I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 216

Director Ahn Ga-bok’s tone was calm, but the eyes of the ‘Leech’ key staff widened considerably.

‘S-Surely, you’re not thinking of Kang Woo-jin as a judge??’

All the staff members visibly stirred. They looked at each other, or at Director Ahn Ga-bok at the head of the U-shaped table.

‘K-Kang Woo-jin as a judge?’

‘Senior Shim Han-ho might be okay with it, but… Woo-jin is a bit…’

‘Director, are you serious?’

‘Woo-jin being the lead in ‘Leech’ is already unconventional enough… No, I know Kang Woo-jin’s acting is great. But having him participate in the audition judging is a bit…’

Most of them were either bewildered or deeply puzzled. Well, those were understandable reactions. Kang Woo-jin had turned the Korean entertainment industry upside down in an unprecedented way, but no matter what, he was only in his first year of his career. To have someone like Woo-jin participate in the ‘Leech’ actor audition judging was beyond absurd.

On the other hand, Director Ahn Ga-bok, with his arms crossed, simply wore a faint smile.

‘Is it that strange?’

At his question, the key staff blinked, and it was the film company representative sitting next to Director Ahn Ga-bok who answered.

‘It’s not that it’s strange, but the implications could be significant. It’s not an audition for minor or supporting roles, but to assess the suitability for the main and supporting roles, isn’t it?’

‘I know.’

‘The actors participating aren’t rookies. Most of them are top-tier or A-list veterans. For Kang Woo-jin to judge those actors…’

‘It would take someone like actor Shim Han-ho to avoid major issues? And the participating actors would respect him. Because he’s a great actor that everyone recognizes.’

‘That’s what I think.’

‘That’s right. A judge needs to have the authority that everyone acknowledges. But that’s only when it’s large-scale. Putting that aside, what are the criteria for my ‘Leech’ judges?’

‘W-Well, that is…’

‘I think the ability to embody the role and the chemistry with the two confirmed actors are important. So, is there a problem with Woo-jin sitting in the judge’s seat? That friend was cast as the lead faster than actor Shim Han-ho, wasn’t he?’

‘……’

The film company representative closed his mouth. The key staff members were the same. But still, more than half of them had faces that showed they didn’t understand. At this, Director Ahn Ga-bok, scratching his short white hair, let out a long sigh like an old master.

‘Hoo- It seems I was the only one taking a risk. You all still haven’t let go of the formalities. You all saw me go all the way to Da Nang, Vietnam, to cast Woo-jin. Why do you think I went that far?’

‘That…’

‘It’s the beginner’s mind, the beginner’s mind. I wanted to show you, or the industry, my initial mindset, shedding the name value and established views that follow me. How can we survive in this ever-changing market without doing that? It’s the 100th time, the 100th. If we don’t break the stereotypes, even forcibly, won’t we end up making the same movies we’ve already seen?’

A heavy silence enveloped everyone. Regardless, Director Ahn Ga-bok opened his mouth again.

‘Is there anyone who doesn’t know that those dazzling top actors are experienced? No, everyone knows. But why would I bother going through an audition? It’s not that I doubt the actors’ acting skills. It’s because, as much as the synchronization with the role, this ‘Leech’ needs their absolute commitment.’

‘……’

In other words, he was talking about the mindset of the actors participating.

‘The fuse is already lit. But it’s burning too fast. It means the filming schedule is several times tighter than usual. The explosion is right around the corner. We need to be faster than that. If no one risks their life, they can’t properly commit. Where would we find the time to care for someone who’s being arrogant or whose mentality is wavering?’

Among the silent key staff, the film company representative lowered his head slightly.

‘I’m sorry, Director. I was short-sighted.’

‘You and I, everyone, we’re all too short-sighted, and we don’t even have time to correct it. To be honest, in this actor selection, I think an actor who can throw away their pride without hesitation is 100 times better than someone with slightly better acting skills. It has to be an actor who will desperately cling to it.’

