Storytelling often goes beyond the limits of reality in the intriguing domain of dramas, allowing viewers an opportunity to witness actors within the story become actors themselves. The limitations between fantasy and reality are blurred by these plays within theatres, adding an excellent dimension to their sophistication. This list examines an array of K-dramas that effectively use actors portraying characters who go on to pursue roles as actors. This plot twist showcases the actor’s broad range of talents while providing the narrative depth and interest. The entertainment industry is competitive, and many K-dramas have given viewers a glimpse of what it's like living in the spotlight. Here are the top 10 K-dramas where actors took on the role of actors and let the audiences into their world.
1. Record Of Youth
Record of Youth is a 2020 series depicting Park Bo Gum as Sa Hye Joon, a young struggling model and actor who has the remarkable ability to become successful. However, he comes from a modest background and lacks a powerful surname to make it to the big screen and goes through many criticisms and rejections. Won Hae Hyo, a rich and aspiring actor is the best friend of Hye Joon, where both of them end up falling for Ahn Jung Ha(Park So Dam). The series portrays an accurate understanding of how difficult it is to achieve things on your own during the harsh, competitive world of the entertainment industry. It also explores the nasty side of showbiz and spares no one.
2. Love To Hate You
An A-list actor, Nam Kang Ho, is the epitome of romantic fantasy on television. However, in real life it is the opposite. Since he was betrayed by his ex-girlfriend when they were attending acting school, Kang Ho became distrustful of women. However, everything changes after he meets Yeo Mi Ran(Kim Ok Bin), a rigid lawyer who hates men. Mi Ran has an affair history. She is known for falling in love and calling it off. To end the spreading speculation about Kang Ho's private affairs, she gets into a contractual relationship with him. The cliché and tropes of the rom-com genre are abundant in Love to Hate You, making it more fun to watch.
3. Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a 2022 rom-com series depicting the love tale of Oh Han Byul (Lee Sung Kyung), the highly efficient PR head of an agency who repeatedly clashes with a cherished star of the company i.e., Gong Tae Sung (Kim Young Dae), a superstar who makes life challenging for the PR team and Oh Han Byul. Shooting Stars presents an insider perspective of how a company manages the stars and their day-to-day life where scandal and false rumours are typical. The series portrays a lovely comedy relationship between Oh Han Byul and Gong Tae Sung, which will give you butterflies in your stomach.
4. Touch Your Heart
A lively and simple superstar, Yoon Seo (Yoo In Na), to prepare for next film project who joins and starts working in a law firm where she gets assigned as a secretary to Kwon Jung Rok (Lee Dong Wook), a workaholic and distant attorney. Touch Your Heart is a sweet and simple love story. The on-screen chemistry between Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na makes the series lighter and focuses on the fragile nature of celebrities.
5. My Love From The Star
My Love from the Star is a 2013 series exploring the story of Chun Song Yi, who has spent her life in front of the camera since her childhood. A famous child artist is a megastar now. Song Yi is a lost, lonely girl at heart because of her greedy mother, who controls her daily activities and finances. But things start to change when a guy from the heavens sweeps her off her feet i.e., Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun), a transient inhabitant of the earth for 400 years. It is a lovely and funny love story between Song Yi and Min Joon, making it fun to watch, giggle, and enjoy.
6. Radio Romance
Song Geu Rim has been fascinated with the radio since she was a little girl. Her dream has always been to write radio programs, but accomplishing it is not so easy and turns out to be much more difficult than she had thought. Song Geu Rim has had trouble at work and eventually loses her job. However, opportunity strikes when Geu Rim gets a job working for PD Lee Gang, whose one significant requirement is that she should arrange an interview with well-known actor Ji Soo Ho, which was a little challenging for her. Soo Hoo is a loner who lives a seemingly flawless life.
7. Beauty Inside
Beauty Inside is a 2018 series that explores the story of an A-list actress, Han Se Gye. She is considered a rumor magnet and a troublemaker. Although her life is unknown, she suffers from a rare phenomena. Every month at a specific time, she becomes a different persona. Seo Do Jae, the executive director of an airline company, seems ideal, but despite being intelligent and attractive, he suffers from prosopagnosia, where he cannot remember the faces of the people however, the two fall in love, leading to a happy ending.
8. Uncontrollably Fond
Uncontrollably Fond is a tearjerker and an emotional rollercoaster because not all love tales end happily ever after. Shin Joon Young (Kim Wo Bin), a generous actor, and No Eul (Suzy), a documentary filmmaker, are featured as the inescapably destined couple who realize that they cannot stop fate, but at least they can continue to create some unforgettable moments together. Their portrayals in the series are heartbreaking. Keep the tissues close by as you watch this painful series with its highly vigorous story and touching OST.
9. My Love Eun Dong
My Love Eun Dong is a 2015 melodrama. A famous actor, Ji Eun Ho, writes an autobiography to track down his long-lost love. Seo Jung Eun is a ghostwriter hired by Eun Ho to pen his book but remembers her from somewhere. However, Jung Eun is consumed with a sense of déjà vu when she plays the recordings of Eun Ho. My Love for Eun Dong is for romantics who realize it takes a lot, and is never easy to find true love.
10. Full House
Ji Eun (Song Hye Kyo) aims to become a screenwriter but is naïve and receptive to how the world operates. It, therefore, comes as no wonder when gets conned into spending a trip by her two fraud friends and she eventually loses her home to them. A renowned and arrogant actor, Young Jae (Rain), has just bought her home. Ji Eun wants her house back, and Young Jae wants to make Hye Won (Han Eun Jung), his girlfriend, jealous, for which the two get into a contract marriage. However, Ji Eun and Young Jae didn't expect to fall in love with each other, but they did and led to a happy ending.
