'Squid Game' makes history (again) as the first foreign-language series ever nominated for a SAG award

• "Squid Game" was nominated for four awards for the upcoming annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.
• The series made history as the first foreign-language series and Korean series to receive a SAG nod.

"Squid Game" has become the first foreign-language series and first Korean series nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award, a representative for SAG confirmed to Insider.

The Korean series about a death-game competition became a pop culture sensation in 2021, with costumes from the show being used for protests, Youtubers and other groups pledging to recreate the games in real life, and new memes and Tiktok trends inspired by the games inside the show popping up all over social media.

Now the Netflix series, which had already broken records to become the most-watched series on the platform, has been nominated for four awards at the upcoming 28th annual SAG Awards.

"Squid Game" was nominated in two ensemble categories: best stunt ensemble in a television series and best ensemble performance in a drama series. Stars Lee Jung-Jae, who played the series protagonist Seong Gi-hun, and Jung Ho-yeon, who played North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, were also nominated for individual male and female in a drama series acting awards.

"Squid Game" was Jung's acting debut, and she had previously told The Hollywood Reporter that she lost 6 pounds after the initial success of "Squid Game" because she "couldn't eat."

"I couldn't follow the speed of the growth of the 'Squid Game' success because, since COVID, I think everything is faster and even online, it happens just so quick," she said. "I lost 6 pounds in a week when it became successful. I couldn't eat — it wasn't stress, I just didn't know this feeling. 'What's going on out there, who am I?' I was kind of losing myself."

Jung gained over 13 million Instagram followers in under 3 weeks after the show was released on Netflix in September.

"Squid Game" was previously nominated for three awards at the Golden Globes 2022 and Oh Yeong-Su, who played Oh Il-nam, won best supporting actor in a television series on Sunday.

"Squid Game" creator, writer, and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has confirmed that the series will return for a second season.