[Last Updated on March 24, 2022]
Original Netflix Kdrama “Squid Game” took home three accolades at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards held Saturday night in California.
The breakout hit from Netflix has already made history as the first Korean drama and first foreign-language series to be nominated at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which is held annually to honor the best achievements in film and television from around the world. And just today, it has won three of its four nominations.
“Squid Game” won Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series, the first award handed out on Sunday, February 27 during a two-hour live ceremony in Santa Monica that aired on US TV networks TBS and TNT.
The four other nominees for the award are “Cobra Kai” (Netflix), “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (Disney+), “Loki” (Disney+), and “Mare of Easttown” (HBO).
In addition, Lee Jung-jae took home Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, beating Brian Cox and two other contenders from HBO’s “Succession.”
Jung Ho-yeon made the same feat in the female category, winning against Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon from “The Morning Show”, Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), and Sarah Snook (“Succession”).
“Squid Game” was also nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series along with “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu), “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+), and “Yellowstone” (Paramount Network). Ultimately, the award went to HBO’s “Succession.”
Released worldwide in September 2021, “Squid Game” tells the story of an indebted and divorced father—played by Lee Jung-jae—who participates in a competition for a chance to win a 45.6 billion won (around $38 million) prize. However, unknown to him and the rest of the 456 players, the contest involves a series of deadly children’s games that would cost them their lives.
The drama received critical acclaim and enjoyed so much international attention as Netflix subscribers around the world watched it for a total of 1.65 billion hours in its first 28 days on the streaming platform, becoming Netflix’s most successful series launch of all time. Early this year, Netflix already confirmed that season 2 is coming.
This is the third consecutive year Korean content and stars have gained recognition in the international stage. In 2021, Youn Yuh-jung also made history at the SAG Awards when she won best supporting actress in film for her role in “Minari.” The veteran actress is in talks to star in a new drama along with Kang Ha-neul.
Not only did Youn became the first Korean actress to ever win the award but also the first Asian woman winner in any individual SAG motion picture category. And even better, she bagged the same accolade at The Academy Awards.
The year before, in 2020, “Parasite” made the whole Korea proud when it became the first South Korean and non-English language film to win the Academy award for Best Picture.
The highly celebrated black comedy thriller film won numerous other accolades including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.