I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 339

Actually, the renowned Hollywood director Danny Landis wasn’t particularly interested in the movie ‘Leech.’ To begin with, he had been more or less pushed into attending the Cannes Film Festival itself. It was a bother, but he had come with a moderate mindset due to the earnest requests of those around him.

That was his nature.

While he enjoyed watching films from various countries, the sight of hundreds of thousands of people swarming around made his mind go hazy. He had started as a director because he loved making movies, but with his fame having risen so high, he didn’t care much for the countless people who approached him with ulterior motives.

But since he had come, he figured he should at least do what he wanted. That was about the extent of his feelings.

‘Leech’ was the same.

The only Korean film among the 20 works in the ‘Competition’ section of the Cannes Film Festival. Nothing more, nothing less.

‘So, it’s a film by Director Ahn Ga-bok.’

The numerous people he had met here had been quite vocal about ‘Leech.’ Some said it was because Cannes was trying to make up for past mistakes, others that it was to fill a quota, and still others that the status of Korean cinema had risen, and so on. There was only one Korean film, and it felt a bit out of place.

Director Danny snorted inwardly.

‘Cannes might have considered external perspectives, but it’s still Cannes. Surely they wouldn’t be so foolish as to pick a film based solely on that kind of image.’

The reason he wasn’t very interested in ‘Leech’ wasn’t because he looked down on Korean films. It was because the style of Director Ahn Ga-bok’s works didn’t quite align with his own. Danny had seen Ahn Ga-bok’s film a few years ago, and while it was of a high standard overall, he couldn’t say he liked it. Danny Landis’s heart hadn’t been moved.

Simply put, he had the heart of an audience member.

Even though Danny was a director with a high profile in Hollywood, he made it a rule to view other directors’ works strictly from the perspective of an audience member. Still, he acknowledged that the veteran Ahn Ga-bok was an excellent director.

‘Anyone who maintains their tension for decades in any industry deserves respect.’

Regardless of their differing styles, a master recognizes another master.

This mindset of Danny’s remained until the morning of the 2nd, just before the first screening of ‘Leech,’ the third film in the ‘Competition’ section. Again, it was more of a ‘Since I’m here, let’s watch it’ kind of feeling. The atmosphere of Ahn Ga-bok’s films might have changed a bit in the meantime.

The ‘Lumiere Theatre’ inside the ‘Palais des Festivals,’ with its 3,000 seats, was full.

Directors, actors, influential figures in the film industry, and reporters from Hollywood and various countries, including Danny, were all there. The conversations of those gathered occasionally reached Danny’s ears.

“Haha, indeed. Is it because it’s the only Korean film that so many people have gathered?”

“Everyone must be curious. There were rumors that Cannes picked it while being mindful of others.”

“Ah, I heard that too. We’ll see if the rumors are true or not once it starts. But Director Ahn Ga-bok has had good results at Cannes.”

“I know. That’s why some say it won’t be obvious.”

Their conversations were more out of curiosity than anticipation.

“Can’t you get a sense of the content just by looking at the ‘Leech’ poster?”

“Hmm, to me, it looks like a success story of a man who yearns for wealth.”

“Oh! Right, I’ve heard there are many stories like that in Korea. About turning your life around.”

“Hahaha, it’s a bit fresh.”

“But if that’s all there is, it’s a bit disappointing.”

Sometimes, the topic was the male lead, who occupied 70% of the ‘Leech’ poster.

“Isn’t that the actor who appeared with Miley Cara at the opening red carpet? His name was Kang Woo-jin, wasn’t it?”

“Ah, right. The other Korean actor on the poster looks familiar, but that actor Kang Woo-jin is new to me. Is he a rookie?”

“I heard he hasn’t been in the industry for long.”

“He’s lucky. To be called to Cannes so soon after his debut.”

“His acting might be a bit lacking.”

Specifically, they were talking about Kang Woo-jin.

“Is that actor not coming to the morning screening?”

“He got a lot of attention walking the red carpet with Miley Cara. I hope his acting is at least above average.”

“Surely he wouldn’t have come to Cannes with just mediocre skills.”

“That’s true.”

“Anyway, the success story of the protagonist is a bit cliché, isn’t it?”

They also made some comparisons with the Japanese film that had been screened yesterday. Danny Landis, who had been quietly listening to these conversations, rested his chin on his hand. There was something subtly strange about the atmosphere of the entire theater, but if the content of ‘Leech’ was really just a success story of a protagonist who yearned for wealth.

‘Hmm, it doesn’t sound very interesting.’

It wasn’t a story that piqued his interest.

‘Leech’ began.

