When HBO's buzzy new drama "The Idol" finally made its debut on the network on June 4, it was clear that the most talked-about character on the series would be scene-stealer Jenny Ruby Jane. a member of the K-pop group Blackpink, Jenny (real name Jenny Kim), the multi-hyphenate will make her acting debut as Diane, a friend and back-up dancer to series protagonist and pop superstar Jocelyn.

Her character did not get much screen time on the show, only appearing in a rehearsal scene with Jocelyn and a later party scene (which included a cameo by Euphoria star Alexa Demme). In her most famous scene, Diane demonstrates a pop star routine on Jocelyn's behalf and comforts Jocelyn, who worries that she is not a good performer. After the show aired, this two-minute dance scene was uploaded to YouTube; Variety reports that "The Idol" had 913,000 viewers on its first day, but has over 2 million views on YouTube.

Countless Black Pink fans have subscribed to Max and tuned in specifically to see their real-life idol, but those unfamiliar with K-pop may need an introduction to Jenny. To learn more about this global star, read on.

Born in South Korea in January 1996, Jenny studied in New Zealand for five years before returning to Seoul for middle school; in 2010, at age 14, she auditioned for YG Entertainment by singing Rihanna's "Take A Bow" and became a trainee with the company. After several years of vocal, rap, and dance training, Jenny, along with other band members Lisa, Rose, and Jis, debuted as Black Pink in August 2016.

Black Pink holds multiple records, including being the first K-pop girl group to reach number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, and is currently the biggest girl group in the world. Their music video "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" has been viewed over 2 billion times on YouTube to date, making them the most viewed Korean group and the most followed and most streamed girl group on Spotify. They also became the first Korean group in history to headline Coachella last April.

In addition to her work with Blackpink, Jenny debuted as a solo singer in November 2018 with her eponymous single, "Solo." She has since performed a second unreleased solo song titled "You & Me" at Coachella and as part of Blackpink's Bone Pink World Tour, which began last October and is still ongoing.

Jenny became Chanel's global ambassador in 2021 after working closely with the brand since 2018. Last month, she attended the Met Gala for the first time, wearing a dress by the French fashion house. She has also modeled for Calvin Klein for several years. Last spring, she presented a limited-edition capsule collection of Calvin Klein's iconic logo reimagined in her own handwriting.

In addition to her off-stage ambassadorial work, Jenny has her own YouTube channel where she vlogs about her travels and behind the scenes of her Blackpink schedule. Some of her most popular videos include sharing her daily essentials and making mandu (Korean dumplings) with fellow member Jisu.

In an interview during the premiere of The Idol at the Cannes Film Festival, Jenny said she had long admired the work of co-creator Sam Levinson and was "fascinated" by the show's music industry setting.

"I knew I could bring something to the role," she said. 'It was an opportunity to be myself and be brave. I didn't practice or prepare for this role. Sam wanted me to be myself. It was a challenge I had never experienced before. It was like breaking a wall for me."

She also said she felt at ease on set with Lily-Rose Depp, who played the lead. She really helped me. She would tell me about scenes and it was very reassuring to have her there. " Jenny added of Depp's advice, "She just taught me to express myself, to be comfortable with myself, and not to be afraid."

Regarding that viral dance scene, Jenny said in an HBO feature that she learned the routine in a short time. She said, "I didn't have much time to learn the choreography for the dance scene. But thankfully I do it all the time, so it came naturally."