The “Squid Game” Director Reveals the Important Reason Behind Casting Cate Blanchett

Love it or hate it, Squid Game’s third and final installment definitely left a lasting impression on viewers. It was a season filled with twists, turns, and surprises. Plus, to really hit the nail on the head, the ending even featured a cameo by Hollywood superstar Cate Blanchett. 

The A-list actress appeared in the show’s final minutes suited up while playing ddakji with a gruff man on the streets of an American city. From the looks of it, she’s recruiting players anew for the deadly games similar to Gong Yoo’s character. Inho, the Front Man, drives past, and the two stare at each other before his car pulls away.

The brief scene quickly made its rounds on the internet upon the third season’s release with many wondering how on earth Cate Blanchett ended up in the Squid Game universe. It turns out director Hwang Dong Hyuk cast the actress for a specific reason—aside from the fact that he’s been her longtime fan, of course.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dong Hyuk shared that it was a deliberate choice to make the American recruiter a woman. He explained, “I thought that, unlike in [the] Korea [version], having a woman who’s a recruiter for the American system would be a nice contrast and also quite a powerful, impactful element.” 

When the question of who would portray the character came, Dong Hyuk knew it had to be someone with impeccable aura. “It’s a very short scene. There’s only one line, so we needed someone who had that level of presence and charisma to completely dominate the screen in that instant,” he said. His natural choice was Cate Blanchett whom he says can instantly grab the audience’s attention with a single stare. 

Cate’s cameo was a well-kept secret so much so that even the cast was left in the dark up until Netflix showed it to them while shooting a promotional video for the series. The only one who knew about her appearance was Lee Byung Hun himself who didn’t even get to interact with her in person. 

Recounting his experience filming the scene, he mentioned the traffic and crowd were hard to control so he and Cate had to shoot their scenes separately. “We both rushed out of the set. It was such a shame it ended like that,” he shared. “When the window opened, what when through the Front Man’s mind was, ‘I love that actress. Can I get a picture with her?’”

Watch the cast of Squid Game react to Cate Blanchett's cameo for the first time below!