Some Actors Who Took On Celebrity Roles In K-Dramas

No matter what the role is in a K-drama, actors always give their 100-per cent effort into bringing their characters to life. Sometimes, they get roles where they play someone who shares the same job as them, a celebrity. That’s right, these talented stars get to spend time in their own shoes in front of the camera as part of the drama’s storyline, although the personalities they portray are not necessarily true to their real ones.

Here is a selection of actors who have played celebrities in K-dramas.

IU in “The Producers”

The events of “The Producers” take place on the sixth floor of a South Korean public TV station, where employees are keeping the variety department running by hosting late-night meetings and keeping tabs on filming and editing deadlines. Some of these employees are seasoned PD (producing director) Ra Joon Mo (Cha Tae Hyun), experienced PD Tak Ye Jin (Gong Hyo Jin), rookie PD Baek Seung Chan (Kim Soo Hyun), and superstar Cindy (IU).

IU plays the role of Cindy, a famous celebrity whose career kickstarted at the tender age of 13. Nonchalant and confident, Cindy earned the nickname “ice princess” for keeping her emotions under control. Albeit slightly differently, IU is also known for having complete control over her facial expressions and overall attitude, which helped her flawlessly portray this character.

Seo Hyun Jin in “Beauty Inside”

Han Se Kye (Seo Hyun Jin) is an A-list actress with a peculiar secret that sparks rumours given her celebrity status. Seo Do Jae (Lee Min Ki) is an executive director at an airline company who suffers from prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. Both leading mysterious lives, they cross paths and unexpectedly find solace in each other’s imperfections.

Despite sharing her character with other actors to highlight how her appearance changes every month for an entire week due to an unusual phenomenon, Seo Hyun Jin gracefully pulled off a mischievous portrayal of Han Se Kye.

Jun Ji Hyun in “My Love From the Star”

Another A-list actress character is played this time by Jun Ji Hyun as Chun Song Yi, who is next-door neighbours with an alien named Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun). Being polar opposites, the pair eventually finds a middle ground and starts developing feelings for one another as they get to know each other up close.

Jun Ji Hyun is well known for her goofy and wild roles, and Chun Song Yi is no different. She was able to bring this arrogant and blunt, yet lovable character to life, all while maintaining her charisma throughout the episodes.

Yoo In Na in “Touch Yoour Heart”

Oh Yoon Seo (Yoo In Na) is a famous actress whose career plunges when she finds herself wrongfully caught in a scandal. In an effort to save what’s left of her acting career, she takes on a secretary role in a drama written by a well-known screenwriter. Previously having been criticized for her bad acting, she finds a job as a secretary to help herself get into character and lands at the desk of Kwon Jung Rok (Lee Dong Wook), a perfectionist lawyer with zero tolerance for mistakes.

Yoo In Na often takes on cheerful roles, and this one is perhaps her liveliest one to date. Cute at times and silly at others, the portrayal of Oh Yoon Seo’s innocence and rebellion must’ve been as challenging as it is fun to watch!