Kwon Ah-yoon (; born March 13, 1991), better known by the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Kwon Nara (), is a South Korean actress and former singer. Before she transitioned to acting career she is best known as one of the original members of the South Korean

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

Hello Venus Hello Venus (; often stylized as HELLOVENUS) was a South Korean girl group formed by Tricell Media (formerly a joint venture between Pledis Entertainment and Fantagio). The group originally consisted of: Alice, Nara, Lime, Yooara, Yoonjo and Y ...

Career

Beginnings and acting debut

Nara became an acting trainee for Fantagio Entertainment when she was in middle school. She joined the girl group

as a founding member where she went by the stage name "Nara". They debuted on May 9, 2012, with the mini-album ''

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

'', which contained four tracks. The single "Venus" reached number 35 on the Gaon chart. Aside from her group activities, Nara appeared as a cameo role as a stewardess on the 20th episode of the SBS drama '' Take Care of Us, Captain'' with fellow

member, Yooyoung.

2017–present: Rise in popularity and lead roles

In 2017, Nara played her first major acting role in SBS's romantic comedy drama '' Suspicious Partner''. In 2018, Nara starred tvN's melodrama ''

My Mister ''My Mister'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ji-eun. The series was directed by Kim Won-seok, written by Park Hae-young and produced by Chorokbaem Media. It aired on tvN from March 21 to May 17, 2 ...

'', followed by SBS legal drama '' Your Honor''. In 2019, Nara got her first lead role in the KBS' medical prison drama '' Doctor Prisoner''. In June 2019, Nara signed with new agency A-Man Project. In 2020, she starred in

JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...

drama ''

Itaewon Class ''Itaewon Class'' () is a 2020 Korean drama, South Korean television series starring Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-myung, and Kwon Nara. Based on the webtoon of the same name, it is the first series to be produced by the film distribution com ...

'', based on the

webtoon Webtoons () are a type of episodic digital comics that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allo ...

of the same name. The series was a commercial success and became the seventh highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history. She was also cast in historical comedy TV series ''

Royal Secret Agent ''Royal Secret Agent'' () is a South Korean historical comedy, detective television series. The series is directed by Kim Jung-min and stars Kim Myung-soo, Kwon Nara, Lee Tae-hwan, Lee Yi-kyung, and Jo Soo-min. Written by Kang Min-sun and Pa ...

'' as Hong Da-In, a courtesan whose beauty is comparable to

Hwang Jini Hwang Jini or Hwang Jin-yi (; 1506–1567), also known by her '' kisaeng'' name Myeongwol ("bright moon", ), was one of the most famous '' kisaeng'' of the Joseon period. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her except ...

. In March 2021, Nara was confirmed to be starring in tvN's fantasy drama '' Bulgasal: Immortal Souls''. in the role of Min Sang-woon, a woman who used to be an immortal, but goes through a tragic event that turns her into a human. The drama premiered in December 2021. In June 2022, Nara signed with new agency C-JeS Entertainment. In September 2022, Nara joined an essemble casts featuring actors from television dramas ''

Love in the Moonlight ''Love in the Moonlight'' () is a South Korean television series starring Park Bo-gum, Kim Yoo-jung, Jung Jin-young, Chae Soo-bin, and Kwak Dong-yeon. It is a coming-of-age story and youth romance set during 19th-century Joseon Dynasty base ...

'', ''

'', and '' The Sound of Magic'' in the

TVING TVING () is a South Korean subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service operated by TVING Corporation, a joint venture comprising CJ ENM Entertainment Division (CJ Group), Naver and JTBC by its JTBC Studios, now calle ...

-produced reality tv show '' Young Actors' Retreat''.

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Television shows

Web shows

Awards and nominations

Listicles

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kwon, Nara 1991 births Living people Pledis Entertainment artists Fantagio artists South Korean women pop singers South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses South Korean web series actresses Hello Venus members Musicians from Incheon Actresses from Incheon South Korean female idols 21st-century South Korean actresses 21st-century South Korean women singers