Nothing surprising here, but we've got a new K-drama to keep us occupied and it's...True Beauty! The tvN drama (which exclusively streams on Viu) just dropped its first two episodes this week, and I must say, that we're already legit hooked. ICYDK, the rom-com is actually based on a popular webtoon of the same name and stars actor-idol Cha Eun Woo as school heartthrob Lee Suho. And his leading lady, you ask? It's rising actress Moon Ga Young, who plays bright and bubbly Im Ju Kyung. Because of deep-seated insecurities, she uses makeup to cover up her ~real appearance~ and gain some confidence. Problem is, there's one person who knows how she looks like with a bare face, and it's Suho. Got you interested, no? Well, read on more about True Beauty's lead star and Cha Eun Woo's new on-screen lover, Moon Ga Young—'cause before you know it, you'll be as obsessed as we are.
Moon Ga Young's birthday is on July 10, 1996!
The 24-year-old actress was born in Karlsruhe, Germany. She and her family moved back to Korea when she was already 10 years old.
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Moon Ga Young is fluent in German.
Because she was born and raised in Germany, Moon Ga Young is a native speaker of their language! Apart from German, she knows how to speak Korean and English as well. Here's a compilation video of her speaking in her first language:
Moon Ga Young started out in the entertainment industry as a child actress.
Right after she and her family made their big move back to Korea, Moon Ga Young started acting in both TV and film. Some of her earliest works include the dramas Bitter Sweet Life (2008) and Friend, Our Legend (2009), and the movies Shadows In The Palace (2007) and Our Town (2007).
Moon Ga Young's first lead role was in the 2014 drama, Mimi.
Moon Ga Young landed her first lead drama role in Mimi, alongside second-gen K-pop idol, TVXQ's Changmin! The drama is a mix of mystery, horror, and romance with Ga Young playing the titular role of Mimi, the long lost first love of disillusioned webtoon writer Min Woo (Changmin).
Moon Ga Young was the leading lady of another set of K-pop idols, EXO!
In 2015, Chanyeol, D.O., Baekhyun, and Sehun of K-pop boy group EXO starred in the Naver digital series, EXO Next Door. In the drama, Moon Ga Young plays Ji Yeon Hee, a girl who's never had experience with boys or have an actual love life. But *surprise surprise* the boys of EXO move in the house ~next door~ and things become…interesting for her.
Moon Ga Young's other notable dramas include Tempted and Welcome To Waikiki 2.
In Tempted or The Great Seducer, Moon Ga Young stretched her acting chops by playing the cunning and seductive Choi Soo Ji. The 2018 drama is actually based on the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. (Familiar with the 1999 film Cruel Intentions? Yup, it's based on the novel as well!) She co-starred alongside Woo Do Hwan and Red Velvet's Joy.
In 2019, Ga Young crossed over to comedy and starred in the ensemble cast of Welcome To Waikiki 2. She played Han Soo Yeon, a young woman who has to find her way in life when her wedding suddenly gets called off. Soo Yeon also happens to be the first love of Kim Seon Ho's character Cha Woo Sik.
Yes, Moon Ga Young is still close friends with Kim Seon Ho.
Kim Seon Ho just wrapped up his breakout drama, Start-Up. But while filming, his Welcome To Waikiki 2 leading lady Moon Ga Young sent him a food truck on the set of the drama! On Instagram, Seon Ho shared pics of him posing by the truck and wrote in the caption, "Dongsaeng, thank you for the surprise. I enjoyed the beverage." He also said he'll be supporting her in her True Beauty. Written on the truck's banner was the message: "I will be cheering on the Start-Up cast and crew to conclude in good health."
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Moon Ga Young said that she loves acting is because "there's no right answer."
In a recent interview with Vogue Korea, Moon Ga Young opened up about her craft and said, "In acting, there's no right answer. The reason why I love books and dislike math is because math gives you an answer. With acting, my performance one day can be different from my performance the next day, and I have to keep thinking about it."
New episodes of True Beauty are available on Viu every Thursday and Friday.
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