot;Squid Game&quot; for its second season, which premiered on Netflix last December. He portrays Thanos, a rapper who falls into debt after a failed cryptocurrency investment, leading him to enter the underground competition involving deadly versions of children&#x27;s games.</p><p>In the competition, Thanos forms his own circle of allies, frequently attacks other players and even uses drugs while playing in the games.</p><p>Choi worked closely with director Hwang Dong-hyuk in developing Thanos, a character named after the Marvel Comics antagonist.</p><p>&quot;After many discussions with the director, I wanted to design and create a unique, never-before-seen character. I used gestures that are outdated and exaggerated to make viewers feel uncomfortable and unsure about whether they find him annoying or cringey. I wanted viewers to sense an odd vibe from him,&quot; Choi said.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aRJFmZ1aEkE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Choi shared how his Thanos references the Marvel Comics character, noting that his nails were designed to resemble the colors of the Infinity Stones and that his purple hair was a nod to the comic book villain&#x27;s skin tone.</p><p>He also discussed a scene where Thanos raps to impress another female contestant in the games. &quot;I&#x27;ve rapped for more than 20 years in my life, but I&#x27;ve never rapped for a woman to get her attention,&quot; said Choi, a former member of the popular K-pop boy band BIGBANG.</p><p>&quot;So I was nearly losing my mind while filming this scene,&quot; he said.</p><p>Choi also &quot;practiced a lot&quot; with <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/1/2/crushing-on-im-si-wan-check-out-these-k-dramas-films-0720"><strong>Yim Si-wan</strong></a>, who plays one of his main rivals in the show.</p><p>&quot;Since we had so many scenes together, we had a lot of discussions, supported each other and developed a sense of camaraderie,&quot; he said.</p><p>Choi also discussed Thanos&#x27; death scene, which takes place during a chaotic brawl among the contestants in between the deadly games. &quot;The fact that Thanos dies by a fork at such an unexpected moment made it all the more impactful and that&#x27;s what I love about it,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Many viewers abroad were really shocked by this scene. And so I thought, &#x27;I made an impactful exit.&#x27; I&#x27;m happy about it,&quot; he added.</p><p>Choi&#x27;s appearance in &quot;Squid Game&quot; marked his return to the public eye after several years away from the limelight due to his involvement in a drug use controversy in 2017.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/1/16/t-o-p-opens-up-about-leaving-bigbang-squid-game-casting-1800"><strong>READ: T.O.P opens up about leaving BIGBANG, &#x27;Squid Game&#x27; casting<br/></strong></a></div><p>Meanwhile, &quot;Squid Game&quot; is set to conclude with its third season, which is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2025.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/1/2/meet-chul-su-squid-game-teases-new-character-games-for-3rd-season-1248"><strong>READ: &#x27;Squid Game&#x27; teases new &#x27;character,&#x27; games for 3rd season</strong></a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FJoigjuDIks?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>South Korean rapper-actor Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P, expressed pride in his 'Squid Game' character Thanos, noting the love the character has garnered from viewers.</p>

South Korean rapper-actor Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P, expressed pride in his 'Squid Game' character Thanos, noting the love the character has garnered from viewers.