How Lee Jung-jae and the rest of the Season 2 ‘Squid Game’ squad are submitting for Emmy acting categories
Marcus Errico
The latest batch of Squid Game contestants is ready to try their luck at the Emmys. Seven actors from the second season of the hit Netflix series are being submitted across four categories, Gold Derby has learned.
Leading the way is star Lee Jung-jae, looking to repeat his Best Drama Actor win from Season 1. Lee, who plays returning champion Seong Gi-hun, aka Player 456, is on the bubble for the 2025 best actor race, sitting at No. 9 in the current Gold Derby odds — the highest position of any of the Squid Game gang.
Lee Byung-hun, another who survived the first season, will be submitted for supporting actor for his role as the Front Man, the show’s big bad. Joining him are the two biggest breakouts of Season 2, Choi Seung-hyun, who plays disgraced rapper Thanos (aka Player 230), and Park Sung-hoon, who plays heroic trans ex-soldier Hyun-ju (Player 120).
For supporting actress, Netflix is submitting Kang Ae-shim for her role as protective mother Jang Geum-ja (Player 149) and Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul, the sharp-shooting North Korean defector who’ll go to any cost to save her daughter.
Gong Yoo, reprising his role as the Recruiter in a showcase episode, will be submitted for guest actor.
Although none of the Season 2 cast is positioned to land a nomination, based on our current standings, Squid Game is predicted to make the cut for Best Drama Series.
The first season of Squid Game became an international phenomenon upon its release in 2021 and was embraced by the Television Academy, racking up 14 Emmy nominations and winning six. While Lee was the lone acting winner, four other cast members received bids: Oh Young-soo (Player 001, the season’s stealthy antagonist) and Park Hae-soo (Cho Sang-woo/Player 218, Gi-hun’s old friend) in supporting actor; Jung Ho-yeon (the fan-favorite Kang Sae-byeok/Player 067) in supporting actress; and Lee You-mi (the tragic Ji-yeong/Player 240) in guest actress. All of their characters died in Season 1 (spoiler alert!).
Below are Netflix's official Squid Game acting submissions for Season 2. Please note that because actors can enter themselves, there is a chance someone who is not on this list might make the Emmy ballot.
Drama Actor: Lee Jung-jae
Drama Supporting Actor: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Seung-hyun, Park Sung-hoon
Drama Supporting Actress: Kang Ae-shim, Park Gyu-young
Drama Guest Actor: Gong Yoo
Choi seunghyun
Choi Seung Hyun aka T.O.P
Thanos💕
Wow its Choi seung hyun(Thanos).
En la serie es conocido como Thanos 🤷
¡Vamos Choi Seung Hyun! 💗💗
ROOTING FOR CHOI SEUNG HYUN.ALL THE BEST
Omg jsem tak ráda za Choi-ho. Zaslouží si vyhrát po tom hejtu
anoo!!
Thanos 🔥
LETS GO CHOI SEUNG-HYUN
The next game to be red light lava
Or or a mystery drink one card poison and the rest is good if you drink it you were poisoned and it died
Choi Seunghyun deserves it
Choi Seung-hyun was awesome, he deserves it. 💜
choi seung hyun, perfect actor ever 🔥💜.
Choi Seung Hyun, el mejor 💜💜
CHOI SEUNG HYUN DESERVES THIS HE WAS AMAZING 🙏❤️
Choi Seung-hyun (aka T.O.P) deserves it. He deserves so much love and support! He deserves the world! 🔝💚
Choi Seung Hyun all the way!!
Choi Seun-hyung was the best 💜
Choi Seun Hyung
Choi Seung Hyun deserves it the most he’s a really good actor. He deserves the world 🩷
Choi Seung Hyun the best
Choi Seung-hyun good job, good actor
Choi Seung Hyun, we love you 🫰
Choi Seung Hyun! May God be with you and you get nominated! this is my biggest wish for this year! everything has to come full circle and you need to get the love you deserve!
I have my fingers crossed and praying for this with all my heart and soul! You did so much to design this character! you deserve at least a nomination!