He meant that he wanted someone with a pure desire as an actor, regardless of their reputation or image.

‘In short, just by having Woo-jin sit in the judge’s seat, we don’t need actors who will act cocky.’

It’s like a filter. If they’re arrogant from the start or engage in meaningless career battles, an accident will happen on set someday. Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was already on his 100th film, had seen too many of those situations.

It’s not difficult to organize, but even that time is precious.

At least, that’s what Director Ahn Ga-bok thought.

‘More than anything. I didn’t say I would make Woo-jin a judge. Of course, if that friend doesn’t want to, I have no intention of forcing him. But if he thankfully agrees to do it…’

Director Ahn Ga-bok murmured to everyone.

‘Just by sitting in the judge’s seat without saying a word, his presence will be enough.’

At this time, in the Cheongdam-dong area [a wealthy neighborhood in Seoul].

A late morning. In front of a very large hotel, there was a temporary red carpet and dozens of reporters gathered around it. At the end of the carpet, there was a photo zone with a luxury brand logo.

Currently, a party of a famous luxury brand was being held at this hotel. It was an annual event.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

Many celebrities and influencers were attending, receiving the pouring camera flashes. They slowly passed through the red carpet, posed at the photo zone, and after some time, conducted brief interviews with the dozens of reporters.

‘Jin-joo! Your outfit is very bold today!!’

‘Really??’

Because it was so chaotic, there were many guards and party staff distributed. Well, fortunately, the interviews with each celebrity or influencer weren’t too long.

It was at this moment.

‘Kang Woo-jin is here!’

‘Woo-jin!!’

Those at the end of the dozens of reporters loudly called out to the actor who had just arrived. It was Kang Woo-jin, dressed in a luxury suit, with his hair neatly swept back. He was attending because this luxury brand had sponsored him with a tuxedo at the end of the year.

At his appearance, the camera shutters of the reporters clicked several times faster.

‘Woo-jin!! Please look this way!!’

Unlike the excited reporters, Kang Woo-jin maintained a poker face.

‘……’

He slowly walked to the photo zone. Then, Kang Woo-jin, who stepped onto the photo zone with the logos, simply raised his hand to the dozens of reporters. There were no particular comments. But inwardly, Woo-jin was a little annoyed.

‘Ugh- Damn, the flashes are blinding.’

After the short and intense photo time, a barrage of questions from the reporters poured in.

‘You’ll be leaving for Japan soon, how do you feel!!’

Then, among the dozens of reporters, some began to murmur, and a reporter wearing a hat in the middle suddenly blurted out an unexpected question.

‘Are you still in contact with Miley Cara??!!’

‘Are you close with Cara?? Even privately??’

Kang Woo-jin, while maintaining his indifference, tilted his head inwardly.

‘What? Why are they suddenly bringing up Miley Cara?’

The reporters, who didn’t know this, gradually increased the frequency of Cara’s questions.

‘Was Miley Cara’s mention of Woo-jin on ‘The Jamie Show’ planned??!’

‘There was a brief mention of Woo-jin on ‘The Jamie Show’! Did you see it???’

‘How do you feel about Cara calling you an alien!!’

‘Please say something about the foreign press covering Woo-jin!!!’

It was because the broadcast of Cara’s episode on ‘The Jamie Show’ had become known in Korea as well.

After that.

Many articles about the American talk show ‘The Jamie Show’ were seen on the internet. It was because the global superstar Miley Cara, who appeared on the show, had mentioned Kang Woo-jin.

『[Issue Pick] Miley Cara mentions ‘Kang Woo-jin’ on ‘The Jamie Show’, how close are they?』

『’Miley Cara’ says “Kang Woo-jin is an alien” on the popular American talk show ‘The Jamie Show’』

『Global superstar ‘Miley Cara’, who only appeared on ‘Kang Woo-jin’s Alternate Character’ channel, praises Kang Woo-jin on an American talk show!』

Some foreign media outlets had already reported this news, and edited clips of ‘The Jamie Show’ mentioning Kang Woo-jin were being uploaded to YouTube.

