21 'Squid Game' Actors For You To Follow On Instagram
Can't get enough of the series? Follow the actors on Instagram. ;)
By Yap Wan Xiang — 07 Oct 2021, 06:33 PM
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Disclaimer: This story may contain spoilers for the Squid Game series.
Ever since the premiere of the show, not only has Squid Game continuously taken the most-streamed spot on Netflix around the world, the Internet has also been swamped with memes related to the series
Released on 17 September, the less-than-a-month old show has become a global phenomenon.
Netflix co-chief executive officer Ted Sarandos predicted that it might soon become the most-watched show ever on the streaming platform.
Actors involved in the thriller series have also surged in popularity along with the show. Some of them even attained millions of followers on Instagram in a matter of days.
SAYS compiled a list of 21 profiles of the Squid Game actors for you to stalk while we wait for a new season (if there is, fingers crossed):
1. Player 456 — Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae)
Protagonist Seong Gi-Hun is the last player in Squid Game, portrayed by 48-year-old Lee Jung-jae.
According to IMDb, Lee's acting career started as far back as 1994. He is known for acting in New World and The Face Rider.
On 2 October, Lee joined Instagram. In less than a week, he garnered over two million followers.
Follow Player 456 on Instagram here.
2. Player 067 — Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon)
Before being an actress, Jung Ho-yeon was a model who had walked runways for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Prabal Gurung. Squid Game was her first acting role, and it made her a breakout star.
The 27-year-old is currently the most followed actress from South Korea. Her followers reportedly increased from 400,000 to now 14.7 million within weeks.
While filming Squid Game, BLACKPINK member Jennie visited her on set. A photo of them together boasted over eight million likes.
Follow Player 067 on Instagram here.
3. Detective — Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun)
While other characters are busy playing childhood games, detective Hwang Jun-ho is playing Among Us within the operation of Squid Game.
The young solo detective in the show is portrayed by Wi Ha-jun, a rising star who acted in 18 Again, Romance Is A Bonus Book, and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum.
The 30-year-old actor debuted in 2012.
Follow detective Hwang on Instagram here.
4. Player 218 — Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo)
Like Lee Jung-jae, actor Park Hae-soo joined Instagram after the series exploded in popularity.
His first selfie was uploaded on 2 October. Within just six days, he acquired over 1.2 million followers.
The 39-year-old actor will be starring in the Korean version of Money Heist. His past roles include Kim Yoon Hoo in God Of War, an agent in Memories of the Alhambra, and Lee Jae Joon in Racket Boys.
Follow Player 218 on Instagram here.
5. Player 199 — Ali Abdul (Anupam Tripathi)
The 32-year-old Indian actor based in South Korea, Anupam Tripathi, portrayed a Pakistani worker in Squid Game.
His character — Ali Abdul — is loved by millions of audience members worldwide as he is a kind and reliable team member among the main characters.
Anupam began his acting career in 2006 and moved to South Korea in 2010. He has been a part of several Korean TV shows and films as a supporting actor.
He was a scholarship student at the Korea National University of Arts (KARTs). He finished his studies before the filming of Squid Game. As of today, 6 October, he has over 2.5 million followers on Instagram.
Follow Player 199 on Instagram here.
6. Player 240 — Ji-yeong (Lee Yoo-mi)
In a show with mostly male characters, actress Lee Yoo-mi stood out in the series for portraying Ji-yeong.
Interestingly, Lee and Jung Ho-yeon almost did not make it into the series as writer and director Hwang Dong Hyuk initially wrote their characters as male participants in the survival game.
Today, the 27-year-old actress has over five million followers. She acted in Young Adult Matters, The Yellow Sea, and It's Okay To Be Sensitive in the past.
Follow Player 240 on Instagram here.
7. Player 212 — Han Mi-nyeo (Kim Joo-ryoung)
Actress Kim Joo-ryoung played the cunning and manipulative Player 212 Han Mi-nyeo in Squid Game.
The 45-year-old actress studied drama and film at South Korea's Dongguk University. Before entering the show business, she competed in the 1999 Miss Chunhyang pageant and finished fourth.
Prior to Squid Game, she had worked with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho for Memories Of Murder (2003). She also acted in Silenced (2011), which starred fellow Squid Game actor Gong Yoo.
Follow Player 212 on Instagram here.
8. Player 101 — Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae)
Player 101 Deok-su is Han Mi-nyeo's partner in crime before their relationship turns sour. The character is portrayed by 44-year-old actor Heo Sung-tae.
Heo has over 60 acting credits under his belt. Other than Squid Game, he is best known for playing Lee Chang-jin in Beyond Evil and Ha Il-Soo in The Age of Shadows.
Although he is a villain in Squid Game, he is a sweetheart in real life. Writing in English on an Instagram post dated 4 October, he thanked everyone for making him a "millionaire". It is believed that he was referring to his new follower count on Instagram, which has surpassed one million.
Follow Player 212 on Instagram here.
9. Front Man — In-ho (Lee Byung-hun)
Front Man In-ho is portrayed by famed actor Lee Byung-hun. It is quite pitiful that he hid behind a mask in most of the episodes.
Lee is arguably the biggest star in Squid Game, as not only is he famous in South Korea, he is also known worldwide. He has had several Hollywood roles in the past.
The 51-year-old played Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Han Cho Bai in Red 2, T-1000 in Terminator Genisys, and gunslinger Billy Rocks in The Magnificent Seven.
Follow Front Man on Instagram here.
