LOS ANGELES — Squid Game” made history Wednesday morning as the first non-English-language TV series and the first Korean series to score a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
The hit Netflix show, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, is nominated for ensemble in a drama series alongside “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Morning Show,” “Succession” and “Yellowstone.”
“Squid Game” stars Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon also landed individual nominations for actor and actress in a drama series, respectively. In the dystopian drama about debt-ridden people who compete in a series of deadly children’s games for a lofty cash prize, Lee plays earnest father Seong Gi-hun, and Jung makes her acting debut as guarded North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok.
After it was released in September, “Squid Game” quickly became Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, surpassing other fan favorites such as “Bridgerton” and “Lupin.”
The “Squid Game” milestone comes three years after Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning Korean thriller “Parasite” became the first non-English-language project to win a Screen Actors Guild Award for film ensemble. Twenty-one years prior, Roberto Benigni’s Oscar-winning Italian drama “Life Is Beautiful” became the first non-English-language project to nab an ensemble nomination.
Over the weekend, “Squid Game” star O Yeong-Su became the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for his performance as ailing contestant Oh Il-nam. The gruesome show also earned a 2022 Golden Globe nomination for drama series, while Lee received a nod for actor in a drama series.
The 2022 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations were announced Wednesday by “Tick, Tick ... Boom!” star Vanessa Hudgens and “Dopesick” star Rosario Dawson. Leading the film nominees this year are “House of Gucci” and “The Power of the Dog,” with three nominations apiece, while TV series “Ted Lasso” and “Succession” are tied for five.
The 28th SAG Awards ceremony is scheduled to air Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. Pacific on TNT and TBS. No host has been announced for the show, which will be broadcast from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.
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