BIGBANG’s T.O.P Returns to Korean Film Industry After 9 Years with “Squid Game” Season 2 Amid Drug Scandal

Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P, 37, a former member of the iKON K-pop group BIGBANG, has returned to the Korean film industry nine years following his drug scandal. He appears in Netflix’s drama “Squid Game” Season 2 as “Thanos (Player 230”), a retired rapper suffering from drug addiction. His dark comedy performance as this character has drawn attention among the new cast members of Season 2. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk of “Squid Game” highly praised T.O.P’s return. “After the marijuana scandal about 9 years ago, he was unable to work on any projects in Korea for those nine years. So this is a comeback after a quite long hiatus, especially since he plays a character who is both a rapper and a drug addict,” he explained. Director Hwang added, “It must have required great courage to portray this role, particularly because he chose a character with many negative similarities to himself.” T.O.P was convicted in 2017 for marijuana use and spent time in prison due to drug abuse. At that time, he issued a statement saying, “I apologize to everyone I disappointed with my mistakes. I feel ashamed even to stand in front of people and apologize face to face.” Since then, he has been completely excluded from South Korea’s entertainment industry. During his music career, T.O.P began as an underground rapper before debuting with BIGBANG in 2006. BIGBANG has sold over 140 million records worldwide, and their song “Fantastic Baby” became the first K-pop music video to reach over 300 million views on YouTube. T.O.P also released solo singles such as “Turn It Up” and “Doom Dada.” After leaving YG Entertainment in 2022, he officially left BIGBANG in June 2023. As an actor, T.O.P started his acting career one year after his music debut in 2007 by appearing in the romantic K-drama “I Am Sam.” In 2010, he won the prestigious Blue Dragon Film Award and the Newcomer Award at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his performance in the Korean War film “71: Into the Fire.” In 2009, he appeared in the thriller K-drama “Iris” alongside co-star Lee Byung-hun. “Squid Game” Season 2 marks his first acting role in 8 years, since the 2017 Chinese film “Out of Control.” Director Hwang Dong-hyuk commented, “Despite the long hiatus, as a director, I find his performance very impressive, and I am highly satisfied with how he portrayed the character.”