Note: This story contains spoilers from “Squid Game: The Challenge” Season 2
“Squid Game: The Challenge” Season 2 winner Perla Figuereo unpacked her victory, all the tears and heated drama that came with it, plus that big blessing from Trinity Parriman (Player 398).
Season 2 of the hit competition series wrapped up its second season on Tuesday after the return of the iconic “Red Light, Green Light.” For Figuereo, winning “Squid Game” still feels surreal.
“It hasn’t hit me and I think it’s because everyone’s [just] finding out. But I’ve known so it’s just like an explosion right now that I feel of people hitting me up,” Figuereo told TheWrap.
The Bronx-born competitor said she was working as a model prior to joining the game. “I was working a job that I was not happy about. It was low pay. When you’re a model, you want to do makeup and clothes … It was not it, and I was like, “What am I doing?” Figuereo explained
Figuereo came into the competition with her brother Jeffrey, and both of them were huge fans of the original “Squid Game” series and “Squid Game: The Challenge.” However, before joining, Figuereo had her eyes set on another reality series: “Love Island.” When that opportunity fell through, a casting director pitched her “Squid Game: The Challenge.”
As far as her brother getting a spot on the game too? She asked casting if he could apply as well.
“They pitched us a sibling pair, and we were going to go in there as a hidden pair. It was crazy,” she said.”When we walked into the [dorm] room, we were like, ‘No way.’ All the way from walking in and being a fan, to applying, to then being there in the final game and getting that little [money] envelope from The Frontman was just like, “How the hell did I get here?”
She continued: “I was talking to my brother, and it’s like the coolest way to become a millionaire, and it’s so up our alley because we’re just so random. It felt crazy though. I went through a lot of emotional turmoil in the game, and to finally get that envelope, and cry some more, felt really good.”
In a conversation with TheWrap, Figuereo gets real about her Slides and Ladders beef with Steven Jones (Player 183), the online backlash she’s received from fans, Parriman’s heartwarming self-elimination, the best advice she’d give future players and more. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
TheWrap: Was it easier or harder going into “Squid Game: The Challenge” with your brother, Jeffrey Figuereo (Player 293)
It was definitely easier. Jeffrey and I do everything together, since we were little. We’re literally, he’s [born on] July 7, [I’m] July 29 of the next year — we’re very close. Like, of course, we will do this together. We love “Squid Game.” Then when he got eliminated, I was like, “No, it was not supposed to go like this. We were supposed to be top two.
I was obviously sad that one of us was going to go, but I knew that my journey was not done. And my brother knew. When we got the marbles, obviously, they don’t show everything on the show, but he gave me this speech. I was crying, and he was like, “First of all, these are stupid games; do not let this get in your head. He’s like, I’ve served my purpose here and now it’s up to you to, finish the race.
At that point, once Jeffrey was eliminated, did that make you want to focus on yourself or build a new alliance? How’d that change your strategy going forward?
We had a giant alliance that wasn’t shown on the show. When Jeffrey got eliminated, I still had so many friends in the dorm. I was literally friends with everybody in the dorm. So it was helpful; I had a support system … Definitely Zoe (Player 369), who’s dad got eliminated, we were definitely linked up. I didn’t feel lonely because there were so many people with good hearts that were in the competition and I was ready to play [against] them and have fun and see what happens.
OK, so talk to me about the Slides and Ladders drama between you and Steven (Player 183). I’m not sure how much you’ve read of people’s reactions online as it pertains to that situation. Some felt your response to him was hypocritical. What’s your response to the reactions people have had to you?
I understand why people are like, “You’re so hypocritical.” But first of all — and I’ve talked to Steven all about this — I think there was a difference between our choices. We didn’t have a choice, and he did have a choice to help someone or send them to a slide. I also totally understand him being like, “Well, you did this to me, so I might as well pick you.” Zoe and I were frustrated at him — and I told him and he agrees — that the unnecessary stares and the comments [from him] were just too much. There were things that didn’t need to be said. It was annoying to get picked because he picked us out of vengeance and not out of strategy. Strategy was vengeance, and that’s all.
We’ve talked about it too. It’s like, you were mad and we were mad too. It’s a fair game, you can send me down a slide because I did send your team down a slide. I think everyone else played a pretty nice game, were nice to each other, so the comments were just too much. And I think that’s why I was upset. People can call me hypocritical, but I think we did have different choices. And also, I don’t care, call me hypocritical. Same thing with the “emotional” thing, I don’t care.
Describe what it was like being in there. Did y’all get to contact anyone. Were your phones taken?
It’s fully immersive. You don’t have your phone. You get your phones taken away when you get to the hotel. It’s really exciting at first. You’re meeting 456 people, doing all these things to get there. Everyone’s so committed to being there that no one is thinking about, “Oh my God, what’s going in my phone.” You literally forget.
