Lee Ji-eun, or IU as she’s most popularly known, is one of the most loved and successful Korean singers and actors. With a fandom that includes most of our favourites, including BTS’ Jungkook and Twice’s Nayeon and Jihyo, IU is no stranger to selling out stadiums with her concerts and sweeping awards and critical acclaim for her on-screen performances.
The ‘Eight’ singer also recently made her Cannes Film Festival debut with the movie Broker which threw an international spotlight on her talent. IU’s upcoming film Dream, co-starring K-drama heartthrob and newly-minted Marvel superhero Park Seo-joon, is already making big waves.
Best IU Drama
In case you’ve been looking for a new K-drama to binge this weekend, here are some starring the talented performer that you can add to your watchlist…
Hotel Del Luna
One of IU’s best and most memorable performances is as Jang Man-wol in the dark comedy/fantasy drama Hotel Del Luna. In the show, Man-wol is the owner of the eponymous hotel which only caters to ghosts. A thousand-year-old curse has tethered her life to the hotel and she is doomed to serve the dead until a human enters the hotel and changes her life forever. Her wardrobe in this show is reason enough to watch (or re-watch) the K-drama now.
Watch it here
My Mister
IU showed her chops as a serious actress with this slice-of-life drama. Here, she plays a young girl who has fallen on hard times. The show follows the unlikely bond she develops with one of her supervisors, who is also equally as miserable as her, and their dysfunctional families.
Watch it here
The Producers
This one had IU playing an icy-cold version of herself. The show follows what goes on behind the scenes at the entertainment department of a major broadcasting network, following the lives of young TV producers and a pop star (played by IU).
Watch it here
Bel Ami
If you’re a fan of classic rom-coms, then you should definitely not give this one a miss. The show follows a man whose only aim is to use his good looks to woo some of Korea’s most successful women. In his quest, he bumps into Kim Bo-tong (IU), a girl from a poor background, who changes his life.
Watch it here
Dream High
IU made her on-screen debut in 2011 with this series that also starred many of her fellow idols, including Bae Suzy from Miss A and Ok Taec-yeon from 2PM. The show followed the lives of six students who had enrolled in an academy with dreams of becoming K-pop idols. While it did not impress the critics much, it’s still a fun watch for any IU fan.
Watch it here
