Here's Why Taylor's Love Interest In Her "Willow" Music Video Looks So Familiar

Taylor Swift's "Willow" music video is making its rounds on social media, as fans are dissecting the clip for any possible easter eggs. Swifties know the singer loves hiding references in her visuals, and they're determined to find them all in this one. One question they're wondering is who is the boy in Taylor Swift's "Willow" video. If he seemed familiar to you, that's because his name is Taeok Lee, and he actually has history with Swift.

The star dropped her "Willow" music video along with her surprise Evermore album on Friday, Dec. 11. Swift only gave fans a few hours' notice before releasing both, so you can imagine the shock when they found out the new music was coming too. In a Dec. 10 Instagram, Swift explained Evermore is Folklore's sister album because it continues the storyline fans saw in her previous record.

It's especially evident the albums are connected when you watch her "Willow" music video, which picks up right after the events fans saw in "Cardigan." For one, Swift gave a nod to her Folklore single by wearing a cardigan. She also references her Folklore fan-favorite track "Invisible String" by following a golden string into the woods. In one scene, a younger version of Swift and a small boy play with the string in their hands.

Later on, viewers see the boy all grown up, and the actor who plays him has worked with Swift in the past. "You’ve seen my co-star in this video somewhere before," the singer told fans in a YouTube live chat. The guy is none other than Lee, who used to be one of Swift's dancers during her Red tour back in 2013.

After the MV's premiere, Lee thanked Swift on Instagram for asking him to collaborate again. "Surprise guys! Thanks Tay for bringing me back again for this project❤️❤️ It means a lot to me & it was great working together again🥰 Now everyone go buy and stream evermore!" he wrote.

Fans scrambled to find old photos of Lee during the Red era when they realized it was him. The pictures they found are so cute and show how close he was with Swift while on tour.

Now that you know who plays Swift's love interest, you'll see the "Willow" music video in a new light.