Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae, 51, is making his Hollywood debut in the Disney+ series The Acolyte, the latest addition to the Star Wars universe.
The South Korean actor and Emmy-winner will be playing one of the lead roles in the live-action series as respected Jedi Master Sol.
An eight-part series, The Acolyte is set in the High Republic Era, about a century before the events of the first film in the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
The Walt Disney Company said that this mystery thriller unfolds after “an investigation into a shocking crime spree” pits Lee’s character against “a dangerous warrior from his past”.
The trailer released on Wednesday (Mar 20) gave fans a glimpse into Lee’s role as he is seen training a group of young Padawans.
The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland told American media IGN that casting the role of Sol was challenging, but Lee resolved it.
“I thought [about] Squid Game and I was like, ‘that’s the guy, that’s him. I don’t know how I get in touch with this person, I don’t know if they want to perform in English.’ To me, it became so clearly [Lee]’s part, as opposed to [casting him for] the fact he’s a Korean movie star,” said Headland.
She added that he is the “best actor” she has ever worked with. “Watching him perform in English for the first time, and tracking the emotional beats, doing so much of his own action.”
Netizens, however, have mixed reactions about Lee’s part in the show.
While some were happy about the Asian representation, others voiced concerns about his past comments and actions, including a couple of assault charges in 1999 and 2000 while he was in his mid-20s.
Besides Lee, The Acolyte also stars Amandla Stenberg, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Bennett, Dafne Keen, Manny Jacinto, Joonas Suotamo, Dean-Charles Chapman and Carrie-Ann Moss.
The show is slated to premiere in Singapore on Jun 5 with the first two episodes. Watch the trailer here: