Netflix Original 'Suriname' Actor Park Hae-soo Interview
Nicknamed Netflix Civil Servant Following Role in 'Squid Game'
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "'Did you eat?' I never expected this phrase to become so popular."
Since its release on the 9th, the Netflix original series Suriname has captivated global viewers. Park Hae-soo, who plays Choi Chang-ho, head of the South America team at the National Intelligence Service's Americas branch, struggles to capture Jeon Yo-hwan (played by Hwang Jung-min), the godfather of the Suriname drug cartel. His iconic line, asking about meals, has especially resonated with global audiences, particularly Korean viewers.
In an interview on the 20th, Park Hae-soo interpreted the interest in the phrase "Did you eat?" by saying, "Even though it’s the same line, I think people liked it because I delivered it with different intonations each time." Park Hae-soo is one of the central figures in the Suriname storyline. After failing to capture Jeon Yo-hwan, Choi Chang-ho seeks help from civilian Kang In-gu (played by Ha Jung-woo), who is in trouble because of it. He disguises himself as an international trader named Gu Sang-man to make contact with Jeon Yo-hwan. Regarding the dual roles of an intelligence agent and an international trader, Park explained, "I projected a lot of my real emotions into the characters."
About the work based on true events, Park Hae-soo said, "I met the real-life wife of Kang In-gu, the character played by senior actor Ha Jung-woo, on set. She had a presence that made me think she could have survived in Suriname, and I felt the weight of the story through her." He added, "Due to security issues in the Dominican Republic where we filmed, an actual National Intelligence Service agent was present on site. Through him, I heard stories about the real Choi Chang-ho model and referenced many elements."
While playing the two characters, Choi Chang-ho and Gu Sang-man, in Suriname, what Park focused on was the characters’ backstories.
"I wondered whether Choi Chang-ho, who seems to have no family and works as the Americas branch team leader chasing only Jeon Yo-hwan, was driven by devotion to the country, a sense of mission, or personal desire. Personally, I thought it was obsession and approached the acting with that in mind."
Park Hae-soo said, "I believed there was an obsession beyond devotion that made him push a civilian into a battlefield-like situation," adding with a smile, "I didn’t try hard to distinguish the two characters, but I expressed Choi Chang-ho’s lines in a more formal style, and tried to emphasize Gu Sang-man’s softness through his wardrobe."
He is the Korean actor who has appeared most frequently in Netflix-distributed films and dramas, earning the nickname "Netflix Official." Alongside Squid Game, Money Heist: Korea ? Joint Economic Area, and Suriname, the films Yaksha and Time to Hunt were also released on Netflix, making five works in two years. He said, "It wasn’t intentional, but due to COVID-19 delays and scheduling adjustments, these works were released consecutively on Netflix. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve become a link or a gateway for K-content."
Though he was recognized in theater for performing everything from ancient Greek tragedies to Shakespeare, his breakthrough with viewers through screen acting began with the 2015 drama Six Flying Dragons. Later, in 2017, news of his lead role casting in the drama Prison Playbook made headlines, but his name was still unfamiliar to the public. However, last year, he rose to global stardom through Squid Game.
Over the past year, alongside the popularity of Squid Game, he attended various award ceremonies in the United States and felt the surge in popularity. Although he did not win any awards, Park Hae-soo earned the title of the first Asian actor nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, alongside actor Oh Young-soo.
Park Hae-soo confessed, "I was once an actor performing for an audience of one in a small theater in Daehangno, so the situation I face now is still something I’m grateful for and amazed by. I think in about 10 years, I’ll be able to look at this objectively."
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