What a bummer! Lee Jung Jae (이정재) has recently confirmed that he won’t be attending the 79th Golden Globe Awards, despite being nominated for the Best Actor award.
The decision is in relation to the ongoing boycott from several parties, including the streaming giant Netflix, against the annual awards ceremony. According to reports, the Golden Globes have been under fire in recent years over allegations of corruption and lack of diversity among the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
As a result, many celebrities and directors have also announced their absence from the upcoming Golden Globes, and will be rejecting any awards given to them. As for Lee Jung Jae’s case, it was reported that the actor was planning on attending the award ceremony. However, due to the concern surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, he has decided to cancel his scheduled appearance overseas.
The “Squid Game” star’s agency, Artist Company relayed in a statement today (Wednesday, 5th January), “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 it has been widely reported around the world. He also made the decision considering other factors like the Covid-19 situation as well as the quarantine requirements,” the entertainment company added in their statement.
For the uninitiated, the hit Netflix original series “Squid Game” has been nominated for three awards at Golden Globes 2022. First, Lee Jung Jae has been nominated for the “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series” award, while actor Oh Young Soo is nominated for a Golden Globe in the “Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series” category.
On top of that, the show itself has also been nominated for the “Best Television Series, Drama” category.
Sources: AllKpop, Soompi, NME.
