13 Actors And Actresses Who Always Pick Good Roles
Don’t you just hate it when you have high expectations for a K-drama and then it ends up not being as exciting as you thought it would be? We’ve all been there, and it can be so disappointing. But then there are certain actors and actresses who pick and choose to be in amazing K-dramas that we can almost guarantee will be good. It’s definitely not the case with all of them, but the ones who are on this list have definitely proven to us time and time again that their dramas are worth the wait and the watch.
(In no particular order)
1. Park Seo Joon
Notable K-dramas: “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” “Fight My Way,” “Hwarang,” “She Was Pretty,” “Kill Me Heal Me.”
It really didn’t take much time for Park Seo Joon to shoot to stardom. His ability to draw viewers into his charm and charisma was caught early on, and it’s safe to say that almost every role that he stars in is guaranteed to be good. There was his most recent role as the arrogant CEO Lee Young Joon in “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim” that really made us a believer of his acting skills, especially because it was so hard to hate his character despite his cockiness! What was even more impressive was that his previous role as the aloof and tough MMA fighter Go Dong Man in “Fight My Way” was so different. He’s been able to prove his versatility as a top actor time and time again, which makes his K-dramas a sure success.
Watch Park Seo Joon in “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim”:
2. Jun Ji Hyun
Notable K-dramas: “The Legend of the Blue Sea,” “My Love From the Star,” “Happy Together”
The Korean queen bee Jun Ji Hyun can do no wrong in terms of picking her scripts for K-dramas and movies. She’s done more movies than K-dramas, but no matter which role she picks, it’s a sure success. She’s a model, an actress, and a mother who can do it all.
Jun Ji Hyun’s success skyrocketed when she played a sassy and lovable character in “My Sassy Girl.” Her character has been considered to be one of the most charming and unforgettable female roles of all time. And if it wasn’t enough to have this kind of pressure to meet expectations, she gained even more fame internationally as the famous and vain actress Chun Song Yi in “My Love From the Star.”
You can say it’s her beauty, but there’s no denying that she’s got all the skills needed to be one of the top actresses in Korea. She’s a powerhouse of a woman!
Watch Jun Ji Hyun in the 2015 film “Assassination“:
3. Lee Jong Suk
Notable K-dramas: “Romance is a Bonus Book,” “While You Were Sleeping,” “W,” “Pinocchio,” “Doctor Stranger,” “I Hear Your Voice”
Lee Jong Suk is definitely considered to be a top Korean actor. Some of us remember him as the angsty songwriter Han Tae Sun in “Secret Garden,” and even then, he had such star quality. Since then, basically every role he’s taken on has been in a great drama. Even the series where he had cameos were amazing – remember “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” and “Gogh: Starry Night“?
A lot of the roles that Lee Jong Suk picks are also easy to binge-watch. He chooses very interesting scripts that make you want to know what will happen at the end. His last K-drama in particular before enlisting was “Romance is a Bonus Book.” Although the series was a bit more mellow, it proved to be a comforting K-drama that we didn’t even know we needed. We can always trust Lee Jong Suk!
Begin watching Lee Jong Suk in “While You Were Sleeping”:
4. So Ji Sub
Notable K-dramas: “Terius Behind Me,” “Oh My Venus,” “Master’s Sun,” “I’m Sorry, I Love You”
So Ji Sub has been in the Korean movie and K-drama industry for quite sometime now. Many of us K-drama lovers have probably grown up watching him on the big and small screens. With his large repertoire of films and K-dramas, he’s had a reputation to uphold in terms of picking quality scripts. The last few K-dramas have only shown us that he’s more than capable of meeting our high expectations!
So Ji Sub tends to pick roles that involve him being strong, wealthy, and tough, which we obviously don’t ever complain about because it works for him. The series that he picks are all crowd-pleasers and thoroughly entertaining to watch. Although he does pick scripts with characters that are the rough and tumble type, his character as the broken-hearted and introverted Kim Ji Ho in “One Sunny Day” was one that went against his typical roles. It’s a personality we’re not used to seeing for him, but it was an unforgettable performance and miniseries!
