Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, who's about to join the Star Wars universe with a role in The Acolyte, has opened up about his filming experience in a galaxy far, far way.
Lee is set to take on his biggest franchise role to date as he joins The Acolyte on Disney+, portraying the leading male role alongside The Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg.
And after being part of such a huge worldwide phenomenon with his role in Squid Game, the Star Wars newcomer already has a feel for being a part of a franchise that fans are guaranteed to check out.
Filming is in the early stages for The Acolyte as fans wait to find out more information on Lee's role, with the actor looking to take his own place amongst Disney+'s iconic Star Wars heroes and villains of the last few years.
Acolyte Star Slams Star Wars Filming
Speaking with All K-Pop, The Acolyte star Lee Jung-jae compared the efficiency with which Squid Game was filmed to how The Acolye is progressing during production.
Lee noted that "filming sets in Korea are actually more efficient" than those that are based in the USA, although he's also seen many aspects that are similar and some that he's learning about as he moves forward:
“I was told not to talk about it as much as possible. It seems that filming will run until March or April. I actually felt that in some ways, filming sets in Korea are actually more efficient. There are many aspects of the work which are similar here and in Korea, but I feel that there are areas where the Korean method is more efficient. Of course, there are aspects I am learning from as well.”
Lee also spoke with KBI Zoom in October 2022 about The Acolyte, explaining that this is the first project on his resume that he's done outside of Korea and that it's also the biggest project he's ever done:
"It’s my first time working on a foreign project, and it’s my first time doing such a big project, so I’m in a position where I have no choice but to follow what I’m told to do."
Lee dove further into his work in a November 2022 interview with GQ Magazine, sharing that while he transitioned from modeling to acting, he didn't feel that his performances were "sufficient enough" in his early work since he didn't have as deep of a view of the world as he does today:
"I think my performances didn’t feel sufficient enough because my understanding of the world wasn’t very deep. I was very eager to do well, but I didn’t understand exactly how to do the work."
As he adds new projects to his resume, Lee knows now that working hard is only part of the job and that he has to understand how to express what he's doing in his work:
"I know now that working hard is not the only important thing. You need to understand what you want to express and how you want to express it. Now that I have at least a little more understanding of how I want to work, I’ve been able to enjoy myself."
Star Wars Bringing Challenges for Squid Game Star
While Lee didn't go into many details on what made filming The Acolyte so much more difficult to film than Squid Game, he's seen a wide range of experiences during his time in the spotlight.
But looking at the big picture for The Acolyte, he's learned a great deal about how productions work outside of his home country, all while he goes through his own evolution as an actor.
Lee will get the unique chance to embody a new breed of Jedi in this blast to the past, which will take place before anything that's been seen in the Skywalker Saga.
And with this new entry leaning heavily into the Sith side of the story, there will be no shortage of anticipation to see what Lucasfilm plans to do with these new characters and arcs.
The Acolyte doesn't yet have a release date yet for its Disney+ debut.
