An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 314

314. #57 – Ten Million Actor (2)

With the release of the movie ‘Undercover,’ the number of viewers broke records every day.

“Oh, our star actor is here?”

As soon as I arrived at the company, CEO Kim playfully bent over to greet me.

“Haha, what’s this.”

“The pillar of our company, the pride of the company, no. Aren’t you the pride of the Korean film industry!”

I burst into laughter at CEO Kim’s exaggeration.

“Oh, is this how you’re going to treat me now, Hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

“Of course. Hee-sung, you’ve really hit the jackpot.”

I raised my eyebrows at his words and approached him. CEO Kim handed me some data.

“What’s this?”

“A summary of the number of viewers since the movie was released until yesterday.”

I stared at the data CEO Kim handed me, and my mouth dropped open.

“Wow… 8 million?”

“Yeah, it’s a real hit. It surpassed 8 million in just three weeks.”

“At this rate, won’t the number of viewers… exceed ten million?”

He nodded vigorously at my words and replied.

“Of course, it will. It’s already at 8 million in just three weeks.”

CEO Kim turned to Manager Park, who was standing next to him, and said.

“Manager Park, can you bring me the Netflix data?”

“Yes, CEO.”

Manager Park moved to get the documents from the female office worker.

CEO Kim exclaimed in admiration and said to me.

“Your last work exceeded ten million, and if this one does too… Hee-sung, you’re a consecutive ten million actor.”

“It has to exceed it.”

“It’s 100% going to exceed it. The rate at which the number of viewers is increasing is slower than the last one, but ‘Undercover’ is overwhelmingly number one in the domestic box office right now.”

I nodded at his words.

“That’s true. The last one was neck and neck with second place.”

“Yeah, even though it was close, your work was number one. But this one can’t even be compared to second place. The second-place movie has a single-digit ticket sales rate right now.”

“Really?”

CEO Kim nodded in response.

In the meantime, Manager Park approached us, handed over the documents, and opened his mouth.

“The reaction to ‘Undercover’ on Netflix is no joke right now.”

Netflix, sweeping the world.

Although the movie ‘Undercover’ was not released overseas, two weeks after the movie was released in Korea.

The movie was released on Netflix only in English-speaking countries.

CEO Kim looked at the data and smirked.

“Undercover is currently number one in the world among Netflix movies!”

I was startled by his words and my eyes widened.

“Worldwide?”

There have been times when domestic movies have occasionally shaken the world, but I never thought my work would become famous so quickly.

CEO Kim shouted at me with a face that couldn’t hide his joy.

“Hee-sung, you’re now a double ten million actor.”

“Hey, it’s only at 8 million, is it okay to be happy already?”

I was hiding it with words, but the fact that it hit 8 million in just three weeks meant that ten million viewers were a sure thing.

The number of viewers was still rising like crazy.

“Of course. They say you’ll hit ten million this week, and there are so many articles about it.”

Manager Park gave me a thumbs up and said.

“It’s a double ten million, and it’s even more amazing because Hee-sung is the lead in both works, right?”

“That’s right. There aren’t many actors in Korea who have achieved this feat, Hee-sung.”

My lips twitched involuntarily at their words.

“Wow… I still can’t believe it.”

CEO Kim laughed heartily and looked at the calendar.

“Let’s have a huge company dinner on the day we hit ten million!”

“Sounds good.”

At that moment.

An office worker entered, opening the conference room door.

We, who had been noisy, closed our mouths and looked at her.

“CEO, there’s a phone call.”

“Where from?”

“Yes, it’s from an American musical company.”

***

‘How Company’

An American musical production company.

Thomas and his staff were in the conference room with the lights off, all looking at the monitor.

The big monitor showed the Netflix movie ‘Undercover.’

They were watching the movie as if they were evaluating it, with notebooks and pens in hand.

And exclamations that burst out from time to time.

“Wow… he’s a good actor.”

“Yes, this movie is currently number one on Netflix.”

Thomas raised his eyebrows at Haneson’s words.

“In America?”

“Yes, it’s number one on Netflix worldwide, not just in America.”

Thomas bit his lip at his words.

“Hmm… he’s good at acting….”

They immediately stopped talking and focused on the movie, and as the movie progressed to the second half, they became more and more engrossed.

“Ah… that actor’s eyes are no joke?”

Haneson nodded repeatedly at Wendy’s words.

“I know. It’s in Korean, but his acting and pronunciation are great.”

When Haneson spoke, Wendy shrugged her shoulders and replied.

“See, that’s why we should have cast that actor?”

“Yeah, that oriental actor is good, right?”

Wendy shook her head and said to him as if scolding him.

“I told you to cast this actor last time.”

“Who said anything?”

“Haneson, you opposed it back then, saying that there were many risks with oriental actors.”

Haneson scratched his head as if embarrassed at her words.

“There are risks, but the returns are just as great… that’s what I meant.”

The movie ended with their conversation.

Wendy turned on the lights in the dark conference room and said to Thomas.

“Thomas, how did you like the movie? Or how did you like the oriental actor?”

Thomas hesitated to answer her words, making a ‘tss’ sound [a disapproving sound].

“We immediately withdrew the offer we made to actor Jin Hee-sung back then, right?”

“Yes, we were going to decide after seeing the performance of the work at that time, but he was caught up in controversy in Korea… so we immediately withdrew the casting offer.”

Thomas answered, touching his chin.

“That’s right… but how did the movie turn out now? Is the controversy over?”

