'Squid Game' makes history at 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards

Television

Published: 28 Feb. 2022, 10:59 Updated: 28 Feb. 2022, 17:21

'Squid Game' makes history at 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards

Poster for ″Squid Game″ [NETFLIX]

Netflix Korea’s “Squid Game” has made history, taking home three awards at the 28th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, which took place Sunday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.

The series won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor and Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble.

Lee Jung-jae beat Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong of “Succession” and Billy Crudup of “The Morning Show” for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor.

Jung Ho-yeon competed against Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon of “The Morning Show,” Elizabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Sarah Snook of “Succession” for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor.

The stunt ensemble nomination pitted "Squid Game" against “Cobra Kai,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” “Loki” and “Mare of Easttown.”

From left, Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon, Kim Joo-ryeong, Anupam Tripathi and Park Hae-soo arrive at the 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Barker Hangar on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Santa Monica, California. [AP/YONHAP]

“Squid Game” was the first non-English-language drama series to be nominated for an award in the 28-year history of the SAG awards and has now made history by becoming the first non-English-language drama series to take home a prize.

It also marked only the second time a Korean actor has won an award for their performance after Youn Yuh-jung won the best female actor in a supporting role for her performance in director Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” last year.

Lee played the main progtagonist Gi-hun, a middle-aged man at the end of his luck who becomes one of the 456 contestants invited to participate in a mysterious competition involving a set of traditional children’s games with a deadly twist. The contestants put their lives at risk to become the ultimate winner and take home prize money of 45.6 billion won ($38.7 million).

Jung plays North Korean defector Sae-byeok who participates in a bid to bring the rest of her family to South Korea.

Actors Lee, Jung, Park Hae-soo, Kim Joo-ryong and Anupam Tripathi and “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk attended the award ceremony.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]