Cover K-drama sensation Hyeri celebrates her 32nd birthday—revisit her most iconic roles in the best TV shows with Lee Hye-ri (Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage/Getty Images)
K-drama sensation Hyeri celebrates her 32nd birthday—revisit her most iconic roles in the best TV shows with Lee Hye-ri (Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage/Getty Images)
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From breakout hits to recent roles, these are the TV shows with Lee Hye-ri that chart her evolution from idol fame to acting acclaim
From Girl’s Day idol to award-winning actress, Lee Hye-ri has spent the past decade quietly expanding what an idol-turned-actor can look like in Korean entertainment. Born on June 9, 1994, in Gwangju, she turns 32 this year, at a point where early breakthrough recognition has matured into a steady, genre-spanning acting career. She first became a household name as Deok-sun in Reply 1988, a role that anchored her in one of the most culturally defining dramas of the decade. Since then, Hye-ri has worked to step beyond that formative image through roles that lean into sharper emotional texture and character-driven storytelling.
From beloved coming-of-age dramas to darker, more complex roles, these TV shows with Lee Hye-ri chart the choices that have shaped her acting career over the past decade.
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‘Reply 1988’ (2015–2016)
Above Hyeri shines as the lovable Deok-sun in the beloved series 'Reply 1988'
Still regarded as one of the greatest cable dramas in South Korean history, this nostalgic masterpiece cast Hyeri as Sung Deok-sun, a lovable middle-child underdog growing up in a Dobong-dong alleyway. Her raw, emotionally truthful performance earned her the tvN10 Rising Star Award and the APAN Best New Actress award. Most movingly, the scene where Deok-sun breaks down upon learning of her grandmother’s death was filmed just one day after Hyeri lost her own maternal grandmother—a piece of real grief that moved millions.
‘Two Cops’ (2017–2018)
Above Hyeri plays a sharp rookie reporter in the supernatural drama 'Two Cops'
Long before thrillers defined her career, Hyeri charmed audiences as Song Ji-an, a fearless rookie news reporter entangled in a supernatural love triangle. Her love interest, violent-crimes detective Cha Dong-tak (Jo Jung-suk), is periodically possessed by the wandering spirit of a slick con-man, Gong Soo-chang (Kim Seon-ho), resulting in wildly unpredictable behaviour. Ji-an’s solution? She saves his contact in her phone simply as “Two Cops”—a small, perfectly comedic detail that captures everything delightful about Hyeri’s instinct for character.
‘Miss Lee’ (2019)
Above Hyeri plays an accidental CEO finding her footing in the office drama 'Miss Lee'
Hyeri took a bold, unglamorous turn as Lee Seon-sim, a perpetually overlooked accounts clerk at Cheongil Electronics who is unexpectedly thrust into the CEO role overnight. To authentically capture the exhaustion of a struggling, overlooked employee, she deliberately abandoned her polished idol image—dressing down and foregoing noticeable make-up throughout the entire shoot. The result is one of her most grounded, relatable performances, anchored by sharp comic timing and a warm mentorship dynamic with Yoo Jin-wook (Kim Sang-kyung).
‘My Roommate Is a Gumiho’ (2021)
Above Hyeri brings chaotic charm to the fantasy romance 'My Roommate Is a Gumiho'
Based on a popular webtoon, fantasy romantic comedy My Roommate Is a Gumiho remains one of the most purely fun TV shows with Lee Hye-ri. She plays Lee Dam, an ordinary college student who accidentally swallows the magical bead of a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox (Jang Ki-yong). To survive, she must follow increasingly absurd cohabitation rules, including a strict ban on eating chicken and avoiding all contact with men born in the Year of the Tiger. Her physical comedy is electric, and her chemistry with Jang Ki-yong kept the series trending globally.
‘Moonshine’ (2021–2022)
Above Hyeri defies Joseon-era conventions as an illicit brewer in the drama 'Moonshine'
Hyeri’s first major historical role announced a significant new chapter. As Kang Ro-seo, a sharp-witted, impoverished noblewoman who secretly brews alcohol during Joseon’s strict prohibition era, she dismantled the passive female archetypes that had long defined the genre. Ro-seo’s sparring dynamic with uptight royal inspector Nam Young (Yoo Seung-ho) crackles with wit, and Hyeri’s commanding presence earned her the Excellence Award at the 2022 KBS Drama Awards.
‘May I Help You?’ (2022)
Above Hyeri delivers a deeply moving performance as a funeral director in ‘May I Help You?’
As Baek Dong-ju, a funeral director gifted with the ability to communicate with the deceased and fulfil their final wishes, Hyeri delivered some of the most quietly devastating work of her career, earning her the 2022 MBC Excellence Award. Among the TV shows with Lee Hyeri, May I Help You? was widely praised for its compassionate, healing approach to grief. Its final episodes, however, divided audiences sharply: the decision to make Dong-ju’s own beloved father her last case was criticised by many viewers as an emotionally manipulative twist that undercut the show’s otherwise gentle tone.
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‘Friendly Rivalry’ (2025)
Above Hyeri transforms into a chilling sociopath in the psychological thriller 'Friendly Rivalry'
Her role in Friendly Rivalry redefined her entirely. On U+ Mobile TV, Hyeri starred as Yoo Jae-yi, a brilliant, sociopathic class queen at an elite all-girls high school who develops a toxic, obsessive bond with transfer student Woo Seul-gi (Chung Su-bin). Shedding every trace of her bubbly public persona, her performance is cold, precise and genuinely unsettling. She publicly defended the drama’s provocative, uncensored same-sex bathtub scene as a natural narrative progression—and the industry agreed, awarding her the Best Actor (Female) title at the 2025 Asia Artist Awards.
‘Dream to You’ (July 2026)
Above Hyeri reunites with Hwang In-youp for the upcoming romantic comedy 'Dream to You'
The most exciting entry on any list of TV shows with Lee Hye-ri has yet to air. Premiering on July 13, romantic comedy Dream to You reunites her with Hwang In-youp as a genius director who achieved his every dream, while her character, Joo Yi-jae, is a once-hopeful reporter who has long forgotten hers. Directed by Yoo Sun-dong (The Uncanny Counter) and written by Jung Eun-bi (assistant writer of cultural sensations Mr Sunshine and Goblin), it marks Hyeri’s triumphant return to the genre where she first stole hearts.
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