Actors making special appearances in dramas is not a new phenomenon. Despite their brief appearances, they leave a strong impression, add to the entertainment value and effectively promote the work
tvN’s Saturday-Sunday drama “Queen of Tears“, which garnered attention with actor Song Joong-ki‘s appearance, is not the only one. Many dramas are now creating buzz with a star-studded lineup of special appearances even before they air. Actress Kim Tae-hee attracted attention with a special appearance in “Welcome to Samdal-ri”, which ended in January. Not only actors but also famous personalities make appearances. In tvN’s new Monday-Tuesday drama “Lovely Runner”, which is scheduled to premiere on April 8th, former national swimmer Park Tae-hwan will make a surprise appearance.
Special appearances are usually arranged through connections with writers, directors and lead actors. Song Joong-ki’s special appearance was arranged through his connection with actress Kim Ji-won, who worked together with him in previous works like “Descendants of the Sun”. Kim Tae-hee was able to appear in “Welcome to Samdal-ri” through her connection with writer Kwon Hye-joo from her previous work “Hi Bye, Mama!”. Actors sometimes make cameo appearances in each other’s works as well. Actors Lee Je-hoon and Namkoong Min, who appeared in “Taxi Driver 2” and “One Dollar Lawyer”, respectively, showed loyalty by making surprise appearances in each other’s works.
The appearance fee for special appearances is usually “traffic expenses”. The term “traffic expenses” refer to the cost of transportation for the staff accompanying the actor. However, unlike movies where most of the preparation is done by the production team itself, in dramas, stylists and other staff accompany the actors to the shooting location, so their expenses are also considerable.
A management official said, “In the past, special appearances could be arranged over a drink, but now the agency often directly negotiates with the production company. As a result, appearance fees are somewhat standardized. Special appearances are not just because of loyalty to the production team and actors. Depending on the popularity of the work, the character itself or the attractiveness of the lines, actors may be eager to appear, and in such cases, they may reduce their appearance fees.”
There are cases where special appearances are made without an appearance fee. Actress Jo Bo-ah appeared in the final episode of last year’s drama “Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938”, as a continuation of her appearance in the first season “Tale of the Nine-Tailed”. Actor Yang Se-jong also appeared in “Dr. Romantic 2” without an appearance fee as he appeared in the first season.
In the case of small-budget films and short dramas, it is common for actors to appear for free. Song Joong-ki also attracted attention by appearing as the lead actor in “Hopeless”, which was officially invited to the Cannes Film Festival last year, without receiving an appearance fee. A drama official said, “Depending on actors’ personality, they may not accept appearance fees. Considering Song Joong-ki’s known traits, there is a possibility that he appeared out of loyalty without any remuneration.”
