Guys there is delay because content censorship is in the works. They are re-editing the upcoming episodes to "sanitize" the content. I'm so pissed right now.
The director stated in an interview he originally WAS looking for an actual transgender actor to play the character.…
You totally missed my point and I can tell from reading your post that you do not even begin to understand what representation truly even means, especially for the LGBTQ community. So I'm going to attempt to explain.
I NEVER said that an actor needs to actually BE the character they are playing IRL. We all know that is not a NEED. But there are so many reasons why straight actors playing queer roles is problematic. Allow me to explain just a few.
A significant concern is that straight actors taking these roles can limit opportunities for LGBTQ+ actors to tell their own stories and be seen on screen. Representation is very important.
Another concern is that due to the lack of lived experience, straight actors may not be able to authentically portray the nuances and complexities of the queer experience, potentially leading to misrepresentation or harmful stereotypes. This is especially true when playing transgender characters. When cisgendered actors play trans roles, viewers are receiving two wrong messages, which is that being trans is a performance, it's a costume, and also, underneath this ‘pretense’ that a trans woman is really a ‘man in a dress’ who's pretending. Such portrayals only throw more harm onto a community already rife in abuse.
On a side note, I did research, and yes, there are trans actors in Korea. No one is saying there is an abundance of riches, but it is not like there are none. Also, the creators of the Squid Game quite literally had a limitless budget and could've just as easily thrown a wider casting net outside of Korea if they really were struggling to find someone in Korea and could've cast a trans actor from outside if they really wanted to. Squid Game after all is a global phenomenon. You know what they say - where there is a will, there is a way, and here it doesn't seem like there was much of a will.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLVFNfDyyw6/?igsh=anlzYXE5MnB3cWw3
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMApm1gTPuM/?igsh=YzRhNmFtZnZzdDd2
I NEVER said that an actor needs to actually BE the character they are playing IRL. We all know that is not a NEED. But there are so many reasons why straight actors playing queer roles is problematic. Allow me to explain just a few.
A significant concern is that straight actors taking these roles can limit opportunities for LGBTQ+ actors to tell their own stories and be seen on screen. Representation is very important.
Another concern is that due to the lack of lived experience, straight actors may not be able to authentically portray the nuances and complexities of the queer experience, potentially leading to misrepresentation or harmful stereotypes. This is especially true when playing transgender characters. When cisgendered actors play trans roles, viewers are receiving two wrong messages, which is that being trans is a performance, it's a costume, and also, underneath this ‘pretense’ that a trans woman is really a ‘man in a dress’ who's pretending. Such portrayals only throw more harm onto a community already rife in abuse.
On a side note, I did research, and yes, there are trans actors in Korea. No one is saying there is an abundance of riches, but it is not like there are none. Also, the creators of the Squid Game quite literally had a limitless budget and could've just as easily thrown a wider casting net outside of Korea if they really were struggling to find someone in Korea and could've cast a trans actor from outside if they really wanted to. Squid Game after all is a global phenomenon. You know what they say - where there is a will, there is a way, and here it doesn't seem like there was much of a will.