You really get to know people in such a short time. It reminds you of humanity and how many things people are going through. We all had such different reasons to be there. Even Steven with his, just wanting more millions, like honestly, real — I want more. So, I don’t know, it just felt very human to be there. It felt like how things are supposed to be in real life, where we get to know each other and don’t let social media see how you dress, see how your house looks. I’m just getting to know you as a person. The social aspect of that was very beautiful, but it was very tough to be in there. You can’t get too comfortable because there might something coming. It’s a lot. Things get really tense really quick.
What did you think about Trinity sacrificing himself?
It was so different experiencing it than seeing it [on TV]. I have a backstory with Trinity’s sacrifice: My last prayer right before we played the coin game, the last thing I said to God is, “I’m protected by the [Holy] Trinity.” That was the last thing I told myself. My mom always tells me to wake up on the right side of the bed, open your door with your right hand, put your shoes on right shoe first, put your right leg into the pants first — she’s very superstitious like that. Every time we entered a game, I had to go up right foot first. I was very superstitious the whole time and I made choices like that, regardless of knowing that Trinity was going to do that. If I got it wrong, I was going to put the gold coin in my right hand and hope for the best.
We told him, “Bro, we can play the game.” I was just so excited to have the tux on that I didn’t care if I lost or not. I wanted the steak and tuxedo. I’m already seeing people being like, “It was staged.” No, that was real life. I’ve talked to Trinity about whether he’s comfortable with his decision, but I also wonder what it would have been like to see it play out. He gave us that privilege and gift of going to the last game, and I am forever, eternally grateful. And I’m seeing a lot of comments of people being like, “You better send Trinity money.” Guys, off all my comments. First of all, let me do my thing with Trinity. Y’all worry too much about me. Do you know I who I am? I’m an empath.
What have you bought so far, and/or what are you looking forward to buying?
I don’t have the money yet, but I did get a pre-gift for myself. I went to New York recently and I bought a pretty expensive “Hamilton” ticket to see Leslie Odom Jr. on Broadway because he came back as Aaron Burr, and I sat second row, and I was like, “Whoa.” It was so fun. I put it on my credit card and said, “I’ll worry about it later.” So that’s the most expensive thing I bought so far.
Honestly, I’m not going to have an extravagant life. I’m spending it with my brother, and it’s going for future security. I’m going to live a pretty similar life and keep working. I’m getting my mom a house, and sometime this year, I hope to get a boob job.
Almost more so than last season, Season 2 brought forth a lot of conversations that people discussed online that I personally would love to see talked about in a reunion show. Obviously production probably can’t bring all 456 back, but maybe the final 15. Would you be down for a reunion show to unpack some of the wild things that happened during the season?
I would be down. I’ve seen most of [the players]. A lot of people were in LA the last few days, and we’ve talked about a lot of stuff that you guys haven’t even seen — I would be down. I think it would be fun. I’m so happy for this experience, but I’m also like what’s next? I would obviously love to wrap it up and hear other people’s discussions, but I think also I’m like, on to the next.
Most eye-opening moment during the season and what’s the best advice you’d give future players?
Never feel guilty for feeling your feelings. I think a lot of people want me to feel bad about crying so much. I’m an emotional person, and I’m never going to apologize for that because that’s just who I am. This is not a front that I put up. People are like, “You’re trying to manipulate people with your tears.” It’s like, girl, I cry when I literally see a dog on the street. This is just who I am.
Going into the games: be yourself. That’s the corniest advice, but there were a lot of people I could tell were just trying to put up a front to be liked or to be behind the scenes. Everyone that just was themselves lasted so long. Also, become friends with the older people. Don’t underestimate them or become friends with them to have social capital.
I had so many good people that backed me up because I just genuinely wanted to know people. We all signed up for this crazy experience. We we all met at this crossroads. How many experiences and interactions led us to this moment? When else would we ever do something like this again? Yeah, have fun, cry, be mad and call people petty, I don’t care. It’s TV also, like, they want us to beef. So just have fun. It’s “Squid Game.”
Last question, did you ever think about quitting and if so, why didn’t you?
There were two big times where I was like, “I need to go home.” One was they serve beans and sausage for breakfast. And I was like, “I am starving.” I started crying [and] brother comes up to me like, “What’s going on? I was like, “I think I need to self-eliminate.” I’m dramatic. That was one time. And then during Slides and Ladders, there was a time that I kept going down so many slides and losing hope that I was like, “I might just take the wrong slide,” because at this point we knew all which ones were the right ones and the wrong ones, and I was going to take the wrong one because I was like, “I’m emotionally drained right now.” But I locked in, I prayed on it, and thank God I didn’t leave.
“Squid Game: The Challenge” Seasons 1-2 are now streaming on Netflix. The show has already been renewed for Season 3.
