Lee Jung-jae, who recently won an Emmy for his role in Squid Game, has landed a starring role in the new Star Wars series, The Acolyte. The show's creator, Leslye Headland, was so impressed by Lee's acting in Squid Game that she specifically wrote the character of Master Sol with him in mind.
"I was quite surprised when Leslye said that she saw Master Sol from my acting in Squid Game because I feel like the two characters are so different," Lee said in an interview. "So I was very curious about what made her feel that way."
Headland has said that she is a big fan of Lee's ability to switch between different emotions. "She most admires Lee’s ability to effortlessly shift from ‘formidable to heart-breaking,’" the article reports.
Lee believes that Headland may have been drawn to his desire to portray kind and helpful characters. "I do feel like both of my characters in Squid Game and The Acolyte embody this kindness and this desire to live in harmony with others and help others," Lee said.
This role is particularly special for Lee because it is his first English-speaking role. He underwent four months of dialect training before filming began, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"I would say that we all kind of crafted this role together," Lee said of his work with the dialect coaches.
Playing a Jedi Master presented a unique challenge for Lee, as these characters are known for being stoic and controlled. However, Lee worked with Headland to ensure that Sol's emotions were conveyed in a way that did not confuse the audience.
"There are a lot of elements of mystery within The Acolyte. So, of course, I didn’t want to show too much emotion through my character, but, at the same time, you don’t want the audience to think, ‘Oh, what is this guy thinking?’ We didn’t want him to be too stoic to where the audience is not able to understand his motives, so that was the most important part in acting as Master Sol,” Lee said.
The Acolyte is set to premiere on Disney+.
