An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 269

269. Episode 49 – Miscasting (2)

The script reading room was getting closer.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart as I approached the location.

Seeing this, Manager Kim asked me with a puzzled look.

“Hee-sung, are you nervous?”

At Manager Kim’s question, I swallowed hard and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous because we’re almost there.”

At my words, Manager Kim chuckled and patted me on the shoulder.

“Wow, it’s amazing that a veteran like you is nervous.”

“Of course. Hyung [older brother or close male friend], I was super nervous during the script reading even when I started my recent project.”

“That was Hollywood. Besides, it was your first leading role in Hollywood.”

At his words, I smiled wryly.

“Hollywood or here, it’s all the same to me. Moreover, this project feels good. That means I’m going to do my best.”

We went up another floor and headed towards the script reading room in the distance.

Manager Kim raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“There hasn’t been a project where you didn’t do your best.”

“Yeah, but this project feels a bit different.”

“Really?”

While talking with Manager Kim,

We arrived in front of the script reading room before we knew it.

[Script Reading – ‘Turntable’]

I cleared my throat, looking at the words on the firmly closed door.

“Ahem, ha… I’m nervous.”

Manager Kim, as if he was also nervous by my breathing, took a deep breath and put his hand on my shoulder.

“You can do it. Don’t be nervous, just do what you always do.”

“Okay.”

I put my hand on the doorknob.

As soon as I turned the handle, my body staggered from the force pulling the doorknob hard from the inside.

“Uh… uh?”

I let go of the doorknob I was holding to regain my balance.

The person standing in front of me looked surprised.

“Hello!”

He greeted me loudly enough to echo in the hallway.

“Ah… yes, hello.”

I answered the greeting without even having time to recognize who it was.

Then, I smiled at the somewhat familiar face and made eye contact.

He reached out his hands and guided me into the script reading room.

‘What is it… where have I seen him….’

But I couldn’t ask him who he was or what his name was.

Even if celebrities don’t work together,

It’s natural for them to be familiar with each other’s faces as they appear on TV, movies, and other media.

However, if they are juniors, rookies, or haven’t done many projects,

It is common to exchange introductions and greetings.

Worrying that asking his name first might be unpleasant, I tried to introduce myself.

“I’m Jin Hee….”

At that moment.

“Hee-sung, you’re here?”

Director Cheon approached me quickly, cutting off the conversation.

“Yes, Director. How have you been?”

“Good.”

He smiled at me and said.

“Please do well today.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best. Please take care of me.”

“Okay. Then rest and see you later.”

Director Cheon left the script reading room after this formal greeting.

And I looked at him, tilting my head questioningly.

It felt different from the Director Cheon I knew.

I haven’t known Director Cheon for long, but whenever I encountered him, he always offered me a handshake.

Even if we weren’t meeting for the first time.

Moreover, he was someone who even shook hands with Manager Kim, who was with me.

Even the awkward smile and lukewarm tone he showed me today made me wonder if he was angry with me.

But he must also be nervous about today’s script reading.

I shook my head, trying not to take it seriously.

‘Lead Role – Jin Hee-sung’

The innermost seat had my name on it.

I checked my name and sat down.

Leaving my seat and looking at Director Cheon’s empty seat, his smile came to mind again.

The corners of his mouth were awkwardly curved.

Even his eyes didn’t smile, unlike his lips.

Director Cheon had been friendly and welcoming to me even at our first meeting.

But today, he seemed to be showing some distance.

Why is he suddenly distancing himself from me?

I frowned and recalled my meetings with him, but I couldn’t think of anything right away.

As far as I remember, I didn’t have any bad memories with him.

“Hello.”

At that moment of contemplation,

Other actors greeted me.

I stood up from my seat and greeted them with a bright smile.

“Ah, yes. Hello. Nice to meet you.”

At my reply, an actor who seemed like a rookie smiled shyly and said to me.

“I… I’m a fan of Hee-sung!”

“Really?”

“Yes, I became a fan after watching ‘The Clockmaker and the Dancer’ and have always been cheering you on. I’m honored to be working with you on this project.”

At her words, I smiled broadly and extended my hand.

“I’m honored too. I’m glad to be acting with an actress who likes my work. I look forward to working with you.”

“Wow, I’m the one who should say that! I’ll work hard so that I won’t be ashamed of being a fan!”

At her confident greeting, the senior and junior actors around her chuckled.

There was no mockery in it at all.

It was a smile that naturally arose from her pure confidence.

After they left,

After that, other actors appeared in the script reading room.

Each time, I stood up from my seat and greeted the actors one by one.

Then, at some point, those who caught my attention were none other than our company members.

That is, the actors of WG Entertainment.

Regardless of gender, the actors of WG Entertainment came to me and greeted me first.

Each time, I greeted the seniors with the most experience and age first, and gestured for them to come over.

Lim Ho-cheol, Shin Na-ri, Chae Seo-hyun, Baek Seung-gyun….

There were already four actors I recognized and knew by name.

They greeted me and went back to their seats to practice.

I looked at the actors of WG Entertainment, raising my eyebrows suspiciously.

‘Why are there so many actors from our agency?’

But what was most important to me right now was not them.

It was the script reading that was about to start.

