Owing to their charm and endearing onscreen presence, most Kpop stars who’ve had the chance to star in K-dramas so far have mostly come up as leading men (commonly referred to as Flower boys) of romantic comedies or romance sagas.
While this move has been appreciated by many fans, simply because at least it has resulted in their beloved singers finding a new professional frontier, this strategic choice of placing these celebrities in such stereotypically charming roles, only seeks to perpetuate the same narrative of them being characterised as likeable personas.
On the contrary, a few Kpop actors have forayed into the other side of things and experimented with this idea of being “bankable” puppets. Lee Jun-ho, EXO’s Doh Kyung-soo, 2PM’s Taecyeon, and INFINITE’s L to name a few, have come forward to play darker characters, stepping away from their usual borders of status quo.
Wonwoo's unmatched and menancing screen presence, as seen in his special stage performance titled Joker, seen at SEVENTEEN’s first world tour ‘Diamond Edge’, prove that he would be a frighteningly apt casting choice as a villain in a thriller series. It's full of energy and dark vibes that work amazingly well with what these roles ask for.
His deep voice and expressive eyes, matched with appealing visuals that could easily deceive the romantic plot if needed, would make him a great choice as one of the most suave Kdrama villains we’d love to watch.
The look sported by the Red Velvet member in her special unit song Monster with Irene speaks volumes on the fact that she slays the vamp aesthetic. If anything else, she even dove into the conflicting back and forth dynamic of switching between good and evil in her debut solo mini album, 28 Reasons.
Park came to the front with his role as a bully in the extended short film Sanctuary. Not only does he manage to switch over to the bad side and effectively convince the fans of his ingrained malicious habits, but he’s also able to seamlessly show a twisted side to his character, proving that sometimes it’s better just not to trust certain people.
Taehyung’s gravelly voice is the typical go-to for a quintessential villain casting choice. Moreover, the air of mystery his persona is shrouded in further adds to the characterisation of such an inexplicably veiled identity.