-♬♪

After the title, Korean actor Kang Woo-jin was displayed on the giant screen. His lines were in Korean, but there were French subtitles directly below, and English subtitles below that.

For about 10 minutes, the initial atmosphere of the 3,000-person audience was maintained.

A protagonist with no money, and the appearance of chaebol [large family-owned business conglomerate] figures in his life. At this, Danny, with his half-bald head, and most of the audience wore expressions that said, ‘As expected.’ The slight twitch in his expression was because of.

‘…Sign language?’

It was from the scene where Kang Woo-jin, or rather, ‘Park Ha-sung’ from ‘Leech,’ was using sign language fluently.

‘Huh, that doesn’t look like he practiced it.’

Usually, when filming a movie, the actor practices various skills and abilities to match the character’s setting. However, no matter how much you practice, it’s quite difficult to make it look ‘real.’ But the sign language of Kang Woo-jin on the screen didn’t seem practiced at all.

Rather.

‘It’s barely noticeable, but that actress practiced.’

Oh Hee-ryung, with her extensive experience, seemed to have practiced. Of course, it was a very subtle difference, but it was visible to the eyes of the master director Danny. He had experienced tens of thousands of actors so far. But in Kang Woo-jin’s sign language, there was no imitation at all.

Then there was only one answer.

‘Did they cast an actor who already knew how to do it?’

They had found someone who was fluent in sign language beforehand and made him an actor. Danny slowly nodded. But as ‘Leech’ progressed.

‘…Hmm?’

As Kang Woo-jin’s acting continued, Danny Landis’s posture changed. He took his chin off his hand and his eyes widened. He pushed up his round glasses several times.

‘What is this?’

‘Leech,’ and Kang Woo-jin’s acting, gradually began to overwhelm all 3,000 audience members. ‘Leech’ wasn’t just a success story of a mediocre protagonist. It had that kind of feel at the beginning, but as time went on and the story escalated, it flowed in a completely different direction.

Danny Landis, along with the 3,000 world-renowned audience members, began to murmur.

‘Why is the protagonist suddenly being taken into their home?’

Of course, in their minds.

‘The husband is keeping his wife in check.’

‘Is he trying to encroach on his mute wife through the protagonist?’

‘He’s trying to kill her.’

‘Kill his wife? What on earth is the reason?’

Everyone began to fall into ‘Leech’ as if they were being soaked in it.

‘A success story? No… This is a story I’ve never seen before??’

It was a story that far exceeded what they had originally expected, one they had never seen before. And what firmly supported it was, of course, the acting of the actors. Among them, the one who shone the most was.

‘That protagonist is leading the movie itself, both in terms of acting and atmosphere. His aura is a bit… extraordinary.’

‘Park Ha-sung,’ that is, Kang Woo-jin.

At this point, the eyes of Hollywood master Danny were only on.

‘Ripley Syndrome’? Is he showing that now?’

He could only see Kang Woo-jin. He had no time to pay attention to anything else. Woo-jin’s acting had captured his eyes and ears and wouldn’t let go. Especially, from the point in ‘Park Ha-sung’s’ life where he stepped into the fictional chaebol family, Kang Woo-jin’s acting was jaw-dropping. It wasn’t particularly visible in the direction of the work. It wasn’t spoken by any of the characters in the work.

But it was clearly visible.

The word that flashed in the minds of Danny Landis and the 3,000 people gathered in this theater. ‘Ripley Syndrome’ [a personality disorder characterized by a need to lie and manipulate].

‘That subtle gaze, the expression of emotions, and the structure of his actions. Acting? Can that even be called acting?’

The acting of the Korean actor on that giant screen was both gentle and violent. His eyes gradually became tainted with desire and became turbid, but the strength of his movements and lines themselves were extremely calm.

It had to be.

‘He believes that everything he sees or feels in the present is actually his world.’

There wasn’t even a trace of ‘imitation.’ As ‘Leech’ moved past the middle and into the latter half, Kang Woo-jin’s initial appearance was being subtly erased. It was so subtle that the audience wouldn’t notice it unless they were paying close attention.

It wasn’t about precision.

‘Is that actor… really an actor?’

Kang Woo-jin on the screen presented an ‘illusion’ to Danny and the 3,000 audience members. The star actors who had come to this Cannes Film Festival were overflowing with information, but Kang Woo-jin, who was only in his second year, was virtually unknown. That added to the power of the misunderstanding. Could anyone here believe Woo-jin’s unconventional filmography if they heard it?

Gradually.

‘No, could it be… that Director Ahn Ga-bok… brought someone with real Ripley Syndrome and made him act??’

