This has been quite the year for singer and actress IU. She starred in a very successful drama, "You're The Best Lee Soon Shin," released her third full-length album "Modern Times" and is about to romance Jang Geun Suk in the new drama "Pretty Man."

It's a lot to handle but she was so taken with the script for "Pretty Man" she could not turn it down.

"I was in the second week of promoting my album when I got the script and it was so much fun to read," she said.

Here are a few fun facts about her.

1. Her decision to use a stage name was well thought out. Born Lee Ji Eun, she wanted to protect her privacy.

"After my debut I think it was smart to use a stage name," said IU. "That way I can separate my personal from my public life."

Her producer came up with the name, which is a combination of the words "I" and "you."

2. Although she plays Bo Tong the ordinary girl who wins Jang Geun Suk's character Dokgo Mate in "Pretty Man," in real life she would not want to date someone who is very good looking. The "Dream High" star does not think that she is a beauty.

"I would feel like he doesn't really belong with me," she said.

As an ideal type, she would prefer someone who is serious but also has a sense of humor. And he should love his job and do it well.

3. Acting came naturally. Although she admits to being generally anxious about meeting challenges, awkward and lacking confidence, acting was not as scary as she imagined.

"Because I lack confidence I'm filled with scary thoughts about trying new experiences, but I do like it when I manage to do something eventually," she said. "It makes me smile. However, it seems that for acting, it was really fun right from the start."

4. The person she wants to impress the most in the world is her mom, whom she lives with. IU is mindful of her mom even when she decides what songs to record.

"I want to sing more songs that my mother would like," IU said.

5. She laughs at the stories about how she has had plastic surgery because her looks have changed in the last few years.

"My secret is perfect makeup," said IU. "In addition, I lost weight. I used to weigh around 105 pounds but I lost ten pounds recently because I sleep for only four hours a day and that makes me look different,"

She also famously follows a diet that consists of an apple and a single sweet potato every day. She's obviously an actress that is driven to succeed.

She's a veteran actress, says Jang Geun Suk of his co-star. And since she's only 20 that is saying a lot.