The New York Times has included actor Lee Jung-jae, who played the protagonist in the global megahit Netflix series "Squid Game," in the daily's list of this year's "breakout stars."
In a Dec. 16 article headlined "The Breakout Stars of 2021" that chose standouts in the cultural world, Lee was designated a rising star in TV.
"Blood-drenched, brutally violent entertainment is rarely synonymous with nuanced, complex performances. But in Netflix's 'Squid Game,' a dystopian thriller from South Korea that became a global streaming sensation, Lee Jung-jae, 49, pulled off just that," it said.
"As the protagonist Seong Gi-hun, a gambling addict who is deeply in debt, he gives a wrenching and surprisingly subtle performance as he battles his through unspeakable horrors."
The daily said Lee "doesn't play Gi-hun as a hero or a villain, a bumbling fool or a savvy con man," quoting the actor in an October interview with The Times as saying, "Gi-hun's emotions are very complicated."
The article also mentioned how the model- turned-actor starred in several hit Korean films like last year's gangster drama "Deliver Us from Evil".
