Despite being up for one of the biggest awards of the night, ‘Squid Game’ star Lee Jung Jae will not be attending the Golden Globes.
‘Squid Game’ star Lee Jung Jae will not be attending the Golden Globes due to Netflix’s boycott of the ceremony and COVID-19 issues. Lee is up for one of the biggest awards of the night, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama.
The show itself – one of the biggest hits of 2021 – is up for the Best Television Series – Drama award. O Yeong Su, who played old man Oh Il Nam, is also up for Best Supporting Actor.
Lee’s actions come in tandem with an industry effort to bring more diversity and transparency to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) to bring acclaimed shows, actors, and movies their due on the global stage.
A representative of Lee said: “He is immensely grateful to have been nominated in the Best Actor category at the Golden Globes, but he has decided not to attend the ceremony. He recognises that Netflix is not participating in the Golden Globes, as has been widely reported around the world. He also made the decision considering other factors like the COVID-19 situation and the quarantine requirements.”
Every year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association selects nominees and winners for the Golden Globes. In recent years, however, the body has come under attack for corruption and a lack of diversity. Numerous studios, platforms, stars, and directors have, as a result, called for a boycott of the ceremony until reforms ensuring more transparency and diversity are put into place.
Netflix, Warner Media, and Amazon are among those boycotting, along with NBC, who were traditionally the channel on which the award show aired.
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Lee’s boycott also brings to mind last year’s controversy regarding ‘Minari’ – despite being a story about the Korean-American immigrant struggle produced by an American studio, ‘Minari’ was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film Category.
For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer.
