Mask Girl: Meet ZiZian, the model behind the mask

Netflix‘s Mask Girl K-drama had three separate actors as the female lead Kim Mo-mi, but fans will also learn a Korean model named ZiZian was also behind the mask for a few scenes.

Mo-mi grew up being called ugly and unattractive. She becomes an ordinary office worker. But in the comfort of her room, she transforms into the online streaming persona Mask Girl. It is her only way to feel like she is in the spotlight. As a series of criminal and unwelcome events unfold around her. Mask Girl shows the evolution of Mo-mi through three different actors.

Rookie actor Lee Han-byeol played the lead role as Mo-mi, with Nana as Mo-mi post-plastic surgery. Go Hyun-jung starred as the older version of the character in jail. But there was one more person credited as playing Mask Girl in the K-drama.

South Korean model ZiZian appears for a few scenes in Mask Girl. She appears as the online personality during Mo-mi’s drunken haze and dance number.

ZiZian spent hours rehearsing Mo-mi’s dance scene in Mask Girl

While in a drunken stupor, Mo-mi envisions herself as a grand celebrity as Mask Girl in a dream-like state during a stream. But she is unaware of her actions, and goes nude, violating community guidelines, and has her account suspended.

While actor Lee was behind the mask for a majority of her scenes, Zizian stepped in for the grand dance scene in Mask Girl.

On Instagram, Zizian posted photos of her dressed as Mask Girl on set for the K-drama. According to KBIZoom, in a rough translation of the Korean caption, Zizian explained, “I started practicing choreography in January last year and finally filmed in August last year as the dance stand-in for Mask Girl Momi.”

The song used for the Mask Girl was ‘Dancing to Rhythm’ by Kim Wan-sun. Zizian praised the singer in her post and admitted the routine was difficult.

“I still vividly remember practicing 2~3 hours a day, 3~4 times a week with Han Byeol and YGX’s Heeyeon until March. The whole song didn’t come out in the drama, so it didn’t look that hard, but if you dance to the whole song once, you’ll be drenched in sweat. I often fell down on the floor of the practice room and gasped like a paper doll,” said Zizian.

She also revealed that she lost roughly eight pounds between practice and filming. Fans may notice in one of her photos she is wearing a yellow top and necklace. Based on Mask Girl, Zizian also appeared in Episode 2. She appears as a manifestation of Oh-nam (Ahn Jae-hong) after he learns her true identity is Mo-mi.

You can read what happened in Mask Girl and the finale here, and details of Do-ha and his murder mystery in My Lovely Liar here.