『[Star Talk] Watching Kang Woo-jin’s appearance on ‘The Jamie Show’… his 8 awards were also broadcast』

Since there was also the issue of Miley Cara only appearing on the ‘Kang Woo-jin’s Alternate Character’ channel during her visit to Korea, numerous rumors were being generated. It was no small matter that a Korean actor who had not yet set foot in Hollywood was introduced on ‘The Jamie Show’. Moreover, Miley Cara even spoke about Woo-jin as if they were close.

Even though the actual broadcast was not that long, the domestic media reacted strongly.

『Is Hollywood top actor ‘Miley Cara’ a signal? Rumors of Kang Woo-jin’s Hollywood debut are circulating』

There was no end to the hype.

Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin’s company, BW Entertainment, was announcing something else rather than this Miley Cara story.

If it was good news, it was good news.

『[‘Kang Woo-jin’, ‘Hong Hye-yeon’s agency BW Entertainment made some money? Company moving to a bigger place』

At the same time, they carried out a move that had been planned for a while. In fact, they had been preparing little by little for a few days, so it wasn’t a very long process. The new BW Entertainment was in the same Samsung-dong area [a business district in Seoul], but it was several times larger in scale. They used two floors and were much larger than before. The number of employees had doubled, and new teams were also created.

Of course, with the backing of a major Japanese corporation.

It was possible because of the investment from Yoshimura Hideki, the chairman of the Kashii Group. The investment itself was confidential, and since it was originally the power of Chairman Hideki himself, it was not clearly known to the outside world. However, it was already confirmed that Chairman Hideki was the backer of BW Entertainment.

It was like they were on the same boat?

Anyway, BW Entertainment moved openly at the same time as the company expansion. The vessel had grown, but the contents to be filled also needed to be added. The most urgent thing was to increase the number of artists other than Kang Woo-jin and Hong Hye-yeon.

The first actor that BW Entertainment brought in was Lee Han-na, one of the top actresses.

『[Exclusive] ‘Lee Han-na’, formerly of GGO Entertainment, confirms move to BW Entertainment!』

Her move to BW Entertainment, who was previously at GGO Entertainment, was already planned. There was already a promise between Choi Sung-gun and Lee Han-na when Seo Gu-seop was removed. In this way, BW Entertainment embarked on a very aggressive actor acquisition, and many domestic actors were stirred up because of the impact of Kang Woo-jin and Hong Hye-yeon.

『[Entertainment+] Can they discover an ultra-level rookie following Kang Woo-jin? BW Entertainment’s business expansion accelerates』

BW Entertainment was also growing in size along with Kang Woo-jin.

A few days later, on the 17th. Gimpo Airport.

In the morning, there was a large crowd gathered near the entrance to the airport. The clothes they wore were all different. Long padded coats, short padded coats, or thick jackets. The airport was already a place where many people came and went, but the crowd that was visible now looked like a group gathered for some kind of event.

What was unusual was that the people gathered were all holding camera equipment like cannons in their hands.

The reason was simple.

They were all reporters. Well, it wasn’t a very unusual sight. It was very common to see reporters gathering at the airport. Even if only celebrities or idols appeared, the reporters would gather.

In addition, there were male and female onlookers surrounding the reporters.

‘Wow- I’m seeing them in real life for the first time.’

‘He’s so handsome, so handsome.’

‘Kyaa!! Oppa!! I’m a ‘Strong Heart’ fan!!’ [Oppa is a term used by females to address older males, and ‘Strong Heart’ is likely a reference to a show or character.]

However, the reporters’ excitement was intense today.

The person surrounded by those reporters was none other than Kang Woo-jin. Unlike the gathered reporters and onlookers, his face, wearing a black duffle coat, was calm, and behind Woo-jin were Choi Sung-gun, with his recently expanding business, and dozens of BW Entertainment employees.

