IU reveals she drank alcohol to act realistically in When Life Gives You Tangerines; states red makeup would have misrepresented her as looking "cute"

On March 16, 2025, singer and actress IU revealed that she consumed alcohol while filming an emotional scene for Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines. This confession was made during a highlight reaction video uploaded on Netflix’s official YouTube channel for Korea.

The 31-year-old admitted to being drunk to prepare for Yang Geum-myeong’s emotional scene with her father. She said makeup might have made it appear "cute."

“I was actually drinking for the scene. If we tried to do it with makeup, it could have looked too cutesy” she explained.

Upon hearing this, Park Hae-joon was surprised and asked, “Was I also drinking?” to which IU responded:

“I do not think you did, I think you were drinking afterwards.”

This prompted laughter from everyone present. The scene takes place in a Chinese restaurant, showcasing Geum-myeong breaking down in front of her father, Gwan-sik (played by Park Hae-joon). While sitting alongside her co-stars Moon So-ri and Hae-joon, IU shared various behind-the-scenes moments in the Netflix video.

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IU's When Life Gives You Tangerines debuts at No. 4 on Netflix's global non-English series chart

Netflix’s latest K-drama, When Life Gives You Tangerines, officially debuted at No. 4 on Netflix’s global Top 10 most-watched non-English series chart for the week of March 3 to 9. The romantic drama garnered 3.6 million viewers worldwide, totaling 13.9 million hours viewed.

The show has topped charts in 24 regions, holding the No. 1 spot in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The Netflix original stars IU as Oh Ae-Sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik, telling a love story that follows them through four “seasons” of life.

From their teenage years to middle age, the series tracks their journey over the years. The story is backed by a cast showing the couple at different ages, with Kim Tae-yeon playing young Oh Ae-Sun and Moon So-ri playing her middle-aged version.

Lee Cheon-mu plays young Yang Gwan-sik, while Moon Woo-jin and Park Hae-joon portray the teenage and middle-aged versions of Yang Gwan-sik, respectively. The series also features Kim Yong-rim, Oh Min-ae, Na Moon-hee, Yeom Hye-ran, and Jung Hae-kyun in supporting roles.

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In other news, IU is set to star in yet another Korean drama. She will appear in MBC’s Wife of a 21st Century Prince (working title) alongside Byeon Woo-seok. The romance is set in an alternate Korea with a constitutional monarchy. The K-pop idol plays Sung Hee-joo, a chaebol heiress who possesses beauty, intelligence, and power.

However, her commoner status holds her back. Woo-seok portrays Prince Lee-ahn, the king’s second son with only a royal title. He has hidden his identity throughout his life. Their paths cross when Sung Hee-joo’s status becomes an obstacle in her seemingly perfect life. The K-drama is set to air in late 2025.