Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Squid Game: The Challenge
Squid Game: The Challenge blurs the lines between drama and reality by faithfully recreating the look and feel of the shocking Korean drama series and suiting it for reality television. Nobody dies in Squid Game: The Challenge, but tensions are high, and drama is around every corner. The cast of Squid Game: The Challenge has more than a few notable characters, with a diverse group of personalities selected to share living quarters and live out the Squid Game experience.
One of the most compelling players from the game’s early episodes is Lorenzo, whose first major moment in the show centered around eating every unfinished meal in the immediate vicinity. Lorenzo survived recreations of Squid Game TV show challenges only to be voted out of the competition by the other contestants in a Survivor-style test that made for one of the season’s most suspenseful twists. Lorenzo’s competitive nature and intense focus made for great television but also created a target for players like Leann, who instigated the vote that led to Lorenzo’s departure.
Lorenzo spoke with Screen Rant about game strategy, getting on Leann’s bad side, and more.
Lorenzo Talks Squid Game: The Challenge
Screen Rant: The sets on this thing are crazy. The games are crazy. It looks exactly like the show. How does being there, sharing the room, [and] eating that food affect you mentally as you’re trying to win this game?
Lorenzo: I think it’s a 360 experience, honestly. I’ve never even been in the same—I mean, maybe in a stadium, but sleeping and sharing life with so many people is just something you never experience. I feel it has different effects. Mentally, you might become self-conscious, [or] you might just want to go out and talk to people. It is almost a different environment; you’re you, but with all these people. So, I think it definitely has a big influence.
You got taken out in the voting game, Survivor-style. If you had known that was coming, would you have done anything different, socially, leading up to it?
Lorenzo: I think it’s more of a life philosophy that I just don’t believe in regrets. I could sit here and be like, “Oh, I would have eaten the apple. I wouldn’t make friends with them.” The truth is, it’s neither. I’m just proud of how my game was planned out. So, no, I would say I wouldn’t do anything different.
I think you had to submit an audition video to get on and talk about your strategy and stuff. What was your plan for winning this when you were coming in?
Lorenzo: I think I changed my plan, because at the beginning–maybe that’s what I told [them] at the interviews–I had more of a strategy. I think that changed with time. I feel my strategy towards the end was, “I don’t have a strategy. I’m just going to go with the flow and see what happens.”
But I think that strategy was what I did at the end of the day: connect with people, go with the flow, and not force anything. And then I relied on my physical abilities, I guess, but it turns out it’s probably more of a mental game. Every challenge is more mental than physical.
Have you had a chance to see the show? Can you watch it yet?
Lorenzo: I haven’t watched it. No.
Okay. In the show, Leann comes off pretty well. I think people are going to be rooting for her. Can you talk about the conflict that you had and what that felt like on your end?
Lorenzo: The point is, I had no conflict with Leann; I just didn’t eat her apples. She made a story about the apples which I found to be quite long; too long to be normal. I’d be like, “Why are you telling me about the apples [for 20 minutes]?” It was just quite long. I just don’t want to eat the apples; if you watch Snow White, it does not end well for her.
There will also, like, 50 green apples and one red. I was like, “Hey, now you want to give me the red one? Not the red one.” I think it’s understandable to be [like], “I just don’t want to eat your apples.” It’s not that deep. Maybe I’m allergic to apples! What would you know?
The whole thing seems crazy. Did you have a part that you enjoyed the most?
Lorenzo: I [most] enjoyed waking up and going to the people I was friends with. I don’t know what they show in the show, but I had, like… they called it the Latino gang. There were some Latinos there that I was very close to. Then, I had Rosa and Luciana. That was probably what I was looking forward to; I had fun. It was so much fun being there with them.
[I was] waking up, going there, and they were like, “Oh, this chisme. This gossip.” I was like, “I’m looking forward to this morning.” And there was always something happening. It’s not like you were like, “This is boring.” There, it was like, “Allegedly, this and this about that and that.” I just liked that Telenovela setting. So, yeah. That, I miss.
About Squid Game: The Challenge
456 real players will enter the competition show in pursuit of a life-changing reward of USD $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show – plus surprising new additions – their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them.
Check back for more Squid Game: The Challenge interviews:
- Bryton
- Dani & Spencer
