8 Reasons Why Twice’s Dahyun K-drama Acting Debut Is So Exciting

Summary

• Dahyun is the first member of Twice to debut as an actress, breaking away from the group’s music-related solo projects.
• Her acting skills were showcased in her past music videos, hinting at the promising talent she will bring to her upcoming roles.
• With her upcoming debut in the indie sports drama movie “Sprint” and talks for a leading role in “You Are The Apple of My Eye”, Dahyun’s acting career is poised for success.

It has recently been confirmed that Twice’s Dahyun will be making her K-drama acting debut some time next year. Kim Da-hyun, best known as Dahyun, is a singer and rapper for the internationally renowned K-pop girl group, Twice. Dahyun debuted as a singer in October 2015 with the single “Like Ooh-ahh” after being announced as one of the winners of the survival show Sixteen. Now, almost ten years after her debut, Dahyun will be exploring opportunities as an actress.

Dahyun joins a long list of K-pop idols who have become K-drama actors, including WJSN’s Bona (Kim Ji-yeon), who has appeared in K-drama thrillerPyramid Game and coming-of-age story Twenty-Five Twenty-One and BTS’s V, who starred in historical comedy Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth in 2016. Although Dahyun will begin shooting her first acting project this month, it is unlikely that fans will be able to watch her on the big screen until 2025. However, despite the long wait, there are many reasons as to why Dahyun’s acting debut is so exciting.

8 Dahyun Is The First Member of Twice To Debut As An Actress

Other Members Have Only Done Music Related Solo Projects

Though Twice are well-known for valuing their group projects, more recently they have begun to explore projects as individuals. This started with the oldest member, Nayeon, who made her solo debut in 2023 with the single “Pop”, shortly followed by main vocalist Jihyo, who similarly debuted as a soloist in August 2023 with “Killin’ Me Good”. Along with this, Japanese members Momo, Mina, and Sana made their debut as the trio MiSaMo with a Japanese debut album.

With two of the nine members of Twice making solo debuts, many wondered which member would be the next to take on a solo project. Although Nayeon will be making a solo comeback in June, it is Dahyun who will be next to take on a new solo project and is the first member of Twice to pursue a career outside the music industry and in acting.

7 Dahyun Was The Main Actress in GOT7’s “Stop stop it”

She Showcased Her Acting Skills 10 Years Before Her Debut

Before making their official K-pop debuts, it is not uncommon for K-pop trainees to appear in other K-pop stars’ music videos, especially if they belong to the same label. For example, Aespa’s Karina appeared as the featured female dancer in Taemin’s “Want” whilst she was a trainee, and Yuna and Ryujin appeared in BTS’s “Love Yourself” Highlight Reel in 2017, two years before becoming members of Itzy. This was no different for the members of Twice, particularly Dahyun.

Dahyun appeared in two music videos before her official K-pop debut. Though she would make a cameo in 2PM Wooyoung’s Japanese single R.O.S.E alongside fellow members of Twice, it’s her appearance in GOT7’s “Stop stop it” where Dahyun’s acting talents take center stage. Dahyun is the main actress in the five-minute-long music video. In her first appearance, Dahyun commands the screen with a fierce aura before showcasing her bubbly, youthful side. Dahyun’s acting in the music video is dynamic and gives a brief hint as to what Dahyun could now be capable of almost ten years after the music video’s release.

6 Twice’s Music Videos Prove Dahyun’s Acting Abilities

Her Acting Has Matured With Twice’s Concept

Every music video requires acting, and Twice’s music videos are no different. Although Twice’s music videos generally focus on singing and dancing, each of the members often partake in small scenes that require the K-pop idols to act. For example, Twice’s second single “Cheer Up” pays homage to several different movie genres, including animation, horror, and action. Dahyun’s given genre references historical K-dramas. Rather than give a delicate performance often associated with the genre, Dahyun leans into comedy and makes her time on screen humorous and memorable.

However, Twice’s most recent music video is where Dahyun has demonstrated how committed she can be to a part. Compared to Twice’s debut in 2015, their more recent works have dealt with more mature emotions, and their latest music video for “One Spark” is no exception. In the teaser for the music video, Dahyun is seen crying as she becomes overwhelmed before being comforted by her fellow members. Her acting is natural and sincere, which adds a new depth to Twice’s latest work and hints at some of Dahyun’s true acting talents.

5 Dahyun’s Most Recent Music Video Appearance Hinted At Her Acting Debut

It Shows A Different Side of Dahyun

The most recent hint towards Dahyun’s future acting career came in her appearance Young K’s music video for “nothing but”. Dahyun’s appearance in the music video is her first appearance in another artist’s work since debuting as an idol herself, with all of her previous cameos coming before she was an official member of Twice. This short performance was a welcome surprise for Twice fans, as Dahyun’s role in the music video was never announced prior to its release.

