“Squid Game” has made history yet again by being the first non-English language TV show nominated for a Screen Actor’s Guild Award.
The series starred Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, a lower-income father who enters deadly games to win millions in cash and support his mother and daughter. Lee secured a SAG nomination as best male actor in a drama series.
Also nominated was Jung Ho-yeon, a South Korean model whose breakout role as Kang Sae-byeok earned her a nomination as best female actor in a drama series.
“I’m going to put in more energy than I’ve ever used before, and I’m going to make it," Jung told NBC Asian America last fall.
“Squid Game,” which is Netflix’s most popular show to date, was nominated in two other categories: outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series, and outstanding action performance by a stunt ensemble in a television series.
Cast members responded to the news on social media Wednesday afternoon. Jung, who also made history this month as Vogue’s February cover star, thanked the show's ensemble and stunt team in an Instagram post, in which she took a sentence to address her own win.
“I was truly taken by surprise that I was nominated,” Jung said. “I’m just happy knowing that my photo is going to appear alongside that of Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Elizabeth Moss, and Sarah Snook.”
Writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk told Deadline that the nominations feel like his whole team’s effort coming to fruition.
“I think it has to be the happiest moment since we’ve created ‘Squid Game,’” he said. “The fact not just one or two leading actors were recognized, but the whole cast being nominated as the best ensemble. It brings me great joy as a director, who has cast and created the series, just being nominated.”
