It can be tough explaining a role to your kid, especially when you’re portraying the antagonist! Lee Byung-hun, known for his role in ‘Squid Game,’ shared a funny story about his 10-year-old son’s perplexed reaction to his character during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
After making an appearance on June 17, Lee spoke candidly about how his son struggles to understand why his dad’s character, Front Man, is so harsh. During the interview, Fallon playfully pointed out that while his children must be proud of their dad, he wondered if they’ve watched ‘Squid Game.’
Lee humorously replied, “They’re not supposed to watch it, but…” revealing that his son is 10 and he also has an 18-month-old daughter.
Fallon jokingly suggested that maybe the baby has seen it too, prompting laughter from Lee. But when it comes to his son’s take on his role, it was a different story.
Lee recounted a moment when his son learned about his character and asked, quite earnestly, “Why are you so mean?” referring to the cruel acts carried out by Front Man, who oversees the notorious games accompanied by ominous pink soldiers.
“You killed a lot of people,” the boy told his dad, and Lee reflected on how that conversation went. His son, a fan of South Korean rapper T.O.P and the formidable Thanos, needed to know, “Why did you hit him so bad?”
Despite Lee attempting to clarify the art of acting, it seemed his son was still a bit puzzled. “I think he doesn’t understand 100%,” Lee added with a hint of humor.
This isn’t the first time Lee’s son has come across his acting career. The actor once showed him a clip where he played Storm Shadow in the movie ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ when his son was just three. His little one was visibly shocked and questioned, “Are you really?”
In response, Lee playfully whispered, “Shhh! No one knows. Even your mom doesn’t know.”
Reflecting on the first season of ‘Squid Game,’ Lee shared an interesting tidbit: Netflix had asked him to keep his character a secret until the dramatic reveal at the end of Season 1. He chose not to divulge anything to close friends or even his mother.
When his mother found out, she couldn’t help but be upset, exclaiming, “How could you not tell me that?” To which Lee explained, “It was a secret.” The crowd erupted with laughter as he recounted her embarrassment after receiving calls from friends.
Looks like Lee has learned the importance of keeping his mom updated on his projects! He concluded with a light-hearted apology to her, saying, “Sorry, Mom.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com.
