Meet the Actors Behind ‘Mask Girl’

For only seven episodes, Mask Girl the K-drama had an incredibly compelling plot. It’s a gritty and suspenseful story through and through, about a woman who was pushed to extremes because of unrealistic beauty standards.

Kim Mo-mi was just a woman who wanted to do nothing more than dance and be admired on stage. But because she didn’t have a face that met South Korea’s rigorous beauty standards, her talent didn’t matter, and she wound up in a dead-end corporate job. To fulfill her dreams, Mo-mi lived a secret life online as a mysterious dancer alias “Mask Girl.” Having a mask can only take Mo-mi’s ambitions so far, and she would soon suffer from the consequences of daring to dream.

Three actresses played the role of Kim Mo-mi

The protagonist of the story, Mo-mi, is played by three different actresses. Mo-mi, who was introduced to us as Mask Girl, is played by actress Lee Han-byeol. She made her acting debut on Mask Girl, and many fans of the series had high praise for her portrayal of Mo-mi. The second Mo-mi we were introduced to was starred by K-pop singer Nana (Im Jin-ah). If you were completely stunned by Nana’s dancing, she was once the lead dancer of her former K-pop group After School. 

Mo-mi’s story wouldn’t be complete without actress Ko Hyun-jung, who played Mo-mi’s final version. She’s widely known for her role in the hit historical fiction K-drama, The Great Queen Seondeok (2009).

Sim Young-hee, Mo-mi’s mother, was played by actress Moon Sook. Mo-mi’s daughter, Kim Mi-mo, was played by actress Shin Ye-seo. This is Shin’s third K-drama. Kim Chun-ae, who will later be Mo-mi’s closest friend and partner in crime, is played by Han Jae-yi.

The villains

Park Gi-hoon was played by Daniel Choi, who is known for his visuals and decade-long acting career. EXID’s Lee Park Jeong-hwa plays the role of Lee A-reum.

Oh Ju-nam was portrayed by actor Ahn Jae-hong from Reply 1988 fame.  Ju-nam’s mother, who sought vengeance against Mo-mi, was played by veteran actress Yum Hye-ran. She won a Baeksang Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2024 for the same role.

Choi Bu-yong, the walking red flag boyfriend of Chun-ae, was played by Lee Jun-young. Ironically, Lee was also formerly part of a group named U-Kiss.