“Yes, it wasn’t all actor Jin Hee-sung’s fault, and rather, his image as well as his recognition improved due to the incident at the time.”

He sighed deeply at his staff’s words.

“Haa, I should have waited a little longer.”

Haneson tilted his head and replied to him.

“Since we withdrew it, can’t we make an offer again?”

“Hmm….”

“Honestly, if we propose to cast an oriental actor in America, would they refuse?”

Thomas smirked and nodded at his words.

“That’s true. It would be a huge opportunity for an oriental actor.”

“That’s right. They might even be grateful.”

Thomas looked at Wendy and opened his mouth.

“Wendy, contact Jin Hee-sung’s side.”

“I understand.”

After a while.

Wendy approached Thomas, who was working.

“Thomas, I just spoke to Korea.”

“Yeah, send the proposal….”

She cut off Thomas’s words and replied.

“No. They refused.”

“What?”

Thomas frowned and shouted.

“An oriental person rejected our company’s offer?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

She answered him with a troubled face.

“They said they had already received a call from another place. They said they wouldn’t do it with us….”

“Damn it, so you just hung up?”

Thomas’s face turned red at the words that he had been rejected.

“No. I said I would talk to actor Jin Hee-sung directly and that I wanted to meet and talk….”

“Good job. Let’s meet and talk. Honestly, he’s an actor we can’t afford to miss.”

Thomas blinked and said to her, but Wendy wrinkled her nose and carefully opened her mouth with a troubled face.

“But… Jin Hee-sung directly refused.”

***

One month after the release of the movie ‘Undercover,’ it surpassed ten million viewers.

Along with the joy of having made consecutive ten million movies as CEO Kim had said, good news broke out one after another.

“Hee-sung, this is amazing!”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“This time, we got a call from WOM company.”

I doubted my ears at his words and asked CEO Kim again.

“WOM?”

“Yeah, the company that produces musicals and movies. You know?”

I nodded my head vigorously at CEO Kim’s words.

“Of course. How could I not know them.”

WOM.

It was a much larger production company than How Company, which had recently offered me a musical.

It is a famous production company that produces not only Hollywood movies but also musicals.

Anyone who has seen a movie around the world can never not know this company.

The movies produced by WOM have a unique music and logo that plays before the movie starts.

Because it has produced so many famous movies.

Even if you don’t know the movies produced by this company, you can recognize it just by looking at the WOM logo.

I couldn’t help but be surprised by the fact that such a huge company had contacted me.

CEO Kim suddenly thought of something and smirked and said to me.

“But it’s so funny that How Company contacted us.”

“I know. They withdrew the casting offer so sharply back then. I guess they remembered me again because my movie is doing well.”

“That’s what I’m saying. They even said they would meet you again to catch you again.”

I shook my head at his words and replied.

“Hey, I’m never going to do it, and I’m not going to meet them. If they contact you again, please be sure to let them know.”

CEO Kim smiled and replied to my words.

“Yes, I have already delivered it accurately.”

“Good job.”

After laughing for a while, CEO Kim carefully asked me with a serious face.

“Hee-sung, so what do you want to do?”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about entering the musical industry. The offer from WOM is pretty good.”

Broadway….

In fact, things that I dream of as an actor.

Like all actors, I also had things that I dreamed of while acting.

Playing the lead role.

Becoming a top star in Korea and advancing to Hollywood.

From making a name for myself as a Korean actor in Hollywood.

Going to the Hollywood awards ceremony, which is famous for acting.

To becoming a ten million actor.

And even all kinds of awards ceremonies.

I thought I had achieved almost all of my dreams as an actor.

Could I be happier than this?

Could I grow more as an actor than this?

I felt like I had done so much that I had many thoughts and worries.

But musicals were not something I had ever thought about.

An art that combines acting and singing.

Acting that unfolds directly in front of the audience, not in front of the camera.

It was such a new area.

So, it was interesting, but on the other hand, I was worried.

Because I was already receiving applause in the industry, if I couldn’t do as well as that, as expected, in another area, the public’s disappointment would be great.

CEO Kim would also be worried about this.

He opened his mouth as if he was understanding my heart.

“It’s a huge challenge. Even if it’s the same acting, the genre is so different.”

“That’s true.”

“Think about it carefully. You don’t have to go out of your way to take risks. It’s too risky of an adventure.”

I nodded at CEO Kim’s words.

Then, suddenly, an idea came to my mind, and I looked at him and said.

“Hyung, but….”

“Huh?”

“What if I pull it off?”

At my words, CEO Kim widened his eyes and asked.

“What did you say?”

“If I stand on Broadway and pull it off from this position, wouldn’t I become an unprecedented actor in the world, not just in Korea?”

As soon as I finished speaking, CEO Kim closed his mouth tightly.

And he seemed to be thinking carefully, biting his lip, but soon he snapped his fingers and replied.

“Hmm… actually, there has never been an actor who has conquered both Hollywood and musicals at the same time.”

“Never at all?”

“Of course, there are actors who have advanced to Hollywood and done musicals. But they failed to the point where it’s fortunate if they even have a moderate success, let alone conquer it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I asked him with a confident face.

“But what if I, as an oriental person, do it… what about it?”

CEO Kim raised his eyebrows, looking into my eyes.

“It will go down in history.”

History….

At his words, there was nothing to hesitate about.

I smirked and shouted at CEO Kim.

“There’s no reason not to do it.”