Three Lexington locals made their television debut last week, but not in a conventional Hollywood style.
Tamara Davis, Pye Miller, and B.J. Hart — among four other Kentucky participants — were selected from more than 200,000 applicants to compete in “Squid Game: The Challenge” season two.
The games featured 456 players from around the world competing for the $4.56 million prize over three weeks in London.
Unlike the original series, players in this version aren’t fighting to the death, but go through elimination-style rounds of kids’ games.
Davis shared her experience with the application process, travel, personal journey — and, of course, the games — with LEXtoday.
Preparations
As a fan of the original season, Davis said she loves the mental aspect of the show. She applied in December 2023 and made initial contact with the Netflix team in July 2024, beginning a casting process that included interviews, a psych test, and a medical exam.
She got the news the night before Thanksgiving 2024 that she was selected, but could only tell her husband, mom, and employer due to a potential three-week absence.
In London, Davis completed a three-day isolation at her hotel before the first challenge, where she could hear fellow players practicing the iconic Red light, Green light game.
With her phone taken away, she had time to reflect.
“I’m a mom, so I have two little ones at home, and they keep me busy. So it was a time for me to actually just have a moment of silence. [I] read a lot of books [and] I journaled, which I had not done in years,” she said.
The games
Davis said she re-watched all previous games, but stepping on set was still “surreal.”
Upon arrival, players were taken to the dormitory, which surprised many who expected to start with red light, green light.
“They wanted us communicating and talking with each other. And there were cameras everywhere,” Davis said. “I was having conversations with people from all over the world, all walks of life.”
Davis learned there were other players from Kentucky and made it a point to meet them all.
Her team was eliminated in the first round during a game called “The Count,” due not to personal fault, but a captain’s decision.
Takeaways
If Davis ever had the opportunity to go back, she said she would try again.
“I know that if it were up to me and I was controlling my destiny, I feel like I could have made it further,” Davis said.
The challenge was more than a test of skill; for the self-described “forced extrovert,” it was a lesson in confidence and leadership.
“I deal with crisis situations for clients every single day. And I’m so used to, if there is a crisis, stepping up to help,” Davis said.
But when the challenge needed a leader, she didn’t take the plunge.
“In the future, if there’s ever an opportunity like that, [I plan on] just being way more assertive, because that’s my biggest regret, is that I wasn’t,” Davis said.
