'Squid Game' star T.O.P breaks silence amid backlash

Choi Seung-hyun or T.O.P played a breakout character as Thanos in Squid Game season two.

But his casting met with backlash by some quarters because of his marijuana scandal eight years ago.

In his interview with The Korea Times, T.O.P recalls the offer for the Netflix series.

"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,” he shared.

"For almost 10 years, I felt no one looked at me, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk reached out to me first,” the actress continued.

“The trust (and) the belief he had in me gave me the courage to take this on. As an actor, it is my duty to repay the trust. Excelling in my performance is another assignment in my life,” T.O.P concluded.