IU (Lee Ji-eun) is a singer-songwriter and actress in the South Korean entertainment industry. She first made her name in music, writing and releasing multiple successful albums. But IU wasn’t content with being just a singer who dabbled in acting — she took on acting with clear intention, not just to ride a trend.
IU’s first acting role was in 2011, in the high school sitcom Dream High aired on KBS2. She played Kim Pil-sook, a shy, quiet student who was nearly invisible in class. Although it was a supporting role, IU opted for an understated performance: no emphasized lines, no exaggerated expressions. Her goal was clear — not to make a splash, but to try controlling a character in her own way.
In 2013, she took on her first lead role in the family drama You’re the Best! Lee Soon-shin, produced by KBS. Her character was a young, unemployed woman, self-conscious, constantly compared to others, and sidelined even within her own family. IU still retained some idol-like expressions, but began to manage emotional pacing and control. It wasn’t a breakthrough, but it was steady and consistent.
My Mister (tvN, 2018) marked a true turning point. IU played Ji-an — a young woman living in isolation, hounded by debt collectors, with almost no strength left to resist the world. Her acting in this role stripped away all visual effects: no crying, no shouting, no change in tone. Just a steady gaze within the camera frame and nearly emotionless dialogue that still created immense tension. This was the first role where the name “IU” vanished from the screen — only the character remained.
In 2019, IU starred in Hotel Del Luna, a fantasy hit drama on tvN. Her character, Jang Man-wol — a centuries-old soul trapped between resentment and heartbreak — was written in a symbolic, stylized fashion. It could have been an opportunity to “go all out,” but IU chose restraint. She kept her expressions firm, avoided overplaying lines, and maintained psychological tension with control. This role earned her the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards — one of the three most prestigious awards in Korean television, organized by JTBC and Ilgan Sports.
Even while actively acting, IU continued to release music consistently. Her 2019 EP Love Poem, released by Kakao M, topped the Melon chart for five consecutive weeks. Before that came Palette (2017), followed by Lilac (2021) — all featuring lyrics written by IU herself, far from being just “products for consumption.”
The characters IU chooses are not your typical “inspiring female leads.” They’re often cold, sometimes helpless, but always carry trauma and defensive reactions. There are no heroes, no moralized messages. This choice leads to roles that may be harder for the mass audience to embrace, but it also avoids repetitive, formulaic acting.
In an interview with Marie Claire Korea, IU once said she wasn’t trying to prove herself as an actress. “I just want to tell stories,” she said — a perspective that keeps her away from the race for lead roles and awards, but leaves a lasting impression on audiences.
In Broker (2022) — a Korean-Japanese film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival — IU continued her unwavering acting style: steady dialogue, fixed gaze, never slipping into cinematic melodrama. No “explosive” scenes, no market-friendly highlights — but the role never faded.
On May 27, 2025, she released the EP A Flower Bookmark 3, featuring six cover versions of K-pop songs from the 1980s to 2000s. The title track, “Never Ending Story” — a remake of Buzz’s 2003 single — received over 1 million streams within 24 hours on the FLO platform, with most listeners coming from Gen Y and Z.
IU does not separate music and acting into distinct phases. She develops them in parallel, treating each project as a component of her personal image strategy. No overarching concept. No branding campaign. She doesn’t cater to the market — but she never abandons her audience.