Today, Kang Woo-jin was departing for Japan for ‘Naki-sho’.

Originally scheduled to depart on the 18th, it was moved to the 17th to accommodate various minor schedules. That’s why Kang Woo-jin was spending a brief time with the reporters. Whether in Korea or Japan, the ‘Naki-sho’ matter was a very noisy topic.

It wasn’t good for his image to skip meeting with the reporters too much.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin, who was talking to Choi Sung-gun behind him.

-Swish.

Spoke in a low voice to the gathered reporters.

‘Thank you, I’ll take questions.’

At the same time, dozens of reporters pressed their camera shutters and all raised their hands. Among them, Woo-jin pointed to a female reporter.

The female reporter immediately blurted out her prepared question.

‘Miley Cara mentioned Woo-jin on ‘The Jamie Show’ a few days ago, are you two close privately??’

‘No. We’re not close.’

‘The foreign press has covered Woo-jin, are you preparing anything for Hollywood??’

‘Not at the moment.’

After answering appropriately, Woo-jin pointed to another reporter who had raised his hand. The male reporter, pushing up his glasses, shouted.

‘I saw that Kang Woo-jin’s filming for ‘Island of the Missing’ is over! When is the ‘Island of the Missing’ wrap-up!?’

‘I don’t know that either. I understand that they are still filming hard.’

Then, the next question.

‘You’ve been appointed as an advertising model for the Japanese conglomerate ‘Kashii Group’! When is the filming??!’

‘I think it will be confirmed after a meeting.’

‘After being appointed as an advertising model, have there been any contacts from other Japanese companies?’

‘Not yet.’

After a few more questions, Choi Sung-gun, checking the time, informed the reporters.

‘I’m sorry, we have a flight to catch. We’ll take a few more questions and finish.’

The following questions were related to ‘Naki-sho’.

‘You are participating as the lead in the live-action adaptation of Takikawa Akari’s original work for the first time as a Korean actor! How do you feel?’

How do I feel? Honestly, it’s just so-so. Woo-jin appropriately softened his words.

‘There are no parts that are particularly challenging. It’s no different from other works.’

‘T-Then! You’re the only Korean actor in the work of a Japanese master director, aren’t you? Is there any pressure??’

‘Yes, not really.’

Choi Sung-gun signaled that it was the last question. The reporter chosen by Kang Woo-jin was a woman wearing a hat.

‘Woo-jin, at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, you declared, ‘This year it’s the Best New Actor Award, but next year I’ll receive the Best Actor Award’! What are your thoughts on filming ‘Naki-sho’, where there are only Japanese actors??’

It seemed like she was subtly bringing up the Blue Dragon Film Awards, but Woo-jin, with an indifferent face, answered without much fuss.

‘I have the same mindset as I did at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. It’s not much different for me, whoever or wherever it is.’

As soon as Kang Woo-jin’s answer was finished, Choi Sung-gun moved. He took Woo-jin away from the spot. Behind them, a dozen BW Entertainment staff members followed. Around this time, Woo-jin, entering the airport, was inwardly satisfied with his last answer.

‘Yeah, that was polite enough. And I added a bit of a tough act? It wasn’t bad.’

Among the reporters who were constantly taking pictures of Woo-jin’s back as he entered the airport, some were.

‘Hey! That’s right, I sent a text with the exact words Kang Woo-jin said at the end!’

They were already calling the desk.

‘Word for word, he said, ‘I have the same mindset as I did at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. It’s not much different for me, whoever or wherever it is!”

The atmosphere quickly spread.

‘No, what does it mean!! It means he’s going to crush the Japanese actors on the set of ‘Naki-sho’!’

‘A declaration of war like the Blue Dragon! No! It’s a declaration of war! He’s going to overwhelm the Japanese actors with his acting!!’

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but that was a given.

End