( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK.
MY NEXT GUEST IS AN ACTOR YOU KNOW AS PLAYER 456 FROM THE
NETFLIX SHOW, "SQUID GAME."
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," LEE JUNG-JAE
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND MY TRANSLATOR, HALEY.
>> Stephen: YES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "SQUID GAME" IS AN EXTRAORDINARY GLOBAL SUCCESS,
NUMBER ONE ON NETFLIX IN 90 COUNTRIES.
DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN YOU STARTED THIS WHAT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN?
>> WELL, WHEN I FIRST READ THE SCRIPT, IT WASN'T TO THAT
EXTENT.
BUT, ACTUALLY, ON MY FIRST DAY OF THE SHOOT, I FELT LIKE
SOMETHING GOOD MIGHT HAPPEN.
BUT I DEFINITELY DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE THIS BIG OF A SUCCESS,
AND I CERTAINLY DID NOT EXPECT TO BE HERE TODAY WITH YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
THE SHOW YOU PLAY A LOT OF CHILDREN'S GAMES-- RED LIGHT,
GREEN LIGHT.
TUG-OF-WAR.
MARBLES.
WERE YOU GOOD AT THESE GAMES GROWING UP?
>> YES, OF COURSE.
( LAUGHTER )
FAVORITE?
>> ESPECIALLY MARBLE GAME.
>> Stephen: NO DROPS, NO BOMBS, NO TAKEBACKS, NO FUDGYIES
I'LL CHALLENGE YOU TO MARBLES ONE DAY.
>> I HOPE SO.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE OFTEN TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE-- SPOILER
ALERT-- THERE ARE SOME DISTURBING ASPECTS OF THE SHOW.
AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE VIOLENCE AT TIMES.
I DON'T FIND THAT UPSETTING BECAUSE IT'S CARTOONISH, IN SOME
WAYS.
WHAT'S REALLY DISTURBING IS THE INDIGNITIES THAT YOUR CHARACTER
AND THE OTHER CHARACTERS SUFFER BECAUSE OF THEIR DEBT AND THEIR
POVERTY.
WHAT DO YOU-- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PEOPLE'S REACTION TO THE
SHOW?
SOME PEOPLE ARE DISTURBED BY IT.
DO YOU THINK IT'S FOR THE RIGHT REASONS?
IS>> I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT POINT.
I THINK A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY RELATED TO "SQUID GAME"
AND REALLY LOVED IT, THEY ALSO EXPERIENCED SOME KIND OF HURT
BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC TROUBLES OR SOME VIOLENCE THAT THEY
EXPERIENCED FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
AND I THINK THE REASON THEY WERE ABL TO RELATE TO THE STORY WAS
THE KEY FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE SHOW.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VIOLENCE, THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE
THAT'S DEPICTED IN THE SHOW, IT REALLY, IT CONTAINS A MESSAGE OF
WANTING TO RETRIEVE BACK THE HUMANITY THAT WE LOST IN THIS
EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE SOCIETY.
AND SO I FEEL THAT IT, RATHER COMPARED TO THE VERY REAL AND
EXTREME VIOLENT SOCIETY THAT WE LIVE IN, IT'S NOT AS CRUEL.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU'VE BEEN A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN SOUTH KOREA
FOR DECADES, VERY FAMOUS OVER THERE.
BUT MOST AMERICANS GOT TO KNOW YOU THROUGH THIS SHOW.
HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW, WHEREVER YOU GO, PEOPLE-- INCLUDING
CELEBRITIES LIKE LEONARDO DICAPRIO-- ARE WANTING TO TAKE
SELFIES WITH YOU?
>> I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, REALLY.
AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE ACTUALLY DID WATCH "SQUID GAME."
HE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH.
AND HE TOLD ME THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SO LUCKY TO BE IN IT AND
YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB, SO IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
>> Stephen: IS IT TRUE--
THAT'S GREAT.
IS IT TRUE THAT THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN WITH HIS PHONE?
AND THAT HE SENT IT TO YOU?
>> IT'S TRUE, IT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: SO THAT MEANS--
-- WAIT A SECOND.
SO THAT MEANS YOU HAVE HIS PHONE NUMBER.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> OH, NO, NO.
>> Stephen: NO?
>> NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
WE HAVE A MUTUAL FRIEND.
>> Stephen: OH.
DAMN!
I WANTED TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THIS AND SEND IT TO HIM.
WHAT A THRILL THAT WOULD BE FOR LEONARDO DICAPRIO TO HAVE A
PHOTO OF ME.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
NOW, ONE OF THE GAMES YOU PLAY IN THE SHOW INVOLVES-- AND I'M
SURE I'M NOT INVOLVING THIS CORRECTLY-- DALGONA, A KOREAN
HONEYCOMBED TOFFEE, THE GAME WE WERE ABOUT TO SEE IN THE CLIP.
IT'S HAVING TO TAKE THIS HONEYCOMB OUT OF A LITTLE TRAY
WITHOUT BREAKING IT.
WE HAVE IT RIGHT HERE.
>> OH!
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SHOW ME
HOW TO DO THIS.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD OPEN THAT AND I'LL OPEN THIS.
>> OH!
SO EASY.
♪ ♪ ♪ TRIANGLE.
>> Stephen: OH, TRIANGLE?
DO YOU HAVE A PIN?
WHERE IS YOUR PIN?
SO WHAT-- WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE GAME?
♪ ♪ ♪ >> SO THE THING IS YOU HAVE TO
LEAVE THE SHAPE, AND HE SHAPE ONLY.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE REST OFF OF IT.
>> Stephen: OH, SO YOU HAVE TO BREAK EVERYTHING OFF.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND LEAVE IT-- >> WITHOUT --
>> Stephen: DAMN, I PICKED THE WRONG ONE.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO IT.
LET'S DO IT.
SO YOU DON'T USE A PIN?
>> I HAVE AN EASY ONE HERE.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO USE THE PIN.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> WOW.
OH!
( APPLAUSE )
STREAMING NOW ON NETFLIX.
LEE JUNG-JAE, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE FROM THE FILM,
"CYRANO," WITH PETER DINKLAGE AND AARON AND BRYCE DESSNER.
STICK AROUND.
THANK YOU.
♪ ♪ ♪