Lee Jung-jae, the star of Netflix’s global hit Squid Game, revealed that he lost 10 kilograms over the past year by eating only steamed vegetables to reflect his character’s emotional and physical deterioration in the popular series’ latest season.

“I received so much love and support from fans around the world, and I felt I had to give everything I had,” Lee said during a roundtable interview in Seoul on Thursday. “This drastic physical transformation was one of the ways I could show that effort.”

Season 3 of Squid Game, which premiered on June 27th, 2025, continues the story from Season 2. The character Seong Gi-hun returns vowing revenge but ultimately fails in his rebellion. As the deadly games progress, Gi-hun grows increasingly gaunt - an arc that Lee mirrored through real-life changes.

“I did not think Gi-hun would eat the food provided in the game, like gimbap or old-school lunchboxes,” he said. “People under extreme stress or in panic tend to physically shrink, and I thought that showing that could add depth.”

Throughout the filming period, Lee avoided group meals and asked catering staff to steam only the vegetables that were prepared for other meals. He divided three vegetable meals per day into two, and eventually just one, stretching it across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The extreme regimen left a visible transformation.

While filming is now over, Lee said the reality of the show’s end is yet to fully set in. “It feels strange. With movies, you sometimes get re-releases, but for an OTT series like this, I wonder, ‘Is this really the end?’ It leaves me with a sense of regret rather than relief.”

The actor admitted that he was surprised by the ending of Season 3, in which Gi-hun makes a final, irreversible decision, closing off any possibility of a sequel. “I did not expect that kind of conclusion initially” he said. “But I realized the director is not chasing entertainment or money. He is a true storyteller focused on artistic value.”

Playing Gi-hun, a man who repeatedly sacrifices himself for others, also made Lee reflect on his own choices. “I kept asking myself, ‘Would I make the same decision?’ We all die eventually, no matter how rich or successful we are. Maybe Gi-hun just wanted to live with a clear conscience and die with peace of mind.”

Lee also described the experience of filming emotional scenes with a digitally created baby. “At first, it was awkward acting with a life-sized baby doll. But after around a week,I got strangely attached to it,” he said. “It was a unique experience.”

Responding to mixed reviews of the new season, Lee said he takes it in stride. “That always happens with films too. Folks have so many opinions these days, and I think that just makes the conversation richer.”

Lee is now busy filming his next project, the upcoming tvN drama Mean Love in which he stars alongside actress Lim Ji-yeon.

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