Looks like Lee Jung-jae just created Emmys history. He is the first-ever South Korean actor to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Squid Game. He plays the protagonist, Seong Gi-hun and the series follows his character and 455 other players who have to take on deadly games, and the last solo survivor wins the money prize of $45.6 billion. The show helmed the number one position on Netflix's viewership for several weeks after its release.
Lee was nominated for the Emmys for the first time this year. In his acceptance speech, he thanked the audience, God, and Squid Game's streaming partner, Netflix. "Thanks to Netflix and the director for making a show on realistic problems that we all face, come to life so creatively on the screen with a great script and amazing visuals. Thank you. Thank you, Squid Game team. Thank you to everyone watching in Korea. Thank you," he said in his speech.
At this year's Emmy Awards, the journey of Squid Game has been nothing short of historic, with 14 nominations, including one for Best Drama. The survival drama already has six awards in its kitty. Lee You-mi, who played the role of Ji-yeong, bagged the award for Oustanding Guest Actress in Drama Series. The director of the show, Hwang Dong-hyuk also won the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series category.