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| ▲ This photo provided by Netflix shows South Korean actor Noh Jae-won, who plays Nam-gyu, a former nightclub promoter, in the third season of Netflix original series "Squid Game." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- With a slow, oddly captivating tone and a face that conveys both innocence and menace, Noh Jae-won has emerged as one of the most distinctive actors in recent Korean OTT dramas.
From a civil service exam candidate suffering delusions in Netflix’s “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” to a chilling murderer in “A Killer Paradox,” a humane profiler in MBC’s “Intimate Betrayal,” and a drug-addicted player in seasons 2 and 3 of “Squid Game,” Noh has built a resume of contrasting roles that leave a lasting impression.
Speaking with reporters in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong on Wednesday, Noh reflected on his unique speaking style.
“I don’t consider it a strength,” he said. “If I try to use a different tone for the sake of variety, it starts to feel less genuine, so it’s something I struggle with.”
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| ▲ This still provided by Netflix shows South Korean actor Noh Jae-won, who plays Nam-gyu, a former nightclub promoter, in the third season of Netflix original series "Squid Game." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Still, he expressed interest in roles that might allow him to alter his delivery. “I’d love to take on a character where my tone could naturally change. I’m also hoping to be cast in more mature roles,” he added.
Noh’s appearance often transforms drastically depending on the character. He can appear pure and gentle or eerily unhinged.
“People say my eyes can look both good and evil,” he said. “After season 3 of ‘Squid Game’ was released, a colleague even told me, ‘I’m jealous of the darkness inside you.’”
He shared that one of his proudest moments came when his father, who had never been particularly expressive in the past, praised his work.
“My father never really gave me much recognition before,” Noh recalled. “But after watching season 3, he said, ‘Director Hwang Dong-hyuk is like Steven Spielberg, and your acting was phenomenal.’ That meant more to me than any other compliment.”
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| ▲ This photo provided by Netflix shows South Korean actor Noh Jae-won, who plays Nam-gyu, a former nightclub promoter, in the third season of Netflix original series "Squid Game." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
In “Squid Game 3,” Noh plays Nam-gyu, a former nightclub promoter.
“At first, I didn’t expect much after auditioning — it’s such a huge franchise,” he said. “When I got the part, I thought, ‘Am I one of the 456 players? Will I die first?’”
Describing the character, he said, “Nam-gyu is filled with resentment. He’s envious of the rapper Thanos (played by Choi Seung-hyun) and wants to surpass him eventually.”
Nam-gyu appears alongside Thanos in season 2 and with Myung-gi (played by Im Si-wan) in season 3.
“Choi Seung-hyun is someone who puts his life into his acting,” Noh said. “His love for the character really inspired me. We were always filming together, so I started mimicking his tone, and Director Hwang even incorporated that into the show.”
Looking ahead, Noh hopes to try his hand at romance — and he’s open-minded about what form that might take.
“I want to portray a kind of romance that only I can express,” he said. “Love takes many forms, so it doesn’t matter whether the other character is male or female.”
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