Oh Yeong Su a.k.a Player 001 Becomes the First South Korean to Bag a Golden Globe Award

First South Korean to win Golden Globe

Oh Yeong Su bagged the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television for his portrayal of Oh Il Nam in Squid Game. His character is also known as Player 001 or The Host. The 77-year-old’s feat made him the first South Korean actor to ever take home a Golden Globe — a historic moment!

Who did he best?

Oh won over his other competitors in the category. This included Kieran Culkin for Succession, Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass for The Morning Show, and Brett Goldstein for Ted Lasso.

Overwhelmed by popularity

Back in October 2021, when all everyone could talk about was Squid Game, the actor shared his thoughts on his sudden popularity. Netflix reported that the show, which first dropped last Sept. 17, had 142 million households watch it in its first 28 days. It knocked Bridgerton off the top spot with its record of 82 million households.

When Oh went as a guest for Korean entertainment show Hangout with Yoo, he shared how he was carefully handling his sudden fame. Believe it or not, he didn’t have a manager. He only had his daughter helping him manage the overwhelming volume of calls he got after the series. “I feel like I am in the air. So I am trying to calm myself down now so I can restrain myself,” he said. He also mentioned how a lot of things changed after Squid Game exploded in popularity. Whenever he goes out to cafes and restaurants, he becomes self-conscious, reflecting the difficulties of becoming a famous actor. And now that he’s got a Golden Globe, he should expect more people to recognize him.

Oh started his career in 1963

The award couldn’t have come at the right time when Oh is just shy of celebrating six decades in the industry. He started as a theater actor and then transitioned to acting in movies and TV shows. Recalling how he started his theater career, he simply said he had nothing to do and tried acting after seeing a friend do it. But although he is a veteran, it is ultimately the Netflix series that catapulted him to fame. Talking about his award, Oh said through Netflix that he congratulated himself for being a “decent guy for the first time in my life.”

“Now, it’s no longer ‘us within the world,’ but it’s ‘the world within us.’ While embracing the scent of our culture and while embracing the love for my family deep in my heart, I give thanks to everyone in the world. I hope you all live beautiful lives. Thank you,” said the actor.

Squid Game gets nominated in other categories

Aside from Oh getting nominated and winning in the Best Supporting Actor — Television category, the South Korean series also had other nominations. In total, it was nominated for three Golden Globes Awards despite Netflix not submitting the show to compete. Lee Jung Jae (Song Gi Hun/Player 456) was nominated for Best Television Actor — Drama Series. Ultimately, Jeremy Strong from Succession took home the award. Squid Game was also voted for Best Drama Series which Succession also won.

Squid Game gets recognized abroad

Aside from the Golden Globes Awards, the show also won the People’s Choice Award for Bingeworthy Show of the Year and the Gotham Awards for Breakthrough Series — Long Form. Squid Game was also nominated for a Rose d’Or in the Drama Program category.

South Koreans creating waves internationally

Oh is only the latest actor that has made his nation proud. At last year’s Academy Awards, Youn Yuh Jung became the first South Korean to bring home an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in Minari. In 2020, Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite became the first South Korean movie to win Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards and the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture. Bong also bagged the Oscar for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. South Koreans have been smashing with hit after hit and carving a name for themselves internationally. We’re excited for more!

Where to watch Squid Game

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or you’re on a social media break since September 2021, you’ve probably already watched Squid Game. It’s safe to say the world consumed this 9-episode series in one sitting with its riveting plot: 456 players play childhood games with a deadly twist all in a bid to win KRW 45.6 billion (or PHP 1.9 billion). If you’re now only getting the chance to watch it, Squid Game is available on Netflix. And since the ending is a little bit open-ended, everyone is hoping we get a season 2 real soon.

What do you think of Oh Yeong Su winning a Golden Globe Award for Squid Game? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

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