Hwang
Dong-hyuk
Incisive world-builder
BY LEE JUNG-JAE
Much of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s success
stems from his ability to illuminate
the feelings of the characters and to
build believable lives for them from
the ground up. As a television and
film director, he knows how to weave
a story so that no matter what choice
a character makes, it feels natural.
When I received the script for Squid
Game, I knew it would be an interest-
ing experience—the characters were all
so rich in detail, with distinct charac-
teristics that gave them depth. Director
Hwang was brilliant in visualizing this
intricate and savage world that looked
like a game, but revealed piercing
truths about society and humanity.
He was able to take something brutal
and make it beautiful.
Lee is an actor
WINFREY: TOM COOPER—GETTY IMAGES; ZASLAV SOURCE PHOTO: FREDERICK M. BROWN—GETTY IMAGES; HWANG: NETFLIX; JENNER: CHRISTOPHER POLK—NBCU PHOTO BANK/GETTY IMAGES
