Idol actors get a bad rap for a variety of reasons. Critics say they can't act and are taking roles that should have been given to real actors. Critics have also said they are cast in a drama purely for the reason of attracting a younger audience. And while a director may occasionally balk at having to work with can acting rookie, their inclusion can pay off in the ratings.

But starting out in a k-pop group does not mean you don't have the potential to make it as an actress. Quite a few girl group members started off strong while others that were merely competent to start with have acquired serious skills since they made the switch.

Here are five actresses who have delivered solid performances for so long that you may not know they were ever in a k-pop group:

1. Yoon Eun Hye debuted with the girl group Baby V.O.X. and performed with them from 1999 to 2005. She did do some modeling before joining the group. In 2006 she moved on to acting, appearing in the breakout hit "Princess Hours." She was last seen on the small screen in "Future's Choice"and is set to appear in the melodramatic film "After Love" with Park Shi Hoo.

2. Hwang Jung Eum debuted with the girl group Sugar in 2002 as their lead vocalist, but left the group in 2004 to pursue a solo career. She made her acting debut in 2007 and her last drama role was playing Ji Sung's psychiatrist in "Kill Me, Heal Me."

3. Park Soo Jin, who will marry Hallyu star Bae Yong Joon on July 27 also performed with the group Sugar. She was a member of the group from 2001 to 2006, before making the shift to acting in 2007. She was charming as Park Shin Hye's frenemy in "Flower Boys Next Door."

4. Eugene was a member of the group S.E.S, one of the biggest Korean girl groups of all time. She joined the group in 1997 and the group split in 2002. Eugene recently appeared in the drama 'Can We Love?" and the weekend drama "Hundred Year Legacy."

5. Gu Hye Sun did not quite debut as a member of a girl group but she was set to. She was originally considered as a member of the group 2NE1, although it is not known whether she would be an additional member or replace Minzy or Dara. YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk advised her to pursue acting instead. She debuted as an actress in the drama "Nonstop 5" and had a breakout hit with "Boys Over Flowers." Her most recent drama was "Blood" with Ahn Jae Hyun.

Thanks to some winning performances, these stars can no longer be considered merely "idol actresses."