One of the darkest and most mysterious characters in Squid Game was the Front Man. The masked figure controlling the deadly games seemed cold and ruthless. But now, the actor who plays the Front Man, Lee Byung-hun, has revealed his character’s backstory and how he really was in Squid Game.
At first, the Front Man had mostly been a shadowy presence, barely seen in the first season of Squid Game. But in seasons two and three, we learned much more about who he really was and the painful story that made him this way.
Lee Byung-hun told Tudum, “Having to give different nuances to each of these three aspects [of Front Man] was the most challenging (as well as the most fun) for me as an actor.”
Those three sides were the Front Man, Young-il (Player 001), and his real self, In-ho. All three together showed a man struggling deeply inside.
So, who was the Front Man and what was his story?
via Netflix
The Front Man wasn’t always the cold, emotionless man we came to know. Season two revealed that he used to be a police officer with a family. Using his Young-il identity, he shared with Gi-hun that he was once deeply in love with his wife. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with severe cirrhosis and required a liver transplant. On top of that, they discovered she was pregnant.
Despite doctors advising them to terminate the pregnancy due to the risks, they decided to keep the baby. However, their situation worsened. The Front Man ended up borrowing money from dangerous people, and his superiors in the police saw the funds as a bribe. This led to him losing his job and being forced into the Squid Game.
Winning the game gave him the prize money. But Lee described how much it cost his soul. “Going through everything as a player, he was left torn and traumatised,” he said, “which turned him into an emotionless man deprived of any hope towards humanity. And so he became Front Man.”
Lee explained that the Front Man was so hardened by pain that he wanted to prove his bitter worldview to others. “For the Front Man, he’s not really interested in whether or not Gi-hun dies or lives,” Lee said. “Front Man wants to dismantle the noble belief that Gi-hun holds on to. Front Man believes that Gi-hun will inevitably change to think just like him. That’s why it’s important to him that Gi-hun is put back into the games again.”
One scene showed how far the Front Man had fallen
via Netflix
During the game called Mingle, Front Man killed a player quickly and without emotion. Lee reflected on this scene, “You get In-ho, Young-il, and the Front Man in that single scene. There was such a rush of mixed emotions that I felt there, something very unique and strange. I hope that’s something that can be felt by the audience too, when they watch that scene.”
Even though the Front Man seemed cruel and merciless, Lee said there might still have been a tiny spark of humanity deep down. “Some of those exchanges highlight the fact that Front Man has that last remaining piece of humanity deep down somewhere,” Lee said. “That’s the agreement that director Hwang and I came to, and that’s how I played my character.”
Squid Game is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
