The Creator of The Acolyte Shares How She Found the Perfect Squid Game Actor

Already famous in South Korea, Lee Jung-jae saw his popularity explode thanks to the phenomenal success of the Netflix series. It even took him to a galaxy far, far away…

In parallel with the putting online of the first trailer from the new series Star Wars, The Acolyteits creator Leslye Headland (Bachelorette, Russian Doll…) revealed some manufacturing secrets to IGN.

She notably explained that the casting of her main actor, Lee Jung-jae, had been a challenge, because she needed a good actor, also gifted in martial arts, and capable of bringing a new sensitivity to this intergalactic universe. She finally found her happiness by binging the series Squid Gameon Netflix, like millions of spectators, moreover.

“When I was writing this character, I had no idea who to cast, she explains. I couldn't see anyone who would be able to play all these different levels. It is by thinking back to Squid Game that I said to myself: 'It's him, he's the one. But how to contact him? I don't even know if he wants to make a film in English.' In any case, it became clear in my mind that this role was for him, but I didn't cast him as a Korean movie star.”

Squid Game star becomes first non-English speaking actor to win Emmy Awards

Lee Jung-jae was indeed already famous in his country of origin, notably thanks to The Housemaid Or Deliver us from evilbut it is true that his notoriety has exploded in the rest of the world thanks to Squid Game.

When The Acolyte came to fruition at Lucasfilm and Disney, Leslye Headland was able to get in touch with him and offer him the chance to play the main male character in the eight episodes of the first season.

“When I started working with him, I was like, 'He's the best actor I've ever worked with.' Seeing him perform in English for the first time, and making you feel all those emotions, while doing so many action scenes himself… Of course, we had a great stunt team, but he was personally involved in a lot of thing. I didn't know he would be able to do all that.”

Amanda Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix), Dafne Keen (Logan) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place) are also in the cast of the series The Acolytejust like Charlie Barnett (Russian doll), Jodie Turner-Smith (After Yang) and Joonas Suotamo, who no longer plays Chewbacca but a lonely Wookie called Kelnacca.

The first two episodes of the series will be broadcast on Disney+ starting June 4. In the meantime, the 51-year-old actor is at the heart of this first effective trailer, as well as its synopsis:

“In The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime wave pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As new clues emerge, they take a dark path where sinister forces reveal that all is not what it seems…”

Squid Game season 2 will be released in 2024 on Netflix