IU Is Nothing Like Cindy, Says Her Manager

According to IU's manager, the singer-actress is much easier to work with than her character Cindy in "The Producers."

Like IU Cindy is a talented star but that's where the similarities end. Cindy is rude to the people who work for her and the people she works with. She's mean to her manager and openly defies the producer of the music program she appears on. She's even rude to him mom.

Park Jung Hyun, who serves as IU's manager in real life says that the star is not at all like Cindy.

"IU is a friendly person and she's worked with her staff for a long time," said Park. "She has never ordered people around like Cindy does in the show."

In an interview with the Korean media outlet Naver TV, Park Jung Hyun complimented IU on doing a great job of playing the icy k-pop princess for laughs. He's really enjoying the drama, which stars Kim So Hyun, Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Tae Hyun as the variety show producers that Cindy encounters.

Park says that the drama exaggerates things for comic effect. It made him laugh when Cindy was annoyed because she could hear her manager breathing. He's really enjoying the drama but hopes that no one assumes IU is as difficult to work with as Cindy. One measure of IU's true nature is that her staff remains very loyal to her. A demanding and difficult might not keep her staff for very long.

"Since IU debuted, she has never had a change of manager," said Park. "And her stylists and hair and make-up artists remained the same."

IU drew inspiration from some real life k-pop divas to create the character of Cindy. She studied female idols for clues on what to wear and how to perform. Her own performances differ from the sexy diva turn she does in an early episode of "The Producers." So, she studied f(x)'s Krystal Jung, 4minute's Hyuna and all the members of Girls Generation to copy their charismatic on-stage mannerisms and expressions.

IU is winning praise for her performance of the emotionally distant pop star because the role is such a stretch. The role is also different from her previous drama parts, playing Jang Geun Suk's devoted friend in "Pretty Man" and the title role of Lee Soon Shin in the weekend drama "You're The Best Lee Soon Shin."

Are you enjoying IU's performance in "The Producers?" Let us know what you think of the actress and her character.