T.O.P's real name is Choi Seung Hyun, known as a former member of the famous boy band Big Bang. According to The Korean Times, this is the first time T.O.P has publicly responded to the media about the controversies over the past 11 years, including the controversy over his role as Thanos in "Squid Game 2".
After "Squid Game 2" aired, T.O.P faced a lot of criticism from his bad acting to his past of using marijuana.
In the movie "Squid Game 2", T.O.P plays Thanos - a rapper who is out of luck due to debt and drug addiction. In an interview with The Korean Times, T.O.P admitted that accepting the offer to play Thanos was a difficult decision.
"This character is like a reflection of my past, things that I always wanted to hide. This fear makes me hesitate, but I believe in destiny, it's time for me to do this" - the former Big Bang member shared.
Despite participating in "Squid Game 2" - a movie that caused a global fever, T.O.P did not participate in any promotional events of the movie and has remained silent since the movie aired until now.
The rapper revealed that director Hwang Dong Hyuk approached him and had faith in him when he took on this role: "For nearly 10 years, I felt like no one paid attention to me, but one day director Hwang Dong Hyuk contacted me. The director's trust and faith gave me the courage to take on this challenge."
Officially accepting the role of Thanos, T.O.P spent a lot of time focusing on researching drug addicts to portray the character in the most realistic way.
"The drugs that Thanos uses in the movie are extremely strong, so I researched the effects of those substances while developing the character. For the scenes where Thanos hasn't used drugs, I had to act completely differently from the scenes where he turns to drugs," T.O.P shared.
The rapper also tried to convey Thanos' addiction through his rapping and actions in "Squid Game 2".
In 2020, T.O.P announced that he would not return to the entertainment industry. This angered many viewers when they saw T.O.P in the cast of "Squid Game 2". Regarding this, T.O.P admitted that his 30s were a "huge shame" and that he had lived almost isolated from society over the years.
"Over the years, I spent most of my time at home and in the studio. Music was the only thing that could help me live, when I was writing and standing in front of the microphone. I think I survived because of music. I wrote countless songs and wanted to heal myself through music. So I wanted to share music with my fans in some way," said the former BigBang member.
In June 2017, T.O.P was accused of using marijuana while serving in the military. This scandal caused the former Big Bang member to suffer. In 2022, T.O.P returned with Big Bang with the song "Still Life". However, in 2023, the male rapper suddenly removed himself from the Big Bang group and stopped appearing at entertainment events.
