Welcome, welcome.
to the show.
Thank you for having me here.
I'm so excited to have you here.
This is amazing.
For anyone who might not know your work before "Squid Game," I just want to let everyone know.
Uh, Lee Byung-hun, you've been making movies for over 30 years and have won countless awards in South Korea.
You've, uh -- sure.
You've starred in big Hollywood movies like "Terminator Genisys" and the "G.I.
Joe" movies.
You have your hand and footprints at the Chinese Theatre here in Los Angeles.
And you were the first Korean actor to present an award at the Oscars.
Come on.
Not too shabby.
You've been here.
You know what you're doing.
Thank you, thank you.
You're also in the biggest show in the world.
How does being in "Squid Game" compare to anything you've done in your career?
Um, as you just said, I've been acting for, like, more than 30 years, and I also participated in some Hollywood blockbuster projects.
But "Squid Game" is a Korean story made by a Korean director with Korean actors and Korean language.
So, when I first came to LA and New York for a promotion of "Squid Game," I was so shocked by the fans' reaction.
Yeah.
I'm so grateful and proud of it.
Yeah, that's it.
Do you read the script and you go, "Oh, this is going to be a hit"?
When I first read the script, it a was very, very interesting story with a very unique structure, but at the same time it was, uh, too experimental.
So I thought, um, either it's going to be a huge hit or a complete flop.
Yeah, that's the way it works.
Yeah, yeah.
Frankly.
When you, uh -- Your role in "Squid Game," it started as a cameo, and we only saw your face for a couple of episodes in season one.
It was the big reveal, because you're the Front Man and your character wears a mask, and it's kind of a scary-looking mask.
I mean, this is what the Front Man looks like.
This is what -- Yeah.
People freaked out when it was revealed that it was you under the mask.
Is this something you were keeping a secret for a while from your family and everybody?
Yeah, of course, because Netflix asked me to keep it as a secret, so I didn't say it to anybody, even my close friends and mom.
Your mom?
Yeah.
No!
You didn't tell your mom?
Yeah.
So, one day, after "Squid Game" opened, my mom called me and she yelled at me.
Yes.
How could you not tell me?
That's right.
Yeah.
Good for Mom.
Yeah.
so, I said, "It was a secret."
And then she said, "I was so embarrassed when I got calls from my friends."
So, I'm sorry.
That's so good.
Sorry, mom.
Yeah.
All right.
Yeah.
But now you're not -- You can see more of your face in this thing, but was it hard to act wearing that mask?
Uh, it's like a pigeonhole view.
Oh, yeah.
So, um, you can barely see.
And if you go upstairs or downstairs, it's very hard.
So, yeah, I had to use my other senses, like a ninja...
like Storm Shadow in "G.I.
Joe."
Yeah, it is.
Yeah.
But going down the stairs, you probably just had to walk extra slow, because if you fall down the stairs, then you don't look as cool as you are.
Yeah, yeah, but I had to walk, like, very naturally.
Yeah, regally.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah.
You have two kids.
They must be very proud of Dad.
Yeah.
They can't have seen "Squid Game."
They're not supposed to watch it, but...
Yeah, yeah.
I have one, um -- I have a 10-year-old boy and an 18-month-old daughter.
Audience: Aww!
Thank you.
So, the daughter's seen it.
The baby seen it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, no, but the 10 year old probably goes to school.
I think my son heard from his friend at school, and one day he was sadly -- he was so sad and asked me, "Why are you so mean?"
I went, "What?"
You know, I'm an actor.
I love you.
I'm a good dad.
I love you.
And I said, "Why?"
And he said, "You killed a lot of people."
Oh, my God.
That's a kid, right?
That's kids for you.
And my son was very close to T.O.P., Thanos in the story.
And, "Why did you hit him so bad?"
And I said, "Okay, this is acting."
He's a bad -- This is acting.
This is what we've got to do.
"I'm an actor," and he -- I think he doesn't understand 100%.
No, no.
Good for him.
He should be a 10 year old.
There's one episode, um, when he was three years old, I first showed him the "G.I.
Joe" clip on YouTube, and then he was like, "Are you really?"
Shhh.
No one knows.
Daddy -- Even your mom doesn't know.
Does not know.
Yeah.
And then he said, "Where's your weapon?"
And I said, "Oh, it's in America at some storage."
And then -- "Why didn't you bring it back?"
And then I said, "Um, if I see some strong enemy, I'm going to bring it back."
And then he said, "Okay."
Okay, Dad.
Thanks.
I won't tell anybody.
I promise.
And a few years later, he realized it's just a movie.
Yeah.
Can I see your watch?
Can I look at your watch?
Because that might be the most beautiful watch I've ever seen in my lifetime.
Look at this thing.
Can we -- Look at this.
Audience: Wow!
Is that, like, panda bears in there?
Yeah.
Holy mackerel.
Now, does it tell time?
Who cares, right?
Yeah, the panda tells me.
Oh, you know, I wanted to do this with you.
I hope you don't mind.
Fans had a lot of questions about how the show ends, and I wanted to see if you could answer some of them.
No spoilers...maybe, but I have these buttons here...
Okay, I'll try hard.
-...from the show.
Okay?
Here's the way it works.
Now if the answer to the question is yes, hit "O".
Mm-hmm.
And if it's no, hit "X."
Okay.
Do more players learn your real identity in season three?
Hmm...
Wow!
They do.
We saw you play in some of the games in season two.
Will we see you play a game in season three?
Oh...
This is so fun.
I love this.
All right.
This is great.
Is someone else in charge of "Squid Game" besides the Front Man?
Audience: Ooh!
Oh...
Sorry.
All right.
Okay.
We know there will be new games, but do any old games return?
If you hit both again, I swear -- No, it's okay.
With one hand.
Okay, okay.
All right.
Last one.
Could we see a Front Man spin-off one day?
Yeah!
Come on!
But...
Yes?
Okay, I need to tell you this.
Uh, I'm not sure about that.
Oh, that's right.
But there's a possibility, and, uh, we'll never know what happens.
Okay.
Are you happy with the way season three comes to an end?
Uh...of course.
Yeah.
Of course.
That wasn't part of this.
Ohh.
All right, I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Lee Byung-hun in the new season of "Squid Game."
Take a look at this.
Wo-o-o-o-o-o-ow!
Lee Byung-hun, everybody!
The third and final season of "Squid Game" premieres June 27th on Netflix.
More "Tonight Show" after the break.
Stick around.
