How far would you go to get a “like”? That’s the question at the heart of Celebrity, the glittery new dramatic series from director Kim Cheol-kyu (Mother, Flower of Evil). Set in South Korea, which in 2021 ranked second in the world for social media use, the stakes are high for its fashionable characters — and soaked in fiercely competitive, Instagram-obsessed intrigue. Rising actor Park Gyu-young (recently announced as part of the cast of the Season 2 of Squid Game) plays A-ri, a once-ordinary IRL cosmetic salesperson who finds herself in the midst of sudden social media stardom. It’s a world laser-focused on luxury and likes — and as deadly as it is glitzy.

Although the director didn’t personally use social media prior to working on the show, he researched the world of influencers extensively, creating his own account to closely observe them. Kim also consulted members of the cast — which includes dozens of real-life stars of Instagram and YouTube — to make sure his fictional series was true to what it’s like to be on the inside of social media stardom. Over the course of 12 soapy, cliffhanger episodes, Season 1 of Celebrity exposes the dark side of virtual fame.

When will Celebrity be released?

Stream it now on Netflix.

Who’s in the cast of Celebrity?

• Park Gyu-young (Sweet Home, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay ) as Seo A-ri, a cosmetics salesperson who becomes an influencer overnight
• Kang Min-hyuk (The Princess and the Matchmaker, Hospital Ship) as Han Jun-kyoung, successor to the largest cosmetics company in Korea
• Lee Chung-ah (VIP, Because This Is My First Life) as Yoon Si-hyeon, a nonprofit leader who hangs out with with influencers
• Lee Dong-gun (Kiss Sixth Sense, Queen for Seven Days), as Jin Tae-jeon, Si-hyeon’s husband and a partner in a leading law firm
• Jun Hyo-seong (Memorist, singer of the group Secret) as Oh Min-hye, A-ri’s childhood friend

What happens in Celebrity?

The story begins on a “murderously glamorous day,” Seo A-ri intones ominously. She delivers a live stream that quickly commands the screens of both her massive social media following and her fellow influencers as she threatens to reveal their secrets and the “cheat codes” for success. Once well-off and envied by her friends for her sense of style, A-ri has struggled financially since the death of her father. Her mother works as a tailor while A-ri has a job selling beauty products. A-ri’s been too busy to bother with social media, but after running into an old friend who’s now a successful influencer, she decides on a whim to set up her own Instagram account. 

Overnight she’s catapulted into the world of e-celebrities — and a web of dirty in-fighting, all in pursuit of more followers, more likes and the appearance of perfection. And when internet fame threatens to turn fatal, A-ri’s story takes a series of shocking turns.

Is Celebrity based on a true story?

No. Celebrity is a work of fiction and is not based on a true story or a particular individual. However, director Kim Cheol-kyu found that the experiences of the characters in the scripted show sometimes reflected actual news stories. Kim also cast close to 30 Instagram and YouTube users with millions of followers who have cameos in the series. “Dishing out information on competing influencers, issues related to advertisements, influencers becoming CEOs of companies — these things all happened, “ Kim said at a press conference about the series.

Where does Celebrity take place?

The series is set in South Korea.