Acting In “Empress Ki” And “You Who Came From The Stars”

The same actress plays a pivotal role in two of dramaland's current top hits: "Empress Ki" and "You Who Came From The Stars."

That actress is Yoo in Young, who plays both a Turkish warrior and a Hallyu star.

One reason her dual roles may have escaped attention is that her role in Empress Ki required her to dress like a warrior and disguise the fact that she is a woman. But now that her character, the Turkish warrior Yeon Bi Soo, has taken off her fierce mask and dressed in more traditionally feminine roles, it's easier to see that she's the same actress who plays Han Yoo Ra in "You Who Came From The Stars."

Han Yoo Ra is Chun Song Yi's rival, the actress that she hates the most. She is also the woman who was murdered for daring to blackmail Lee Jae Kyung into marrying her. But everyone thinks she committed suicide. It is Han Yoo Ra's supposed suicide that Chun Song Yi is blamed and blacklisted for.

In "Empress Ki," Yeon Bi So is only a rival to Wang Yoo, the Korean king played by Joo Jin Mo. Although he spared her life in battle, she still considers him her enemy and is circulating counterfeit money that could ruin the economy of Korea.

In both dramas, viewers can see Yoon In Young smiling at a mirror. In "You Who Came From The Stars," she's examining her beauty and imagining her future life as the wife of an heiress. In "Empress Ki," she is plotting her master plan to best both the Yuan Dynasty and Korea.

The actress seems to slip effortlessly back and forth between the historical drama and the paranormal alien-human romance. Both roles are supporting ones but it's still a challenge.

It's not the first time the actress has balanced the demands of several dramas in the same year. The actress and model had a busy year in 2013, appearing in several series, including "Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek," "A Faded Memory," "The Strange Cohabitation," "Empress Ki" and "Wonderful Mama."

The actress made her debut nine years ago and has since appeared in several dramas and films. Her best-known drama role was playing Bong Soo Ah, a girl who lost her mother when she was young, in the drama "Likable Or Not." She also played the villain Yoon Ja Kyung in the drama "Loveaholic."