Lee Jung-jae, “I gave my acceptance speech in Korean because I wanted to thank Korean people”
Actor Lee Jung-jae revealed the reason why he gave his acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards in Korean.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, CEO Kim Ji-yeon, and “Squid Game” actors Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Oh Young-soo, Jung Ho-yeon attended the press conference held at JW Marriott LA to talk about the achievements they gained at the Emmy Award.
Expressing his feelings, Lee Jung-jae said, “The director, Netflix Korea staff, and all the actors worked very hard. I don’t know how to express it more than that. I also tried to show more than I have. The scenario and the production process were also well-prepared. It seems like many viewers enjoyed the result of our excellent preparation and lively acting. The shooting ended a long time ago, but the memories came to my mind as we received the glory today.”
He continued, “One of the questions that I often received is how such a non-English-speaking content was so well-loved by the audiences. Receiving Best Actor today, I was asked that question again. And I said, ‘Actors can act and express in many ways, not just in language’. Since the message and main topic of the story are more important, there are many ways in directing and acting to explain and deliver them well. I’m happy that ‘Squid Game’ was able to do that”.
Referring to the current heyday of K-content, Lee Jung-jae said, “A few days ago, a foreigner saw Oh Young-soo at an event and asked for a picture with him because that fan was impressed by his acting in an old movie. Seeing that scene, I felt very proud”, adding “There are many good contents in any Korean work and I think foreigners will find and see more”.
Regarding the news of him being cast for “Star Wars”, the actor shared, “‘Star Wars’ team don’t want me to say anything and I was so surprised that articles came out that early. We are still discussing many things.”
Lee Jung-jae added, “I gave an acceptance speech in Korea earlier because I really wanted to say it in Korean. I always think about Korean people and Korean audiences while acting. I’m always grateful for their support. Thank you so much”, expressing his gratitude to Korean viewers.
At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, which was held on September 12th (local time) at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Lee Jung-jae won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He has also earned great achievements at many other prestigious award ceremonies.
Meanwhile, Lee Jung-jae recently made a successful debut as a director with the release of the movie “Hunt”. The movie, which has surpassed 4 million admissions, is still being screened in all theaters in Korea.
