Comment writer Archie Marks analyses Netflix’s controversial casting of a cis actor in the role of a trans woman, finding the debate to be more complex than it appears
When Squid Game debuted on Netflix in late 2021, it hit like a cultural tsunami. Created by South Korean director Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series dominated online discourse, with viewers taken by its layered characters and its scathing critique of capitalism. As of writing, it remains Netflix’s most popular series. So, when a second installment was greenlit, viewers were thrilled – at least until the casting was announced.
“Viewers were thrilled – at least until the casting was announced
Prior to the second season’s premiere, Netflix revealed that a cisgender male actor – Park Sung-hoon – would play a transgender woman, Hyun-ju. (‘Cisgender’, or ‘cis’, refers to someone who identifies as the gender they were assigned at birth; ‘transgender’, or ‘trans’, refers to someone who does not.) The announcement enraged fans, some of whom lobbied accusations of hypocrisy at a show with such a progressive message.
The decision to cast a cis actor in a trans role is, in principle, deeply problematic. For one, it perpetuates the (false) stereotype that being trans is simply a performance, as easy as putting on a wig and makeup. (As Susan Stryker of Miles College states, transness is not deceptive – it is an identity.) Take Eddie Redmayne: a cis man who played Elbe, a trans woman, in 2015’s The Danish Girl, and received acclaim for his performance. Such an example enables cis success off the back of trans narratives.
Squid Game’s casting also reinforces barriers that trans people have wrestled with for decades in the media industry. Not only are trans rights a hot-button issue in politics (making TV execs nervous to include them in their products) but trans characters are often grossly underrepresented in TV & film narratives. If they are present in any capacity, they will likely be portrayed by cis actors anyway.
Dong-hyuk’s controversial decision risks reversing progress made by media in recent years. Both Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer and The Umbrella Academy’s Elliott Page lead their respective shows, while the success of series like Pose point to a growing acceptance & embrace of trans narratives in media. As many have argued, there is no excuse in 2024 to keep making the mistake that Squid Game has.
Or is there? Most criticisms have come from fans in Western countries like the US and UK, which are comparatively more liberal than South Korea in queer rights (in the latter, same-sex marriage remains illegal). The conservative politics of South Korea, where Squid Game is filmed, mean that it would be unreasonable to ask a Korean trans woman to put herself in the spotlight and risk her relationships, career and personal safety.
“It would be unreasonable to ask a Korean trans woman to put herself in the spotlight
Dong-hyuk himself has said as much, claiming he initially wished to cast a trans actress in the trans role he wrote, but was simply unable to find one willing to take the part. Perhaps the outrage of Western viewers here serves to highlight the increased challenges faced by queer individuals in non-Western countries. The very inclusion of a trans character, especially one whose transness is crucial to the plot (she plans to spend the winner’s ₩45.6 billion on gender-affirming surgery), sets a new precedent for South Korean media and the wider East Asian entertainment industry.
As a queer person myself, I wholly support increased representation. I believe trans actors should be the only ones to play trans characters, and should also have the opportunity to play roles written for cis people. I would also love to see trans characters whose arcs transcend the ‘struggle’ of being trans. I make these criticisms of Western media because we can afford to do better; Korean shows like Squid Game don’t have that luxury.
In essence, Squid Game’s casting is a net positive. The inclusion of a trans character will hopefully have a ripple effect that contributes to a media landscape inclusive and embracing of trans actors. As transphobia becomes frighteningly more rampant,trans representation in media has never been more important, and so Park’s casting should be celebrated. If we downplay decisions like these, we risk erasing trans voices in media altogether.
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