Jung Ho-yeon, from the hit Netflix series Squid Game, recently revealed that she draws inspiration from the Game of Thrones character Arya Stark. Set in South Korea, Squid Game became a runaway hit and one of Netflix's most-streamed tv shows of all time. Squid Game centers on Gi-hun, one of 456 people who are taken to a mysterious location and forced to compete in potentially fatal playground games in order to win enough money to pay off their debts. Since its release in September 2021, few shows have been able to dethrone it in terms of viewing numbers. Unsurprisingly, Squid Game season 2 was confirmed in June.
One of the breakout stars of the series, Jung Ho-yeon played Kang Sae-byeok in the show. One of the youngest contestants, Sae-byeok hopes to make enough money to get her parents out of North Korea and sponsor her little brother in his orphanage. She quickly became a fan favorite in the series due to her age, noble cause, quiet intelligence, and bonds with Gi-hun as well as fellow contestant Ji Yeong. The character made it impressively far in the series, ending up as one of the final three contestants. Because of her youth and quick thinking, Sae-byeok has been compared to another fan favorite character on a similarly bloody hit series - Arya Stark in Game of Thrones.
It's clear that Sae-byeok's actress Ho-yeon takes no issue with the comparison. For an interview with W Magazine, Ho-yeon dressed as Arya when asked to transform into her favorite television character. She explains her connection to the character of Arya below:
"I chose Arya Stark because I liked her whole journey, especially when she goes out to find her own life. She finds everything herself; she always makes her own decisions. And I like the fact that she can fight like a professional. That’s a woman who, pretty much, I want to be."
Ho-yeon's comments shed some light on the elements that draw her to certain roles. It's no surprise, then, that this Arya Stark fan chose the role of Sae-byeok. Though she tragically died during the course of the games, Sae-byeok was fiercely independent and a formidable opponent until the end. Just like Arya, she valued family but charted her own course. Also similar to the character, she eventually learned that though she was more than capable of fighting for what she wanted alone, it was sometimes necessary to team up with a person with common goals. Sae-byeok did so with Gi-hun as they neared the conclusion of the games, and Arya did the same with the grizzled character the Hound.
Though it's sadly unlikely that Sae-byeok will return in Squid Game season 2 given her ultimate fate, the insight into what inspires Ho-yeon beingt Arya may give some hints about where fans will see her next. Currently, she is set to star in the new Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, alongside powerhouses Cate Blanchett and Sacha Baron Cohen. Ho-yeon's character Kim is described as an ambitious journalist eager for her big break. Based on the description, Kim certainly sounds like the sort of independent, formidable woman Ho-yeon appreciates in media.
Source: W Magazine