An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 204

204. #36 – Broaden Your Perspective (1)

Director Jeffrey commenced filming.

Although I came to the set to observe and inspect every detail, given it was the first day of shooting,

in reality, I didn’t have any scenes to film that day.

Since I wasn’t the lead, my screen time was minimal, so I didn’t need to be on set every day.

But the reason I came to the set was simply because I wanted to see it.

Having never acted in Hollywood before, I wanted to experience the atmosphere firsthand.

And I wanted to witness the actors’ performances up close.

Since I hadn’t been active in the United States before,

if I didn’t come to the set, all I could do was stay home and practice.

It wasn’t as if I had put off practicing to come to the set, though.

I had planned to see the set atmosphere, so I practiced late into the night the day before.

After spending a long time with Manager Kim in the trailer,

I walked out to the set just as filming was about to begin.

“Hello.”

As always, I approached the set and greeted Director Jeffrey and the staff.

And the actors in front of me.

Director Jeffrey acknowledged my greeting with a brief wave.

“Oh, Hee-sung’s here.”

Director Jeffrey now treated me comfortably.

But his expression wasn’t particularly pleasant.

Perhaps feeling the pressure of the first day of shooting, he looked around with a highly sensitive expression.

After quickly finishing my greetings with Director Jeffrey, I headed towards the actors.

Numerous trailers.

And actors were emerging from those trailers, walking towards the set.

Just then, I spotted the actor Charles, whom I had met during the script reading.

Seeing him, I approached him.

He was also one of the people who had been in the restroom with Liam that day.

However, Charles wasn’t hostile towards me.

He didn’t agree with Liam’s words, nor did he defend me.

Because he didn’t seem to interpret it as racism.

Or perhaps he recognized it as racism and drew a line.

In any case, Charles showed me a favorable attitude.

From our first meeting at the script reading to our final farewell that day.

He always greeted me with a bright face and was considerate.

“Charles!”

I called out to him.

And Charles approached me with his usual bright smile.

“Oh, Hee-sung. How’s America treating you?”

He raised his eyebrows and asked.

I smiled and replied.

“The accommodations are great, and so far, it’s been manageable.”

“Meals are important. Does the food suit your taste?”

He seemed quite curious about me.

“Yes, I liked things like hamburgers and pizza even in Korea. So, I’m still living very happily. Haha.”

Charles raised the corners of his mouth and gave me a thumbs up.

“That’s a relief. Food is usually a problem when you go to another country.”

Charles and I exchanged trivial conversations and continued talking.

“But Hee-sung, what scene are you filming today?”

At his question, I smiled and said.

“I don’t have any filming today.”

Charles puffed up his body in disbelief at my words and asked.

“What did you say?”

“I don’t have any filming today, but I wanted to see the set.”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“What do you mean….”

I explained.

“This is my first time filming in Hollywood, and I was curious about how filming is done. I also wanted to see the atmosphere on set….”

In Korea, this was by no means strange or unusual.

Visiting the set even when you don’t have a scene to film.

Not all actors do it, but.

At least, I did.

The scenes I’m not in during a production can only be seen in the final edited version.

And before that, I always visited the set because I wanted to feel the overall flow.

And apart from that, there were always things to learn and feel by watching other actors’ performances.

And that wasn’t just limited to actors who were more successful than me; there were things to admire in everyone.

Every actor has different characteristics, and their vocalizations and expressions are all different.

Therefore, the things you feel while watching each actor’s performance are bound to be different.

And the place that all those actors want to go is here, ‘Hollywood’.

Any Korean actor would have curiosity about what kind of environment actors in Hollywood perform in.

And what kind of performances they put on.

I could experience that firsthand, so there was no reason for me not to come.

But it seemed that this kind of thing didn’t happen often in Hollywood.

Seeing Charles’s face, still looking at me with an incomprehensible expression, I smiled and continued.

“There’s something to learn from every actor. In Korea, I used to go to the set like this even on days when I didn’t have filming.”

At my words, Charles finally nodded and said.

“You’re really amazing. I guess that’s why you were cast from Korea all the way to Hollywood – because you work so hard and act so diligently, right?”

He gave me a thumbs up.

And then,

Liam came down from his trailer and approached Charles.

He put his hand on Charles’s shoulder and pulled him away.

“Charles, let’s go to the set together.”

“Yes, let’s go together.”

Liam didn’t even acknowledge me, clearly not wanting to see Charles and me talking.

He pulled him away.

And Charles, being his junior [in terms of seniority], helplessly followed him.

Then, Liam turned around and glanced at me, whispering to Charles.

“Why did he come here when he doesn’t even have filming?”

He shook his head and walked towards the set.

I shook my head at Liam’s behavior.

