tvN's ‘Behind Every Star’ shows little-known world of management agents

Depicting the lives of the people behind celebrities, cable channel tvN’s “Behind Every Star” presents celebrity managers' drama-filled lives with their clients, who are real Korean celebrities playing themselves.

According to director Paek Seung-lyong, the 12-part series will be a magical TV drama featuring a star-studded stream of cameos, including Cho Yeo-jeong from 2019's Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.”

“To make our series more realistic, we tried to cast various stars as cameos. We interviewed our actors, heard what they had to say and created the stories,” Paek said during an online press conference Monday.

Top actor Lee Seo-jin, 51, said that the actors' deep understanding of managers plays an important role in the series.

“I have been working with managers for a long time and it is not an easy job. They are in the shadows, invisible behind the celebrities. I hope their difficulties and efforts will be highlighted in the series,” said Lee, who plays the head of a fictional talent agency called Method Entertainment.

Co-star Kwak Sun-young, who made a name for herself in tvN’s megahit “Hospital List” in 2020, shared how grateful she was to work with her manager.

“I realized that in order to continue their work as professional managers, they need not only support their clients, but also take pride in their clients' performances. I am thankful for my manager,” the actor said.

An adaptation of “Call My Agent!” (2015), a hit French comedy-drama series, “Behind Every Star” presents managers and agents dealing with their stars’ egos, struggles within the entertainment company and the private and professional lives of celebrity managers.

With a star-studded lineup, Monday's first episode topped the cable channel viewership chart with a rating of 4.4 percent, according to data from Nielsen Korea.

“Behind Every Star” airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:35 p.m. on tvN.

The comedy-drama series will also be available via streaming platforms Tving and Netflix.