How did this young man from Var end up being the only Frenchman in the cast of "Squid Game," the Netflix hit series?

It's a small world. Literally and figuratively. Jordan Lambertoni, 32, first cried in Toulon, where his Parisian mother and Italian father met and settled. The family then settled in Six-Fours-les-Plages, but it was from Canada, in Montreal to be precise, that we spoke to him... because he's the only Frenchman to have appeared in the globally successful South Korean series: Squid Game !

In the third and final season, available on Netflix since June 27, Jordan Lambertoni plays a VIP, one of those shady, wealthy characters whose sole and ultimate morbid pleasure is paying a lot of money for the right to kill contestants in the survival game, the common thread running through all three seasons. How did this young dance enthusiast end up in the most-watched series in Netflix history? Let's rewind a bit. 2015, from his native Var, Jordan Lambertoni is a young dreamer who is passionate about K-pop, this very colorful and very visual musical movement that is arriving in Europe from South Korea. A rather good dancer, the young man from Var takes a one-way ticket to Seoul. Much to the astonishment of his loved ones, even though his family encourages him. "I stayed in a youth hostel for two years, where I also worked to make ends meet. I took Korean lessons and quickly found myself in a mini-reality TV show in Singapore where I danced," he recalls. "Little by little, I made music videos, TV films, advertisements and I found myself working as a columnist on a Korean show ."

On site, the CV of the young, perfectly bilingual Frenchman did not go unnoticed. He tried many adventures in the media world, but it was the post-Covid period that offered him a unique opportunity: to audition for the sequel to the current series in South Korea, Squid Game...

Confidentiality clauses and secrecy kept for a year

"I auditioned in 2023 but I didn't get the answer until eight months later. The first season had just come out, the whole country was talking about it, it was a phenomenon." The casting was for the role of a VIP, sulphurous characters, detestable to some, played by Westerners and sometimes heavily criticized by the public. "I was a little apprehensive about this role because VIPs have a bad image with the general public and my character is the young one of the group, not necessarily the most talkative but, a little annoying, haughty, a good face to slap..." , laughs Jordan Lambertoni. The production of Squid Game is such that the young man from Var signs many confidentiality clauses.

On set, no photos or videos were allowed, smartphone lenses were covered with covers, and there was no way to bring back a souvenir either. "I've had to keep it a secret for a year, even from my loved ones," he confesses. Naturally, he's relieved to see this third season online. A release that also coincides with his departure from South Korea. As if things had come full circle. "I spent nine years in Korea, and I asked myself questions after turning thirty because roles for foreigners are few and far between and often peripheral. What could I have done better than Squid Game ? I wanted to discover North America, Canada, and see something else."

A revenge on life

Having arrived in Montreal last March, Jordan Lambertoni doesn't rule out returning to France if a door opens. "I left for South Korea with nothing 9 years ago, and I'm coming back with a 'luxury cape' on my back, it's a Korean expression. It's my second country, I think like a Korean on certain subjects," he continues. Their society is different from ours, they have a state of mind that I have perfectly assimilated: noon-chi . It's the ability to understand for yourself when you're bothering someone or when you manage to decide to do something without being told. Despite all that, I remain a Southerner. When I come back to Six-Fours, I like to go and dip my feet in the sea while drinking a Ricard!"

While no one really took him seriously when he left in 2015, Jordan Lambertoni is enjoying this crazy adventure: "I was made fun of a lot when I was younger, it's a great revenge on life."

All three seasons of Squid Game are available on Netflix.