Former BIGBANG member Choi Seung-hyun, more commonly known by his stage name T.O.P, has made his first public appearance since his hiatus in an interview with KoreaTimes. The celebrity opened up about his 11-year hiatus from the celebrity industry and his recent comeback as an actor in Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2. 

T.O.P first faced heavy criticism from the public after his marijuana conviction in 2017, which led to his subsequent departure from BIGBANG. The actor admitted that when he was first asked to play the role of Thanos, a rapper who struggles with drug usage, he was initially hesitant to take on the role, as the parallels between him and the character he would be portraying were uncomfortably close. 

“The offer to play Thanos was a daunting proposition. The character mirrored my past, reflecting aspects I’d rather keep hidden,” he said in an interview with KoreaTimes.

Despite his worries, many had positive feedback regarding his performance as Thanos. He received multitudes of praise as many admired his ability to bring light to the otherwise tense mood of the show, ultimately winning the hearts of the viewers.

“When I first heard that T.O.P would be coming back to the celebrity industry, I was surprised,” Yegene Hwang (10), BIGBANG fan, said. “I was even more shocked when I saw that his character was a former drug user, but he acted really well and turned out to become my favorite character.”