It just seemed like putting someone down like that was only hurting himself.

***

Manager Kim and I approached the set and watched the filming that was about to begin.

“Wow, the scale is definitely different.”

Manager Kim exclaimed in admiration, looking at the cameras, numerous staff, and filming equipment spread out across the set.

I also quickly scanned the set.

“Yeah, it is different.”

The first scene was set before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A scene where actors board a plane at the airport.

Therefore, many supporting and extra actors appeared from the first scene.

Thanks to that, the set was crowded and the atmosphere was chaotic.

The only actors prominently captured by the camera were Liam and Charles.

The other actors were just uttering exclamations or playing passing roles.

Charles was junior to Liam in terms of acting experience.

But his recognition and acting skills were not.

Charles was also a top-tier actor in the field.

So, I had expectations for their performances and watched with bated breath.

Just then, Director Jeffrey walked into the chaotic set and began directing Liam and Charles.

“This scene is where neither Liam nor Charles boards the plane.”

“Yes.”

“So, you have to naturally express that you’re backing out just before boarding.”

At his words, Liam nodded.

“Yes, I’m urgently leaving while receiving a phone call.”

“That’s right. And then you bump into Charles and familiarize yourself with his face.”

This scene was to show Liam and Charles not boarding the plane.

So, they were fortunately escaping the terrorist attack on the plane for unavoidable reasons.

Then, they, who were strangers, see each other’s faces here.

From the first shoot, Liam threw playful jokes and said to Jeffrey.

“What if Charles looks at me and is surprised by my good looks?”

His banter made the tense and sensitive Director Jeffrey smile.

Charles also laughed heartily.

“Hey, my face is also handsome, so wouldn’t it be absurd for me to be surprised by Liam’s face? Haha.”

They were joking around and preparing for the shoot.

I tilted my head at the sight.

Of course, in Korea, they also exchange jokes to relieve tension on set.

Or when they have built up a friendship after a long shoot, they joke around to lighten the atmosphere.

But now it’s the first shoot, the first scene of the production.

Preparing with these jokes was surprising to me.

To be joking around in this tense situation?

The scene was quite serious, though.

Rather, I, who was nervous, swallowed hard and watched.

Director Jeffrey joked with them and then immediately returned to his seat and shouted.

“Ready, action!”

In response to Director Jeffrey’s cue, Liam and Charles instantly changed their expressions.

Liam held up his cell phone with the most serious face in the world.

“Hello? Oh, is that true? Tell me straight!”

Liam frowned deeply, making everyone around him stare at him, and shouted loudly.

He distorted his face more and more.

“I’ll go right away, so find out for sure…. Ugh!”

At that moment,

Charles and Liam, who were rushing, collided hard.

And they both fell to the floor at the same time.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Liam’s call was cut off because he bumped into Charles.

“Damn it….”

Liam approached Charles with a murderous face.

Seeing his appearance, Charles didn’t shrink back, but bit his lip and shook off the dust.

“Isn’t it because you were on the phone!”

Their acting was truly impressive.

Of course, it was impressive in a good way.

They were actors, and acting in front of the camera was naturally the same as in Korea.

But it felt really different from the acting I had seen in Korea.

I have acted with many actors in Korea.

And even when I wasn’t acting, I watched them, learned from them, and felt things.

Among them, Choi Seo-bin was the most impressive to me personally.

As soon as the shoot started, Choi Seo-bin instantly immersed himself in the acting.

And the culmination of that immersion wasn’t the beginning of the acting.

It burst out at the moment of pouring out tremendous energy.

There was definitely an aura emanating from him at that time.

I felt that aura from Choi Seo-bin several times.

And at that sight, I knew Choi Seo-bin was a top-tier actor for a reason.

But….

Here, every actor, the moment the camera turned on,

that aura burst out.

Even if it didn’t reach its peak, just when the director shouted “Action!”,

the moment they started acting, tremendous auras and admirable performances were bursting out.

“Wow….”

I couldn’t help but exclaim as I watched their acting.

I quickly covered my mouth.

‘How can they act like that?’

Clearly, until before the shoot,

I thought they were just joking around with Director Jeffrey.

But the moment the shoot started, their eyes changed, of course.

Acting beyond imagination was coming out.

I could only describe them in one word.

“…They’re good.”

That was an area I hadn’t reached yet.

That kind of acting seemed like an area of enlightenment beyond mere effort and talent.

Even if I had bad feelings towards Liam,

I thought there were definitely many things to see and learn from him.

And at the same time, I realized.

There was still more to climb.

Passion for acting rose again from deep within my heart.

And with that hot heart, I bit my lip and stared at them intently.

“I want to act more too… like crazy….”