Dahyun has showcased some of her acting abilities in Twice’s music videos already. However, as Twice’s music videos are often bright and energetic, the more somber tone in Young K’s music video gave an exciting glimpse as to what else Dahyun is capable of. Though Dahyun does not appear too heavily in the music video, nor does she have much to do other than sit opposite Young K, she showcases an excellent ability to command attention on screen and take on a role that is vastly different from what is usually expected of her.

4 Dahyun Has Acted Alongside Cha Eun-woo Before

They Acted Together Before Their Official Acting Debuts

Cha Eun-woo has become a big name in the K-drama industry in recent years. His roles in K-dramas such as True Beauty, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung and My ID is Gangnam Beauty have made him well-sought after actor in the industry. However, much like Twice’s Dahyun, Cha Eun-woo initially debuted as a vocalist in K-pop boy group, Astro, and a variety show appearance would foreshadow Cha Eun-woo and Dahyun move to the acting world before it had even happened.

Cha Eun-woo and Dahyun both took part in Replies That Made Us Flutter, a variety show that took viewers’ comments and dramatized new stories from them. Cha Eun-woo and Dahyun were voted as the leading couple, and saw them play fictionized versions of themselves in a high school romantic comedy. Though Replies That Made Us Flutter exists more for entertainment than for acting talent, this small glimpse at Dahyun acting talents alongside now famous actor Cha Eun-woo makes her move into acting all the more exciting.

Clips of Cha Eun-woo and Dahyun’s appearance in
Replies That Made Us Flutter
are available to watch on YouTube.

3 Sports Comedy Movie “Sprint” Will Showcase Dahyun’s Dramatic Talents

She Will Star Alongside Ha Seok-jin and Lee Shin-young

Since before her debut in Twice, Dahyun has been known for her comedic talents. Dahyun first went viral in middle school after a video of her performance an “eagle dance” at her church took the internet by storm and has continued to share her charismatic knack for comedy with audiences worldwide. This makes her casting in indie sports drama movieSprint so exciting, as it could be a great opportunity for Dahyun to show a completely new side to her abilities that has only been glimpsed at so far.

Sprint is set to delve into the world of athletics, and follows a group of sprinters who chase their dreams of glory. The movie, which will be directed by Lee Seung-hoon, will star Crash Landing on You‘s Ha Seok-jin in the leading role that is based on South Korean sprinter, Kim Kuk-young. Rookie Cops’ Lee Shin-young will also star as a Seung-yeol, a footballer turned sprinter. Dahyun’s role in Sprint is currently unclear, though it is exciting to think about what sort of character she could be playing.

2 Dahyun is Already In Talks For Her Second Leading Role

The Original Movie Was A Big Hit

Just a few weeks after it was confirmed that Dahyun would be appearing in Sprint, it has also been confirmed that Dahyun is in talks for her next acting project, You Are The Apple of My Eye. You Are The Apple Of My Eye is a Korean remake of the Taiwanese film of the same name, and is a coming-of-age romance based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Giddens Ko, who also directed the movie. If she accepts the role, Dahyun would play the role of Sun-ah, who would mirror the role played by Michelle Chen in the 2011 original.

The Taiwanese original movie found great success and was praised by critics for its fresh take on the coming of age genre, and has already been remade in both Japan and Thailand. The Korean remake of You Are The Apple Of My Eye, according to Screen Daily, is set to premiere at the 77th International Cannes Film Festival in 2025. If this is the case, then even before her official acting debut, Dahyun is already making a name for herself as a notable figure in the acting industry.

They Are Some Of The Biggest Actors in K-dramas Currently

Dahyun’s upcoming acting debut will see her follow in the footsteps of many K-pop idols who have since become actors. Though many idols appear in smaller K-drama roles, such as Apink’s Bomi in Queen of Tears or Oh My Girl’s Arin in Alchemy of Souls, many have since secured a leading-actor status. Some of the most famous include former SF9 member Rowoon, EXO’s D.O. (Do Kyung-soo), and former Miss A member Bae Suzy. These idols’ prominent presence in the Korean television and film industry looks promising for Dahyun’s future acting career.

Although Dahyun’s debut will come in film rather than television, it is still equally impressive to land a leading role without any prior acting credits. This sees her follow Blackpink’s Jisoo’s turn to acting, as Jisoo’s debut role was the female lead in the K-dramaSnowdrop alongside veteran actor Jung Hae-in. Jisoo surprised audiences with her profound acting skills as university student Eun Young-ro whilst also remaining an active K-pop idol.

With Dahyun now having two very promising acting projects coming in the near future, there could be some cause for concern as to how this could affect Twice’s future promotions. However, with idols such as IU balancing both the singing and acting workloads and Twice focusing on both solo and group promotions, there does not seem to be any reason to worry. Instead, it gives audiences a chance to look forward to Dahyun’s exicting acting career, just as they have enjoyed her activities as an idol.