Watch So Ji Sub in “Master’s Sun”:
5. Park Min Young
Notable K-dramas: “Her Private Life,” “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” “Queen For 7 Days,” “Remember,” “Healer,” “City Hunter,” “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”
Park Min Young has become one of the most talked-about actresses in drama world recently. Her hit role as the fangirl Sung Duk Mi in “Her Private Life” was such a success, and people have also respected her streak of picking such fun and entertaining K-dramas. She’s earned the title of being a rom-com queen, which is why we can only expect her next K-drama to be a success!
Her last two series were light-hearted and hilarious K-dramas that we all needed in our lives. Her portrayal as the independent and ambitious Kim Mi So in “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim” was pretty perfect, and just when we thought she couldn’t top it, she starred in “Her Private Life” as Sung Duk Mi. This series was very popular among international viewers, and she had a lot to do with it! Talk about being a powerhouse lead actress!
Check out Park Min Young in “Her Private Life”:
6. Lee Min Ho
Notable K-dramas: “The Legend of the Blue Sea,” “Heirs,” “Faith,” “City Hunter,” “Personal Taste,” “Boys Over Flowers”
What people don’t know about Lee Min Ho is that he struggled as a young actor for several years before his big breakout role as Goo Jun Pyo in “Boys Over Flowers.” A lot of the roles he had previous to this series were small and supporting roles at best. However, once he landed the role in “Boys Over Flowers,” he catapulted in fame and became known all over Asia and around the world.
Since then, Lee Min Ho has done a great job of picking versatile roles and scripts that were all pretty different from each other. He doesn’t pick series that are at all similar and has done pretty much every genre there is from action, to historical, to melodramatic. The best part of this is that the stories are refreshingly unique.
Watch the first episode of “The Legend of the Blue Sea”:
7. Ji Chang Wook
Notable K-dramas: “Suspicious Partner,” “The K2,” “Healer,” “Empress Ki”
Ji Chang Wook is another actor who picks very versatile roles and can pull them all off with such ease. Out of all of his roles, he’s probably most memorable for playing a mysterious man named Seo Jung Hoo who runs secret missions for strangers in the hit series “Healer.”
There was a lot of action required of Ji Chang Wook in the series, and he totally made viewers fall for him. Shortly after this, he picked another action-packed series “K2,” and then made fans fall even more in love with him in the series “Suspicious Partner.” Because we’ve been able to see the light and humorous side of him, many of us are looking forward to seeing him in more roles like this. Judging from his streak of K-dramas, it’s guaranteed to be good, so drama fans are anticipating his next role in “Melting Me Softly.”
Watch “Suspicious Partner” below:
8. Jo In Sung
Notable K-dramas: “Dear My Friends” (small appearance), “It’s Okay, That’s Love,” “That Winter, The Wind Blows,” “Spring Days,” “What Happened in Bali”
Considering how long ago Jo In Sung started acting, he hasn’t been in that many K-dramas. He picks and chooses his dramas very wisely, which we very much respect. Knowing that his K-drama appearances are few and far between, we’re pretty confident when it comes to his choices.
His last lead role as famous writer Jang Jae Yul in “It’s Okay, That’s Love” was a mega-hit, and his performance was so memorable. Jo In Sung has so much experience, which is probably why he’s able to captivate viewers in his roles. He’s worth watching an entire series for just to see his amazing acting skills! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing his next project because it’s bound to be good!
Check out the first episode of “It’s Okay, That’s Love”:
9. Gong Hyo Jin
Notable K-dramas: “Don’t Dare to Dream,” “The Producers,” “It’s Okay, That’s Love,” “Master’s Sun,” “The Greatest Love,” “Pasta”
Gong Hyo Jin is a veteran actress who debuted in 1999 and has since been considered to be one of the best actresses of our time – and with good reason! Gong Hyo Jin never fails to give it her all in the roles that she picks, and she always looks so effortless portraying all of these characters.
