Lee Ji-eun has built an iconic singing career under the name IU, but her K-drama acting is just as memorable. There have been plenty of K-pop idols who became actors, but few show as much devotion to the craft as Lee Ji-eun. Over the years, many have begun to recognize her as an actor first, with her music becoming secondary.
IU is a fantastic singer with a flourishing solo career, but she’s arguably even better as a K-drama female lead. Her 14 years of experience clearly show considering she has now perfected her unique acting style. Many of IU’s starring roles are still fan-favorites years after their debut, but not every K-drama she has appeared in is considered a masterpiece.
8
Dream High
2011
IU’s acting debut came in 2011 with the teen drama Dream High. In the melodramatic K-drama set in high school, IU plays aspiring singer Kim Pil-suk, one of six main characters in Dream High’s core ensemble. Each student in the main cast dreams of stardom and has their own unique gift, with Kim Pil-suk wielding the power of perfect pitch.
Beyond IU, Dream High is filled with other well-known Korean idols, including Bae Suzy (Go Hye-mi), Jang Wooyoung (Jason), Ok Taec-yeon (Jin-guk), and Hahm Eun-jung (Yoon Baek-hee). Unsurprisingly, the drama’s original soundtrack was incredibly successful, with IU’s contribution (“Someday”) topping the charts in South Korea. Unfortunately, many aspects of Dream High haven’t aged well.
While it premiered in 2011, the storyline isn’t dated because of 2010s pop culture or rudimentary technology. Rather, the way some characters are portrayed is inherently problematic from a modern viewpoint. IU’s character is especially disheartening, as Dream High makes her into a caricature of an “overweight” teenage girl who supposedly succeeds despite her looks.
7
Bel Ami
2013
In 2013, IU was once again cast as the typical girl-next-door type in Bel Ami. The title, which literally translates to “pretty boy,” refers to Dokgo Ma-te (Jang Keun-suk), a young man who revels in special treatment thanks to his good looks. Before he can meet his birth father, however, Ma-te has to seduce ten different women of wealth.
Thus enters IU’s character, Kim Bo-tong, who volunteers to help Ma-te complete his mission. The two were former classmates, leaving Bo-tong with lingering unrequited feelings for him. All the while, Ma-te has a secret brother named David Choi (Lee Jang-woo), who quickly falls for the unassuming Bo-tong.
While the K-drama love triangle at least admits she is desirable, IU’s character is bafflingly presented as unremarkable in every way in Bel Ami; her name itself even translates to “average” in Hangul. Throwing on a pair of exaggerated glasses to make IU “ugly” is a poor trick that fails spectacularly, but Bel Ami has a unique premise to make up for it.
6
You Are the Best!
2013
Also premiering in 2013, You Are the Best! is a notable step up for IU’s filmography. Unbelievably, IU’s Lee Soon-shin is once again meant to be the ugly sister. Unlike Dream High, she has no obvious talents or goals. Unlike Bel Ami, she has no immediate romantic prospects. Yet, You Are the Best! utilizes these shortcomings as a compelling narrative tool.
Throughout the family-focused K-drama, Lee Soon-shin finds herself and realizes her dream of being an actress. She works tirelessly to improve, and only quits when extenuating circumstances— like unexpectedly meeting her birth mother— demand a step back. Lee Soon-shin goes from ordinary to extraordinary, making her a classic diamond in the rough story.
You Are the Best! is still very much a product of the early 2010s, but there isn’t such a heavy emphasis on pretty politics. Soon-shin and the rest of the core cast are nuanced characters who challenge the viewer to question their conception of success. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but IU’s performance is undeniably stunning.
5
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
2016
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a captivating historical K-drama that takes place in the Goryeo period. After IU’s Go Ha-jin travels back to the year 941, she finds herself embroiled in palace politics and a deadly love triangle with the two princes vying for the throne: Wang So (Lee Joon-gi) and Wang Wook (Kang Ha-neul).
