You can’t call yourself a real K-drama fan if you haven’t seen these actors in any movie or TV series. Sometimes, they have big or small roles but we love them because they always have range, and as soon as they come up on your screen, you know that it’s going to be a good show.  

1. Um Hyo-sup

The man is the king of supporting roles. Sometimes, he makes the main lead’s life easier, other times, he’s the reason why the main lead is suffering but you can’t help but love him anyway. He was in “Gu’s Family Book”, “Two Weeks”, The Doctors, “My Love From Another Star”, “Start-Up”, “Shopaholic Louis”, “I Am Not A Robot” and many other shows. He is one of those characters that always makes you feel warm when you see them on screen. If you know him, you’re a real K-drama fan. 

2. Kim Kwang-kyu

This man’s middle name should be range. One minute he is playing the funny director of a media house that manages to be strict at the same time in “Pinocchio”, next minute, he is playing the role of a physically abusive teacher. If you watched old K-dramas like “I Hear Your Voice”, “You Are The Best”, “Scent Of  A Woman” or even newer dramas like “Lawless Lawyer”, “Red Sky”. You definitely fell in love with the characters he played and if you didn’t, you don’t like good things. 

3. Sung Dong-il

If there was a school for characters that played bad guys, this guy definitely used to come last. He is so bad at being a bad guy and spends half the time he is on screen making you laugh. This man makes any serious film unserious just by being in it and that’s why true k-drama fans love him. There’s no way to pick the best shows he’s been in but he played such good roles in the entire “Reply” series (1997, 1994, 1988), “Fugitive Plan B”, “It’s Okay, That’s Love”, “Hwarang”, “Moonlovers”, and “Sisyphus”. As soon as he comes on screen, if you’re a true K-drama fan you have to shout “Ahjussi” in your loudest K-drama protagonist voice. 

4.  Kim Won Hae

Everyone’s favourite “Ahjussi”, it doesn’t matter whether he’s a good guy or bad guy, you can’t just hate him because he will always make you laugh, just like he did in the recent drama, “One The Woman”. He has appeared in popular dramas like “Start-Up”, “Hotel del Luna”, “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”, “Monthly Home Magazine” and his roles in these dramas show us why he’s a tv favourite. 

5. Kim Sun Young

She consistently plays the role of a kind “Ahjumma” that the main leads can lean on and does a great job. From her role in “Reply 1988” as a member of the mum trio. She appears in other popular dramas like “Crash Landing On You”, “When Camelia Blooms”, “Vagabond” and more.

6.  Kim Young-ok

Kdrama’s very own “Halmeoni”, she’s the grandma of all your faves, from Lee Min-ho to recently,  Kim Seon ho. She’s played fantastic roles in “Boys Over Flowers”, “Coffee Prince”, “The King”, “Mouse” and the just concluded “Hometown Chachacha”. She was also the mother of Gi-Hun in “Squid Game”. She becomes your favourite character by being this sweet old woman that reminds you of that grandmother you never call or visit. 

7. Ahn Nae Sang

This is another popular “Ahjussi” that stars in most of your favourite K-drama He has a wide range from the villain, to father, uncle, lawyer, detective, name it. He appeared in popular dramas like “Moon Embracing The Sun”, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”, “Kill Me, Heal Me”, “Law School”, “Mouse” and “Devil Judge”.

8. Kim Hee Jung

She’s a standard mother in K-dramas and her range is from good to bad characters but she always delivers. She’s appeared in popular dramas like “Gu Family Book”, “Kill Me, Heal Me”, “Beauty Inside”, “Start-Up” and recently, “Monthly Home Magazine”.

9. Kim Mi-Kyung

She is the best “Ahjumma”. As a K-drama fan, If she isn’t your fave, you are wrong. From being a  secret hacker to being a dumb cleaner, a nurse, or a housekeeper for a rich family that is the real mother of the super-rich main lead, she’s the definition of range. She has graced some of our favourite dramas like “The Heirs”, “It’s Okay, That’s Love”, “Hi, Bye Mama”, “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay”, “18 Again” and killed it in every role she played. 

10. Jeon Gook-hwan

This baba is the premium evil character, K-dramas own Chiwetalu Agu. Once you see him, you can be sure that people will die and he’ll be wicked as shit. From the role, he played in “Empress Ki”, “King’s 2 Hearts”, “My Mister”, “Graceful Family”, “Crash Landing On You” and the recently concluded series “ One The Woman”, this man’s character was always a rich deadbeat father that enjoyed traumatising his kids for fun. We still like him sha. 


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