18 Surprising Actor/Actress Appearances in K-Pop MVs

Although K-pop idols and singers are groomed from training to star in their own music videos, sometimes they prefer to share or give up the spotlight to someone from the world of K-drama. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement: The idols get some much-needed resting time away from the camera, and a young up-and-coming actor or actress gets his or her chance to shine in a high-profile project. Let’s take a look at some surprising instances in which famous actors and actresses have starred in K-pop MVs! We’ll start with a recent (and therefore probably not very surprising) choice. Mamamoo’s impressive debut MV, “Mr. Ambiguous,” featured guest-starring roles for many noteworthy celebrities, including Baek Ji Young, Wheesung, K.Will, Rhymer, Bumkey, and Jung Joon Young. CNBLUE’s Lee Jong Hyun does double duty as the group’s guitarist and the song’s titular “Mr. Ambiguous.” Here’s the first of two K-pop/K-drama crossover roles for which you can thank Cass beer. Cass has sponsored a couple solo project MVs as a marketing tactic. Let’s raise our glasses in a toast – how else could we have gotten Lee Min Ho starring as a (you guessed it) spoiled rich, arrogant, but lovable guy who is eventually put in his place by 2NE1’s Dara? “Heirs” wasn’t the first time these two starred as privileged pals! Dara’s “Kiss” MV was touted as a star vehicle for herself and Lee Min Ho, and at the time, almost no one noticed one of Lee Min Ho’s friends in the background… a slightly less cool, vest-sporting Kim Woo Bin. Another Cass production, 2PM’s “Tik Tok” featured a more dramatic – and creepy – storyline. Yoon Eun Hye plays a femme fatale manager who does whatever she has to do to protect her pop star client, Nichkhun, from a dangerously obsessed fangirl. Taecyeon, Jun.K, and T-ara’s Boram round out the cast. We’re going to see that of all the idol groups, 2NE1 has done the best – really, by far the best – job in terms of managing to find ways to incorporate hot young actors into their MVs. Genius, right? In “Falling in Love,” Lee Soo Hyuk stars as the apple of 2NE1’s eyes. And no, your eyes did not deceive you. The same MV also featured a basketball-playing Hong Jong Hyun, complete with permed hair and hoop earrings. Didn’t like the perm? Here’s another style for Hong Jong Hyun, but we’re not sure you’ll like this one better. In Double K’s “Rewind,” he plays a tormented man who, in the midst of a fight with his lover, makes a terrible choice. JYJ’s “In Heaven” also asked “What if we could redo the choices we’ve made?” The outcome here ensures a different, although still tragic, ending for Junsu and Song Ji Hyo. Miles away from her spacey, good-natured persona in “Running Man,” we have to say that we’re impressed by Song Ji Hyo’s range. No rising actresses for Block B! Although she’s still a teenager, Kim Sae Ron is already considered a recognizable name, thanks to her starring roles in movies such as “Man From Nowhere.” In “Jackpot,” she plays a wide-eyed girl in a creepily surreal amusement park, confronted at every turn by Block B’s clowns. Gain’s MV for “Fxxk You” turned out to be even more controversial than its title, leading many to analyze the complicated relationship portrayed by Gain and her real-life boyfriend, Joo Ji Hoon. Another painful video to watch. In 2NE1’s “Go Away,” a long-haired Song Jae Rim plays a professional car driver with a seriously violent side. At least the title sums up our feelings toward the character. Did you know that Lee Jong Suk also made an appearance in a 2NE1 MV? We’ve watched “I Don’t Care” many times, but we only noticed him just now! An actor first and foremost, we would have expected So Ji Sub to star in his own rap(!) MV, but after a brief appearance in the beginning, he gave up the spotlight to Yoo Seung Ho, who plays a younger version of So Ji Sub in “Eraser.” Perhaps no one does the smoldering stare quite as well as So Ji Sub, but Yoo Seung Ho is well on his way to learning it. Park Shin Hye stars as Yoo Seung Ho’s girlfriend, in a plot that’s purposely inconclusive but charming all the same. We think they looked really cute together! Most of the actors we’ve featured so far have been rising stars, but Cha Seung Won was already at the top of his game when he starred in T-ara’s “Cry Cry.” The plot is heavy-handed and long, but it’s worth tuning in to see Cha Seung Won as an assassin with a conscience. Also worth watching in the same MV is an up-and-coming Ji Chang Wook, who plays a crime lord who manipulates Jiyeon into choosing sides. In Song Ji Eun’s “Going Crazy,” Min Hyorin plays a spurned lover who seeks to relieve her grief in a horrifying way. We get chills whenever we watch this MV. We could never see Lee Seung Gi in a proper K-pop MV, but a starring role in K.Will and Noel’s “Perfume” sounds just about right. Where can we begin with the MV for “I Remember”? We really like the song. We love Bang Yong Guk. We love Park Seo Joon. The MV, we don’t really like, because of the usage of physical violence to portray deep, passionate love. “Their love is so deep, she’s throwing stuff at his head and he’s shoving her and punching the wall next to her face!” But it’s definitely a surprising actor choice for a rap video, and again, it’s not a reflection of the artists themselves, who are very talented. We wrap up our gallery with one of the most classic K-pop MVs ever: Big Bang’s “Haru Haru.” Park Min Young plays the ill-fated heroine who gets caught between the love of G-Dragon and T.O.P while battling her own personal tragedy. If we’ve left out any major appearances, let us know in the comments section below and we’ll see if we can add it to the list!