The time travel element adds an interesting twist to Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, as the main character has all the sensibilities of a 21st-century protagonist but experiences the intricacies of a long-lost dynasty. The melodrama may make it gauche to some, but that only adds to its charm.
IU delivers an exceptional performance as Ha-jin, who becomes known as Hae Soo in the 10th century, but her character’s existence seemed to disproportionately serve the male lead. Wang So is written as a tragic, misunderstood hero, and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo uses Ha-jin as proof rather than as a wholly realized individual.
4
The Producers
2015
The Producers marks IU’s second K-drama about becoming an idol, but it’s a refreshing change of pace. Rather than play a naive heroine or a frumpy Cinderella story protagonist, IU’s role in The Producers breathed new life into her acting career and broke her free from her dated typecasts.
Her character, known mononymously as Cindy, seems heartless and cold, earning her the nickname Ice Princess. Nonetheless, she hides her true emotions to protect herself, leading to an interesting dichotomy as she falls in love with Baek Seung-chan (Kim Soo-hyun). That sense of inner conflict fuels The Producers entirely, as nearly every character has clashing personality traits.
The Producers isn’t meant to be pithy commentary on the idol industry, but there’s also no moral grandstanding to promote it. Cindy is the perfect encapsulation of the drama as a whole: complicated yet grounded by IU’s amazing performance.
3
When Life Gives You Tangerines
2025
When Life Gives You Tangerines is IU’s most recent television role, but the slice-of-life K-drama has already made a big impact on global audiences. IU plays both the main character, Oh Ae-sun, and her future daughter, Yang Geum-myeong. While it could have easily felt repetitive, IU’s distinctive performance as the two characters was nothing short of masterful.
On a broader scale, the love story between Oh Ae-sun and Yang Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) made When Life Gives You Tangerines an instant classic. Furthermore, the tone and styling of the drama evoked feelings of nostalgia and comfort. Plus, the non-linear storytelling that jumped between 1950s Jeju Island and 2000s Seoul added intriguing texture to the drama’s narrative.
While other roles currently outshine Oh Ae-sun, time and distance will only make When Life Gives You Tangerines better. Ae-sun will surely be remembered as one of IU’s greatest roles ever, but it’s too early to call it better than her two biggest hits.
2
Hotel del Luna
2019
As far as K-drama first episodes go, Hotel del Luna was sheer perfection from the start. Meeting IU’s Jang Man-wol as a desperately repentant killer, only for her character to morph into a powerful, mischievous witch of sorts, made for an instantly enthralling hook.
IU’s performance as the titular hotel’s grumpy owner was equal parts playful and wistful, but her character development is what makes Hotel del Luna a truly unforgettable K-drama. Man-wol was bound to the hotel for over a millennium, making her devastating escape all the more cathartic for the viewer.
Even so, Man-wol having to give up her chance at love for an eternity of peace was a bittersweet dilemma that confirmed Hotel del Luna was much deeper than it appeared. The beautiful aesthetics of Hotel del Luna mystify the viewer, only to deliver a sucker-punch of pure emotion.
1
My Mister
2018
While Hotel del Luna may have a perfect start, My Mister has one of the best K-drama endings of all time. IU’s Lee Ji-an is a heartbreakingly convoluted character, beaten down by life and forced into crime. As she begins stalking him, the eponymous mister, Lee Sun-kyun’s Park Dong-hoon, ironically, gives Ji-an a new lease on life.
My Mister is IU’s darkest role yet, and her character’s gut-wrenching backstory makes it even more moving. At the end of the day, Ji-an has no choice but to bend to the whims of abusive loan sharks in order to care for her ailing grandmother. Nevertheless, My Mister explains Ji-an’s actions but doesn’t necessarily excuse them.
In a poignant twist on how television prescribes morality, My Mister lets Ji-an be heroic, villainous, and neutral as the situation demands it. Her ever-changing position in the overarching story makes Ji-an a once-in-a-lifetime role, and it’s one that IU plays flawlessly. Hopefully, IU has many more K-dramas to come, but it’s unlikely My Mister will ever be dethroned.