Actor Choi Seung Hyun (Thanos) is the best and he deserves so much appreciation.We will always support and love our T.O.P (actor Choi Seung Hyun) forever 💯💜🫰Team Thanos 1000000%🔥
Our Tabi (Thanos) who acts as player 230 deserves the great nomination and appreciation.He really tried his best for playing this role and we can feel his hardworking and passion on his character.We will root for you Tabi (Choi Seung Hyun)💜
Our Choi Seung-Hyun deserves this and i think we should root for him. Choi Seung-Hyun plays Thanos so good, his acting skills are so good and he made Squid Game even better. I think he deserves the nomination and appreciation. I hope we can be respected by everyone. I hope he can be nominated. WE LOVE YOU CHOI SEUNG HYUN!!!💕🌙💘💜
Actor Choi Seunghyun is the best. He is so talented man. The world knows him. And he always deserves the best things. I hope he wins all rewards. But he already wins the BIG LOVE. I am so excited of him and I love him so much. I love you Choi Seung-hyun.
Forever Thanos Team.
Of course my man Choi Seung Hyun deserves it. We love him so much
Choi Seung-Hyun!!!!💜💜🔝
CSH/THANOS for the win!!! I hope he gets the recognition. He played the character superbly
Estimado Choi Seung-hyun,
Quisiera tomarme un momento para expresarle mi más sincera admiración y gratitud por tu trabajo como actor. Su talento y dedicación a la hora de dar vida a sus personajes han tenido un impacto profundo en mí.
Recuerdo vívidamente la primera vez que te Vi en el juego del calamar en si me gustó mucho tu personalidad
que realmente resonó conmigo y se quedó grabado en mi memoria. Su habilidad para transmitir emociones y la complejidad de su personaje fue asombrosa.
En un momento difícil de mi vida, su trabajo me ofreció llegó y te tome un cariño súper hermoso 💗. Por eso, le estoy profundamente agradecido.
Aunque quizás no interprete al personaje que inicialmente tenía en mente, su arte tiene el poder de tocar las vidas de muchas
Choi seung-hyun 💜
Choi Seung-hyun (Thanos) 🙌💓
Cheering for Choi seung hyun!! ^_^ go thanos-su!!
Thanos 🫰🏻💜🇲🇽😍
Choi seung Hyun (alias Thanos#230)!!! Il le mérite TELLEMENT!!! Je souhaite de tout coeur qu’il soit nominé et qu’il gagne dans cette catégorie.🤞💜💜💜🫰
Choi Seung-Hyun deserves to be nominated for the award, he really tried his best for playing this role, he was a great visionary contributing ideas to create the character of Thanos in the series, making his character a trend among viewers, his performance in the series made Squid Game 2 even better!
T.O.P you can do it, I know you can do it so don’t let your spirits get down or anyone discourage you because you are amazing and energetic, you can do it! ❤️
Choi Seunng-Hyung, let’s go
Gong Yoo deserves to be nominated for the award, because he deserves to get award “Emmy”. Gong Yoo AMAZINGLY played his role of Recruiter in second season of Squid Game!!! Gong Yoo is the best actor ever! Gong Yoo left BIGGEST Impression on viewers around the world! Cheers go especially for Gong Yoo because he DEFINITELY deserves to be nominated for the award! ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Choi Seung-hyun deserves to be nominated, he’s really talented💜
Mis respetos para todos los actores de SG2, pero definitivamente Choi Seung Hyun regresa a la escena actoral y vuelve a demostrar porque es tan versátil en todo lo que hace. Definitivamente tiene que ser nominado y ganar ese premio, Thanos se ganó el corazón de todo mundo, excelente trabajo TOP
Choi Seung-Hyun aka T.O.P 🙏👏🏆
Choi Seung-Hyun is T.O.P-The one and only,Let’s go!!!
el aura que emana Thanos (CSH) está en otro nivel, simplemente el MVP 🐐🐐🐐🐐
Choi Seung hyun (TOP) 🥇🏆
Choi Seung Hyun the best actor ever! He needs to win! 🔝🔝🔝 🙏❤️ 🏆 Hands up for T.O.P! 🙌🫶🫰💜💜💜
Thanos/Choi Seung Hyun/T.O.P
Choi Seung-hyun gave an incredible performance; he truly deserves to be nominated.👀
Vamos Choi Seung Hyun, todo nuestro apoyo para T.O.P
Choi Seung Hyun( aka Thanos)💜
Choi seung hyun deserves all the best my man my man my mannnnnnnnn !!!!
Choi Seung Hyun (aka THANOS)
He deserves reconmitment
Me encantó la actuación de Choi Seung Hyun como Thanos, debe ser nominado
I need only Thanos to win
Pls give it to TOP, we need it to encourage him to come back before 20th anniversary of Bigbang. This will help him gain his confidence back. Pls give it to him plsssssss. We are so ready to vote for him.
VIPs pls be ready to vote. Bigbang 4ever!!!!!