<Squid Game 3> Im Si-wan, "Myung-ki is a coward"

Actor Im Si-wan, who has gained attention as the main villain in the global hit series <Squid Game> Season 3, opened up about the struggles he faced during the character interpretation process.

On the 2nd, Im Si-wan met with reporters in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and revealed, "I had a lot of worries about how to portray Myung-ki until the end of filming." He explained the difficulties in building the character, saying, "When I expressed him as a good person, the director said, 'He looks too nice and artificial,' and when I acted like a bad person, he said, 'He's not a villain.'"

In the drama, Myung-ki is a YouTuber who encourages coin investment and ends up in massive debt due to investment failures. While running away from his subscribers, he participates in the Squid Game and reunites with his pregnant girlfriend, Joon-hee (played by Jo Yu-ri).

"I was quite confused, and then I thought, 'Maybe Myung-ki is a coward,' and everything fell into place," Im Si-wan recalled the moment he realised the essence of the character. He interpreted, "Myung-ki's (wrong actions) stemmed from the fear and cowardice within him, and the suspicion of Joon-hee during the high-stakes Squid Game was a foolish decision made out of extreme fear, as well as a desire to justify himself by thinking, 'It might not be my child.'"

Through this in-depth character interpretation, Myung-ki has been evaluated as the most realistic villain in the series. Im Si-wan shared, "I filmed this project in the greatest confusion among all the works I've done so far," but added, "Looking back, the process of finding that subtle middle ground with the director was meaningful."

After the release of <Squid Game 3>, Im Si-wan showed a calm reaction to the criticism from global fans.

He said, "My social media followers have increased a lot, but it seems that most of them came to criticise Myung-ki," and added, "Even insults are a form of interest, so I appreciate it. If I'm going to be insulted, isn't it better to be thoroughly insulted?"

At 36, this actor still has a boyish and kind impression, leading many viewers to expect that his character would show a protective side towards a baby in the latter part of the drama.

However, Im Si-wan stated, "Personally, I had already given up on the expectation when Myung-ki killed Hyun-joo," and explained, "Those who felt betrayed after watching until the very last game have good patience."

If given the opportunity, he expressed a desire to play the role of Hyun-joo (played by Park Sung-hoon), who is evaluated as the most righteous character across Seasons 2 and 3.

Im Si-wan attempts a new transformation as a killer belonging to a contract killing company in the Netflix film <Mantis>. This work is a spin-off of <Gil Bok-soon>, which was released in 2023.

In <Mantis>, Im Si-wan will portray the killer 'Mantis' from MK Entertainment, showcasing a strong character. This is in stark contrast to the cowardly and pathetic 'Myung-ki' character he played in the recently popular <Squid Game 3>.

Im Si-wan mentioned, "Many people have come to know me for the first time through the character Myung-ki. I am thinking about how to change that (image) for these people," he revealed.

He also stated, "I think the charm of good roles and bad roles is different. When I play a good role, I want to play a bad role, and when I play a bad role, I miss playing a good role."