‘The Acolyte’ premiered in early summer with a diverse cast featuring Amandla Stenberg, Jodie Turner-Smith, Manny Jacinto, and Lee Jung-jae. Lee marked history in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise as the first Asian actor to play a Jedi master but unexpectedly met a major backlash from fans.
“My feelings were hurt,” he admitted in a recent interview with Vanity Fair before presenting ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 at Netflix’s Hollywood theater. “Especially for [showrunner] Leslye Headland—her feelings must have hurt a lot.”
Lee knew ‘Star Wars’ fans were overly passionate but the racist remarks still ‘shocked’ him. He noted, “I can only have faith that racism will end someday, even though it’s going to be hard.”
Despite the initial reaction, the actor is optimistic about the show’s future, believing that the series will find its audience over time. “For some work, it takes time to gain traction, and I have strong hopes that people will like it as time passes,” he said before adding about the fandom’s negative approach, “As long as I am thankful, all things will work out.”
The Korean star also shared that, if fans ever attempted to meddle into his personal life, “then I should quit my job. I shouldn’t think that way in dealing with fans. Fandom comes along with my career. This is the nature of it, so I can’t take it for granted. No matter what, I’m always thankful.”
‘The Acolyte’ marked Lee’s first role in an English-language production, and now he is returning to Korean in the upcoming season of ‘Squid Game.’ The new episodes are set to premiere on Netflix on December 26, with a third and final season planned for 2025.
