Squid Game’s Player 001 reveals how the Netflix show changed his life: ‘Being famous is tough, too’

*Contains major spoilers for Squid Game*

Squid Game actor Yeong-su Oh, who rose to fame as Player 001, has spoken about how the hit Netflix show changed his life.

During an appearance on the South Korean TV show How Do I Play, the 77-year-old actor said he feels as though he’s “floating on air” after the success of the dystopian thriller series.

“It makes me think, ‘I need to calm down, organise my thoughts, and hold myself back right now’,” he said.

Yeong-su also revealed that his daughter has been helping him manage calls and messages as he doesn’t have a manager.

“So many people have been contacting me, and because I don’t have a manager to help me, it’s hard for me to handle the volume of calls and messages I’ve been receiving, so my daughter has been helping me.”

“Things have changed quite a bit. Even when I go out to a cafe or somewhere like that, I now have to be aware of [how I appear to others]. It’s made me think, ‘Being famous is tough, too,’” Yeong-su added.

Squid Game (Netflix)

Squid Game explores a dystopian reality, in which a mysterious organisation recruits people in debt to compete in a series of apparently childish games for the chance to win a life-changing amount of money.

The games are based on classic children’s games, some of which are specific to Korea, while others, such as “Red Light, Green Light”, are known worldwide.

Red Light, Green Light game in Squid Game (Netflix/YouTube)

As one of the show’s most beloved characters, the unmasking of Player 001 as the mastermind behind the games both shocked and disappointed audiences around the world.

His real name is revealed to be Oh Il-nam, a wealthy man suffering from a terminal illness who created the games out of boredom.

In other news, after being officially declared as Netflix’s biggest ever launch, Squid Game is estimated to be worth almost $900 million (£654m) for the streaming service.