IU, now in her 30s, stunned fans by flawlessly pulling off a teenage character.
On April 14, IU’s YouTube channel uploaded a behind-the-scenes video from the MBC drama Perfect Crown. In the clip, IU appears as Seong Hee-joo at age 16—a 9th grader—instantly drawing attention.
Introducing her character, IU said, "I’m Seong Hee-joo, a 9th grader at Jujak Palace," then quickly admitted with a shy laugh, "This might be a bit of a stretch." Her candid reaction hinted at the age gap between herself and the role.
IU also explained why she personally took on the childhood scenes. "At first, I suggested to the director and writer that it might be better to cast a child actor," she said. "The screen time isn’t long, but since the scenes are important, they wanted me to perform them myself, so I took the role."
The pressure on set was real, too. "I felt a bit embarrassed. I kept laughing because they told me I had to do it," she shared, describing the mood during filming.
Despite her worries, the final cut was spot-on. Wearing a school uniform, IU’s youthful visuals made the teen character completely believable, earning praise from viewers.
Meanwhile, Perfect Crown, which premiered on the 10th, has already posted strong early ratings—signaling a potential hit.