South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae has learned English to play the lead role in a brand new Star Wars series!
The success of Squid Game made him an international star. That's why Lee Jung-jae has been offered one of the lead roles in The Acolyte, the brand new Star Wars series available on Disney+.
Joining such a popular franchise marks the beginning of a new career for the 51-year-old South Korean actor. But if he has the popularity needed to take on a lead role in such a franchise, there is still a major hurdle: Lee Jong Jae has not mastered the English language.
Extensive preparations before filming
To our colleagues inEntertainment Weekly, translator of Jedi Master Sol in The Acolyte, confided that he learned English for the purposes of filming the series. He also supplemented this with combat training two months before filming, although he was no novice in this field thanks to his previous experiences in action films in South Korea.
“His emotions are constantly changing. Also, when he fights, he also feels fear. And I think because of that, showrunner Leslye Headland created a Soul who has a very human personality.” He stated during this interview, adding that he was inspired by the Jedi Qui Gon-Jinn played by Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace.
Season 2 of Squid Game, before the Hollywood invasion?
After becoming in 2022 the first South Korean actor to take home the Best Actor award at the Emmy Awards (Drama category), Lee Jung-jae will star in the second season of Squid Game on Netflix at the end of the year. On the cinema front, the latter unveiled “Hunt” last year, his first film as a director (it was screened at a midnight screening at the Cannes Film Festival).
There is no doubt that his mastery of the English language will be an added asset in his Hollywood career. Especially since the first positive reactions generated by The Acolyte, and the enthusiasm around the new season of Squid Game would open the doors of international fame to him even more…
Episodes of The Acolyte can be found every Wednesday exclusively on Disney+.
Discover the list of series currently available on the platform!
