Squid Game 2 - English Dub
Nicky plays the English voice for Hyun-ju (Player 120)
Happy Holidays! If you find yourself with some chill time and are looking for something exciting to binge, try Squid Game 2’s English Dub on Netflix!
I’m the English dub voice for Hyun-ju (Player 120), a Trans woman who is in the games to fund her transition. Hyun-ju is strong, caring, and a natural leader. I absolutely loved playing her English dub voice — especially because it felt authentic to me both in terms of identity as a Transfeminine person, and also in terms of my casting and the roles I most love to play.
It is my understanding that being an out LGBTQIA+ actor is much harder (and thus rarer) in South Korea than it is in the U.S., which affected director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s decision to cast a cisgender male actor, Park Sung-hoon, in the role of Hyun-ju — despite desiring to cast the role authentically.
And although I believe it is crucial to authentically represent marginalized people in art and media, and to put Trans people at the center of Trans stories, I also think it’s important to consider how cultural differences affect how we measure progress. In this case, I think that featuring a dimensional Trans woman as a major character in an international-hit Korean series is still an achievement, even though she is not authentically cast. And that talking about the casting, even if it’s critical, can itself be part of moving things forward.
All that being said, although a Korean Trans actor did not play Hyun-ju… a Korean-American Trans actor IS at least voicing her English dub! And lemmie tell you, I auditioned multiple times for this one — they did not just give it to me based on one good read; nor on my past work dubbing lead characters, nor on my identity or casting type alone. Authenticity does not equate to a freebie. We Trans actors, we gotta devote ourselves to our craft and to our networking; to excellence and professionalism, so that when we show up to an opportunity and there is any doubt that casting authentically could be optional, we show them, easily: we are undeniably the best choice.
Many thanks to my team, Pink Hammer & Coast to Coast, and to the team at VSI Los Angeles, and our English dub director, Kate Jopson! SG2 was a blast to work on! Will Hyun-ju make it to season 3? Watch to find out!
🖤🤎❤🧡💛💚💙💜 { progress rainbow heart emojis }
Cheers!
Nicky