Gong Hyo Jin’s repertoire of K-dramas is filled with mega hits. She is well-known for her role as the aspiring chef Seo Yoo Kyung in MBC’s “Pasta.” It was the start of a long streak of successful K-dramas, all of which fans are so thankful for.
Shortly after her “Pasta” success, she starred in “The Greatest Love” as the former girl group idol Goo Ae Jung, whom many people could relate to. She’s able to play characters that viewers end up falling in love with.
Watch Gong Hyo Jin’s recent film “Hit-and-Run Squad“:
10. Kim Ji Won
Notable K-dramas: “Arthdal Chronicles,” “Mr. Sunshine,” “Fight My Way,” “Descendants of the Sun,” “Heirs”
Kim Ji Won is probably one of the youngest actors on this list, but she has built up so much credibility that she’s definitely not one to overlook. Kim Ji Won first started her career in the entertainment industry by starring in a few commercials, some of which are still remembered today. She was in a few K-dramas, but it wasn’t until her role as the antagonist Rachel Yoo in “Heirs” that she started to get popular.
Since then, Kim Ji Won has been on a serious streak of mega hit K-dramas. It’s hard to forget her huge role as the strong army doctor Yoo Myung Joo who wouldn’t let the love of her life go. Her portrayal of this heartbreaking love was so believable and made her a very sought after actress!
Shortly after this, she starred in “Fight My Way,” which was also a fan favorite. She happened to star in it with another actor on this list, Park Seo Joon!
Watch “Fight My Way” below:
11. Yoo Ah In
Notable K-dramas: “Chicago Typewriter,” “Six Flying Dragons,” “Secret Love Affair,” “Jang Ok Jung”
Yoo Ah In is considered by many to be one of the best Korean actors. He has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to take on any character. He’s just so convincing in any role he plays!
It’s easy to get sucked into Yoo Ah In’s characters, which is probably why there’s so much buzz when he picks a K-drama. People respect his acting abilities, and they look forward to seeing him deliver. A series that he was particularly fantastic in was “Six Flying Dragons.” His role as the great king Lee Bang Won was so impressive that he even won the Best Actor award at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2016.
Check out Yoo Ah In in “Chicago Typewriter”:
12. Song Joong Ki
Notable K-dramas: “Arthdal Chronicles,” “Descendants of the Sun,” “The Innocent Man,” “Tree With Deep Roots,” “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”
Song Joong Ki hasn’t been in that many K-dramas, but the ones that he has starred in have been mega successes. Although most people know him for his role as the hunky soldier Yoo Shi Jin in “Descendants of the Sun,” Song Joong Ki was already garnering a lot of recognition for his great acting skills. He had starred in the movie “A Werewolf Boy,” which was an international success, and he won several awards that same year for his role as the bad boy Kang Ma Roo in “The Innocent Man.” Since then, almost every K-drama and movie he has been in has been definitely worth the watch!
Watch Song Joong Ki’s memorable role in “Descendants of the Sun”:
13. Park Shin Hye
Notable K-dramas: “Memories of the Alhambra,” “Doctors,” “Pinocchio,” “Heirs“
Park Shin Hye has been in K-dramas since she was very young, so many K-drama fans have basically grown up with her. The K-dramas that she has been in have been not only entertaining to watch but also super successful. A K-drama she touches is bound to be a hit!
Park Shin Hye’s long history of experience is shown when she performs in every drama. She has also picked such versatile roles that it is unpredictable as to what she will be like in the series. It is always a pleasant surprise watching her K-dramas, and there is a lot more to look forward to in the future!
Check out the first episode of “Doctors”:
binahearts is a Soompi writer whose ultimate biases are Song Joong Ki and BIGBANG. She is also the author of “K-POP A To Z: The Definitive K-Pop Encyclopedia.” Make sure you follow binahearts on Instagram as she journeys through her latest Korean crazes!
Currently watching: “One Spring Night” and “Little Forest”
All-time favorite dramas: “Secret Garden,” “Goblin,” “Because This Is My First Life,” “Star In My Heart”
Looking forward to: Won Bin‘s return to the small screen
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