10. Participant recruiter (Gong Yoo)
42-year-old actor Gong Yoo played an unnamed participant recruiter in Squid Game. While his appearance is brief, the significance of his role is an impactful one as he is the person who introduces the protagonist to the million-dollar prize money game.
Gong Yoo is also a famous actor in South Korea, and has acted in many popular K-drama, such as Goblin and The Age of Shadows.
He is also the protagonist in the 2016 global phenomenon zombie flick Train To Busan.
Gong Yoo does not have an Instagram account. Thus, following the #GongYoo hashtag is the next best thing. Do not underestimate the content put out by his fans.
Follow the #GongYoo hashtag on Instagram here.
11. Player 1 – Oh Il-nam (Oh Young Soo)
Oh Il-nam — the number 1 player in the series who is also responsible for co-founding the deadly competition — is portrayed by 76-year-old Oh Young Soo.
According to My Drama List, the actor only has nine acting credits under his name.
Just like Gong Yoo, Oh does not have an Instagram account. However, a fan account created in mid-September has over 200,000 followers.
Follow Player 1's fan account on Instagram here.
12. Player 276 (Christian Lagahit)
A friend of Ali Abdul in the series, Christian Lagahit played Player 276 in the series.
Lagahit is a Filipino actor who has lived in South Korea since 2015. He has reportedly appeared in minor roles in shows such as The Negotiation and Space Sweepers.
He also has a YouTube channel called Explore with Ahjussi. In it, it has several videos of him with Anupam Tripathi.
Follow Player 276 on Instagram here.
13. Unmasked senior guard (Lee Jung-Joon)
The first guard who gets unmasked in the show is played by 22-year-old Lee Jung-Joon. Although his appearance is brief, it does not mean fans have failed to notice his good looks.
According to My Drama List, Lee has nine acting credits under his name. He played the main role in two of those shows — Best Mistake Season 2 and Start Of School.
Follow the unmasked senior guard on Instagram here.
14. VIP 1 (John D Michaels)
You must be dying to know who are the actors behind the golden masks in Squid Game.
Well, VIP 1 is played by South Korea-based actor, writer, and filmmaker John D Michaels. In an interview with Platform, Michaels said that he moved to South Korea in his mid 40s.
It is learnt that he went to South Korea with little to nothing, picking up some roles and voice acting jobs along the way while he lived with his lover. As time went by, he started to accept more roles. He acted as a US military officer in Train To Busan's spin-off, Peninsula.
He described in an Instagram post that filming Squid Game is "one of the most interesting and memorable shoots" he has been on.
Follow VIP 1 on Instagram here.
15. VIP 2 (Daniel C Kennedy)
The second VIP in Squid Game is played by writer and actor Daniel C Kennedy. Who would have thought that under his mask and suit, VIP 2 is a hottie.
According to IMDb, Kennedy has 18 acting credits to his name. He acted as a security team leader in the 2019 South Korean blockbuster Ashfall, which also starred Lee Byung-hun and disbanded Miss A member Suzy.
In an Instagram post, the actor explained that he was told by the director to play a "malevolent idiot", which he thinks he has given his best. In response to criticism of the VIPs' bad acting, he promised to do better if there is a season two and he receives a call-back from Netflix.
Follow VIP 2 on Instagram here.
16. VIP 4 (Geoffrey Giuliano)
The only VIP who gets unmasked in the show is VIP 4, played by American actor Geoffrey Giuliano.
According to his Instagram bio, he is currently in three Netflix shows and movies, namely Squid Game, Kate, and Peninsula. On IMDb, it is stated that Giuliano has 28 acting credits under his name.
We also found his TikTok account, where he has a video introducing himself as VIP 4. You can watch it here.
Follow VIP 2 on Instagram here.
17. Player 040 (Yoon Young-kyun)
Player 040 is played by 37-year-old Yoon Young-kyun. In the series, he is a team member of villainous Deok-su.
He has 17 acting credits under his name, according to My Drama List. He also played a small part in Peninsula.
Follow Player 040 on Instagram here.
18. Player 250 (Park Ji-hoon)
Player 250 is the first participant in Squid Game to realise losing the game means death. His frightened reaction after seeing Player 324 die — the first person to die in the 'Red Light, Green Light' game — is an iconic scene.
Played by 27-year-old Park Ji-hoon, his character becomes the second player to die in the game, a death that triggers the frenzy in the 'Red Light, Green Light' room.
The actor has 16 acting credits under his name, according to My Drama List.
Follow Player 250 on Instagram here.
19. Player 303 (Kim Dong-won)
Known for his cunning smirk in the series, Player 303 is also a team member of villainous Deok-su.
Portrayed by 33-year-old Kim Dong-won, his character helps Deok-su win in the tug-of-war game.
According to his Instagram bio, he has acted in 15 movies, plays, and series. In May last year, he posted a photo of him and Running Man member Haha.
Follow Player 303 on Instagram here.
20. Player 111 – Byeong Ki (Yoo Sung-ju)
Player 111 — or Byeong Ki — is the doctor who conspires with the guards to harvest organs from dead participants.
He has 16 acting credits under his name on My Drama List. He is known for playing Lee Hyuk in Search, Nam Sung Beom in Times, and as a father in award-winning Bimilui Soop.
Follow Player 111 on Instagram here.
21. Gi-Hun's daughter – Seong Ga Yeong (Cho Ah-in)
11-year-old Cho Ah-in played the protagonist's daughter Seong Ga Yeong in the series.
The child actor also acted in the popular period zombie flick Kingdom. Even at such a young age, Cho already has 13 acting credits to her name on My Drama List.
Follow Gi-Hun's daughter on Instagram here.
