8 *Essential* Facts And Trivia About Anupam Tripathi-AKA Player 199 In 'Squid Game'

Long-time fans know how rare it is to see foreign actors with significant roles in K-dramas and movies. So it's certainly a pleasant surprise to see India-born actor Anupam Tripathi in the hit South Korean series Squid Game, Netflix's most popular original series ever (so far). If you're like us then you probably lost your marbles (pun intended) watching Anupam's *emotional* performance as Player 199 or Ali Abdul in Episode 6. His breakout performance in the show has catapulted him to international fame.

NETFLIX/SQUID GAME

Curious about the actor who played fan-favorite character Ali? Here are eight facts about Anupam Tripathi:

1. Anupam Tripathi was born on November 2, 1988.

The 32-year-old actor was born in New Delhi, India. He was actually interested in acting long before he moved to Korea, sharing: "From the beginning, I liked to stand in front of people or go on stage and it felt very good, especially when people enjoyed watching my performances and being able to convey the emotions of the characters well." 

Performing in a play in India set Anupam on the acting career path. "I started acting in 2006. At that time, I had the opportunity to participate in a play called Spartacus as a gladiator. It was very fascinating to be able to meet the audience as a person on stage. That was the beginning." 

2. He moved to South Korea in 2010.

It looks like we have Anupam's friend to thank for suggesting South Korea as the place-to-be for the then-budding actor. "A friend recommended the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) Art Major Asian plus (AMA+) scholarship program. After listening to him, I did my best and tried to apply for that school," he said in an interview. ICYDK, the AMA+ program aims to "educate students in spreading Asian arts to the world by promoting artistic elite development with full scholarship grants." Still in K-Arts, the actor is currently finishing his master's degree in acting.

Anupam also revealed that his parents were initially against his decision of moving to South Korea. "I had prepared for the entrance exam without my parents' knowledge and decided to go to Korea. My father, who came from a middle-class family, said that I should study, get a job, and earn money in India. The moment I got accepted, my parents were extremely happy and rooted for me. I went to Korea and started to study acting professionally."

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3. Anupam Tripathi is a theater actor.

Since coming to Korea, Anupam has landed various roles in stage plays. Some of the productions and street plays he participated in include Oh The Yellow Othello, Human Seller, and Which Village. The good news is some of his plays are on YouTube. The bad news? No English subtitles. Sorry, international fans!

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4. His first-ever movie role was in Ode To My Father.

Anupam debuted as a movie actor in the 2014 film Ode To My Father, the fourth highest-grossing movie in South Korea. Ode To My Father revolves around the story of Yoon Deok Su (Hwang Jung Min) and his experiences as the breadwinner of his family since the Korean War. Anupam appears briefly in the film as a Sri Lankan man living in Busan. He comes across the elder Deok Su when he experiences racism in modern-day South Korea.

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5. He has portrayed numerous "worker" characters.

Chances are you might have already seen Anupam in some of the most popular Korean shows even before Squid Game! Remember the *emotional* earthquake episode in Descendants Of The Sun? Anupam played the role of the power plant worker who offers his boots to Dr. Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) during the aftermath of the earthquake. More recently, he appeared in Hospital Playlist Season 1, Taxi Driver, and Space Sweepers.

In Squid Game, Anupam played the role of Ali Abdul, a Pakistani factory worker who decides to join the deadly game to provide for his migrant family, especially after his employer withheld his salary. In an interview, Anupam talked about empathizing with Ali as someone who is working abroad as well. "I thought a lot about introducing the character of a migrant worker in Korean society to people around the world. I referenced various articles on labor issues and looked back on how I acted when I took on similar roles in the past. I wanted to express it in a less clichéd image as much as possible. I am also working abroad, not in my home country, so I am very interested in labor issues and immigration issues."

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6. His first lead role was in the 2020 short film Jessie Story.

Jessie Story is about the unlikely friendship between an old Korean woman named Jae Im Soon (Kang Ae Sim) and a young Indian man with a similar name, Jameson (Anupam Tripathi). The short film bagged the Audience Choice award in the 2020 Ulsan International Film Festival.

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7. You can find him on Instagram.

Much like the rest of the Squid Game cast, Anupam gained millions of Instagram followers after the show's premiere. You can join his 3.9 million followers by following him @sangipaiya!

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8. Anupam Tripathi revealed his daily life in a recent episode of I Live Alone.

Curious about Anupam's daily life? You can watch everything from his morning routine to his hangout with friends in the latest episode of the variety show I Live Alone. 

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Source: Cosmo PH