T.O.P reflects on playing Thanos in SQUID GAME 2

Choi Seung-hyun, known professionally as T.O.P, recently discussed his role as Thanos in Netflix‘s Squid Game 2.

In an interview originally shared by the Korea Times and reposted by About Music on X (formerly Twitter), T.O.P revealed, “The offer to play Thanos was a daunting proposition. The character mirrored my past, reflecting aspects I’d rather keep hidden. The fear of being pigeonholed into one role made me hesitate. But destiny seemed to be pulling me in this direction.”

The rapper-turned-actor explained that director Hwang Dong-hyuk personally reached out to offer him the role. “For almost 10 years, I felt no one looked at me, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk reached out to me first. The trust (and) the belief he had in me gave me the courage to take this on,” he shared. “As an actor, it is my duty to repay the trust. Excelling in my performance is another assignment in my life.”

T.O.P feelings of neglect in the industry are likely related to his 2017 conviction for marijuana use. While serving in the military as a conscripted officer, he was accused of smoking marijuana and subsequently transferred to a different police division to await prosecution. Shortly after the announcement, he was found unconscious in his barracks from a suspected overdose of benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety medication. His mother later confirmed his recovery. In court, T.O.P admitted to four instances of smoking marijuana in October 2016. He received two years of probation and completed his military service as a public service worker. The conviction led to widespread backlash and an influx of anti-fans in South Korea.

Reflecting on his 30s, T.O.P described them as a “lost time” marked by shame, self-loathing, and introspection. He said, “For the past seven years, I have lived almost isolated from society, spending most of my time at home and in my music studio. I just kept working on music in the dark, not for any other reason but because music was the only place where I could create. When I was composing music and standing in front of the microphone, I think I made music to survive.”

Looking ahead to his 40s, T.O.P expressed a desire for a more peaceful life, stating, “My primary goal is to establish a stable and less dramatic life.”

Source: X, formerly known as Twitter