I quickly shook off my thoughts and focused on the script.

* * *

“Yes, good. Then let’s continue with the next scene.”

The script reading was well underway.

It had already passed the beginning.

At Director Cheon’s signal, the next scene began.

I looked at the script and quickly grasped the emotion.

“Listen. Do you think this makes any sense?”

I gestured with both hands in the air, delivering the line with a dumbfounded expression.

In response to my line, the other actors opened their mouths one by one.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”

“Yeah. Who said what?”

At their lines, I sighed deeply.

“Haa… What happened was….”

A voice interrupted me.

“Hey, are you sure?”

“…What?”

I frowned at the other actor’s voice and replied.

He seemed to have memorized the script, as he shouted while looking at me.

“It’s always your fault and your mistakes. Are you trying to make us your emotional trash can again!”

In that moment.

“…….”

Silence fell in the script reading room.

It wasn’t that he had misread the line, nor was his acting excessive.

The actor delivered a performance that was faithful to the script and full of emotion.

But the reason the script reading room became quiet was also because of his acting.

Director Cheon cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Um… the acting is as intended….”

At his words, the actor turned his head and looked at Director Cheon.

Director Cheon made a ‘tss’ sound and tilted his head.

“It doesn’t seem to fit the role very well. How about releasing the tension and getting angry?”

As his feedback fell, the actor nodded and shouted.

“Yes, I’ll try again!”

The actor’s eyes sparkled with a confident voice.

I glanced at him and checked the name in front of him.

‘Supporting Role – Lee Hoon-bin’

As soon as I confirmed the name, I let out a silent exclamation.

Lee Hoon-bin… he was also an actor from WG Entertainment, the same company as me.

The actor who greeted me happily at the door when I first entered the script reading room.

His face was familiar, and I recognized him as soon as I heard his name.

I didn’t know all the actors, but I always checked the names when a new actor joined the company.

Several tens of minutes later.

The script reading continued.

As always, the flow was interrupted from time to time.

And with each interruption, Director Cheon’s feedback followed.

His feedback was bound to resonate with the actors here.

“No, I know you’re good at acting… but you shouldn’t say it like that….”

So far, all the requirements that Director Cheon had been asking for while interrupting the actors’ performances were the same.

That the tone or manner of speaking did not match the role.

No one objected to his words.

Neither the writer nor the other actors.

It wasn’t because he was the director.

They understood Director Cheon’s words a hundred times over.

A character that awkwardly didn’t fit the role.

‘Miscasting’.

That was the only word that came to mind.

And every time Director Cheon stopped the script reading and gave feedback, I felt my heart sink.

The actors who gave off the feeling of being miscast were all actors from ‘WG Entertainment’.

I, who played the lead role in this movie, was from WG Entertainment.

And the actors who kept catching Director Cheon’s eye happened to be from the same company.

My face flushed for no reason, but I continued the script reading, listening to the feedback given to them.

* * *

The script reading kept getting interrupted, and time was running out.

“Haa… let’s take a break and continue with the rest of the content.”

A break time was called by Director Cheon.

“Yes.”

I nodded and slumped my tense body.

Most of the actors took the break to go outside to stretch or go to the bathroom.

I spent time organizing the feedback from the script reading that had been going on for several hours.

Then, after checking that the break time had passed, I quickly got up from my seat.

“I need to go to the bathroom quickly.”

I got up from my seat and headed straight to the bathroom.

Perhaps because everyone had gone to the bathroom as soon as the break started, the bathroom was empty.

As soon as I finished my business in the bathroom, I went to the sink.

Swish- Swish-

As I was washing my hands in the running water,

A murmur was heard from outside the door.

It was a conversation between actors.

Judging by the sound, it seemed like about three or four people were talking.

Their conversation was clearly heard through the open door.

“Ah… why is the script reading so intense?”

“I know. They keep saying my tone doesn’t match, so I don’t know what to do.”

I could tell right away which actors they were just by listening to the conversation.

They were all actors from WG Entertainment who had received the same feedback.

I wondered if they were complaining to each other about the difficulty, as they had been scolded by Director Cheon.

Then, one person’s voice was heard.

“We know we have to do well, right?”

“Well, of course we have to do well, but what do you mean?”

“The lead role is Jin Hee-sung. We have to do our best if we don’t want to tarnish his name.”

“I know that, but….”

“The reason we’re acting here is all thanks to Hee-sung.”

“Huh? What do you mean….”

Surprised by his voice, I stopped drying my hands and focused on the conversation.

“The reason why WG Entertainment, why we all came here like this, is because the company put in all the effort. They said they would give us Jin Hee-sung as the lead role, so they should put in all the supporting actors.”

“I wondered. So that’s why there were so many actors from our company?”

“That’s how it is in this industry. I heard there will be more WG Entertainment actors in the supporting roles who didn’t come today.”

Tuk-

I pressed the faucet that had been turned off, bit my lip, and swallowed a sigh.

Even though I’m doing this project because I want to,

Is the company using my name like this?

It’s going to be difficult if they come out like this….

I recalled the actors who had given off the smell of miscasting in the script reading earlier.

At the same time, I clenched my fists and closed my eyes tightly, chewing over the higher-ups of the company.