Parasyte: The Grey, Netflix's latest must-see K-drama, is both a gruesome creature-feature series and a thoughtful look at why humans need community and kinship to survive. In the six-episode series, based on the Japanese manga Parastye, the titular extraterrestrials are larva-like aliens designed to take over the human brain and mutate bodies into tentacled, near-invincible monsters. When the leeches land on the Korean peninsula, a group of humans (and one human-parasite hybrid) are pulled into the fight to stop the aliens from taking over the country.
For the new series, director Yeon Sang-ho (of Train to Busan fame) gathered an all-star cast of talented actors, including a rising star in her first thriller role, an award-winning multi-hyphenate, and an icon in the Korean techno music scene. Read on to meet the stars of Parasyte: The Grey.
Jeon So-nee as Jeong Su-in/Heidi
Supermarket worker and general loner Jeong Su-in, played by Jeon So-nee, is one of the unlucky humans who encounters a parasite on the night they come to Earth, but she isn't killed by the larva-like creature. Instead, she mostly retains control over her brain, except for the 15 minutes a day when Heidi (the parasite, à la Jekyll and Hyde) takes over.
Jeon So-nee debuted as an actor in 2017 and is best known for starring in romance K-dramas including When My Love Blooms, Scripting Your Destiny, and Our Blooming Youth. The 33-year-old has also starred in films like Soulmate, Jo Pil Ho: The Dawning Rage, and Write or Dance.
Koo Kyo-hwan as Seol Kang-woo
When the series starts, Seol Kang-woo is a member of the Mangnani Gang who has to lay low after an attack on a rival organization. When he arrives at his family home, he learns that both of his sisters are wrapped up in the war between parasites and humans.
Koo Kyo-hwan, 41, is a familiar face for fans of Netflix K-dramas, as he previously starred in both seasons of the military drama D.P., as well as the films Kill Boksoon and Kingdom: Ashin of the North. The multi-hyphenate has also written and directed several films, and he has won several acting awards for his performances in the films Jane, Escape from Mogadishu, and Peninsula.
Lee Jung-hyun as Choi Jun-kyung
Choi Jun-kyung is the ruthless, determined leader of Team Grey, the police task force that captures and kills parasites. Behind her single-minded fury towards the creatures is a tragic backstory: Her loving husband was one of the alien race's first victims.
When she was 16, actress and singer Lee Jung-hyun won numerous awards for her debut acting role in the 1996 film A Petal. Then, in 1999, she debuted as a K-pop singer who later became known as "the Techno Queen" and "Queen of Transformation" for her experimental music, choreography, and stage costumes (such as the fingernail microphone). The 44-year-old started focusing on her acting career in 2010, appearing in films including The Battleship Island, Peninsula, and Decision to Leave.
Kwon Hae-hyo as Kim Chul-min
Kim Chul-min is a local cop whose unit is assigned to help Team Grey in the war against the parasites. He also has a fatherly relationship with Su-in, though the pair aren't related; years ago, he led the case against her abusive father.
Kwon Hae-hyo, 58, is a prolific actor who has appeared in supporting roles in countless K-dramas and movies, including Wedding Impossible, Flex X Cop, Under the Queen's Umbrella, Search: WWW, The Crowned Clown, Happy Together, Juror 8, and Peninsula.
Kim In-kwon as Kang Won-seok
Kang Won-seok is a detective at the same precinct as Chul-min, whose ambitious nature takes a sinister turn after the parasites arrive.
Kim In-kwon, 48, has also appeared in numerous K-dramas and films, including The King's Affection; Mr. Queen; Angel's Last Mission: Love; Please Come Back, Mister; You're Beautiful; The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey; Battle of Jangsari, Tazza 2: The Hidden Card, and Masquerade.
Masaki Suda as Shinichi Izumi
The final scene of the series features a cameo from Shinichi Izumi, the main character of the source manga Parasyte. The human-parasite hybrid is portrayed by Masaki Suda, 31, a Japanese actor and singer who previously won numerous awards from the Japan Academy Film Prize (also known as the Japan Academy Awards). He also voiced the titular bird in the Japanese version of Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning movie The Boy and The Heron.