The brain of Hollywood’s mega-director Danny began to seriously tangle. And it wasn’t just him. The 3,000 audience members from all over the world who had gathered for the first showing of ‘Leech’ were no different.

‘Is it acting? Or is it real? I’m confused.’

‘Why am I getting goosebumps…? That actor’s appearance is so different from the beginning. It’s like… a man who has gone mad in a cold-blooded way.’

‘Did they really cast someone with Ripley Syndrome?! How else could such vivid acting be possible!’

‘But… if they really cast someone with Ripley Syndrome as an actor. Then Director Ahn Ga-bok must be crazy too.’

At this point, everyone realized the true meaning hidden in the ‘Leech’ poster. Ah, this wasn’t a success story of a man, but a depiction of the image of ‘Ripley Syndrome.’ Clearly, ‘Leech,’ with its first screening, had hit many celebrities attending the Cannes Film Festival hard.

Because for more than 5 minutes after the movie ended, no one even moved.

But this was just the beginning.

Including the 10 official judges, many people related to Kang Woo-jin were scheduled to attend the second screening in the afternoon. The afternoon screening was also sold out with 3,000 seats.

In other words, there was still one more step to go.

At the same time.

11 a.m., when the first screening of ‘Leech,’ which had started at 9 a.m., had ended. At a time when ‘Park Ha-sung’ or ‘Ripley Syndrome’ had been strongly imprinted in the minds of many, Kang Woo-jin of ‘Leech’ was sprawled on the bed in his 5-star hotel room. He was breathing faintly on the wide white bed, as quiet as a mouse.

“…”

At first glance, it seemed like he was dead? But he was sound asleep. It was because he had overexerted himself quite a bit from the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival until yesterday. He had somehow managed to portray a strong exterior with his concept, but the tension that had exploded in the unfamiliar environment had brought on fatigue. Fortunately, he had been able to endure the first two days thanks to the subspace.

“Umm-”

Kang Woo-jin slowly opened his eyes. But he didn’t get up right away. He just yawned with his hair disheveled. He roughly swiped his hands to pick up his phone. He was checking the time.

“Whoa, 11 a.m.? I slept in for the first time in ages.”

In fact, the ten days of the Cannes Film Festival were like a vacation for Kang Woo-jin. Of course, there were several schedules during the festival, including the opening ceremony, but overall, compared to his schedule in Korea, it was relatively relaxed until the closing and awards ceremony. Especially today, the day of the ‘Leech’ screening, was even more so.

“Let’s see, the second screening of ‘Leech’ is at 7 p.m., so I can start getting ready around 4 p.m.?”

Choi Sung-gun and the rest of Woo-jin’s team were also moving autonomously. They were busy sightseeing anyway. Anyway, Kang Woo-jin, who had gotten up groggily, picked up a bottle of mineral water on the table. At the same time, he raised the phone in his hand.

“How are things going~”

There was a lot to check. The situation in Korea, including Kang Woo-jin’s march that had turned the Cannes Film Festival upside down with the opening ceremony red carpet, the situation in Japan, where two works had been entered into the ‘Competition’ section of the Cannes Film Festival and the premiere of ‘Naked Geisha’ had recently begun, the reaction to Miley Cara’s new album teaser, and the status of Woo-jin’s SNS and ‘Kang Woo-jin’s alter ego,’ etc.

Of course, he also had to check the accumulated contacts other than texts and DMs.

At that moment.

-Vrr, vrr.

The phone on the bed vibrated loudly. It was a call. Woo-jin, who had paused, checked the caller. It was PD Song Man-woo. The ‘Beneficial Evil’ team should have returned to Korea by now. Woo-jin, who tilted his head slightly, first cleared his throat. Ahem. He prepared his usual low tone and put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, PD-nim.”

The surroundings of PD Song Man-woo on the other end of the phone were a bit chaotic. It seemed to be the ‘Beneficial Evil’ set. Even though Kang Woo-jin was gone, filming had to continue.

“Woo-jin-ssi, I’m sorry to bother you when you must be busy with the Cannes Film Festival. Are you in a rush?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Haha. I’m seeing the news through the articles. Have you seen that Korea is in an uproar over your opening ceremony red carpet news? I heard it’s the same in Japan.”

PD Song Man-woo, who had been greeting him, changed the subject.

“Ah, since you must be busy, I’ll get straight to the point. About our ‘Beneficial Evil,’ there’s something that was decided rather urgently. And it’s not a small matter.”

While listening to the explanation calmly for a moment, Woo-jin muttered inwardly.

‘Then what is it? Is the launch getting super fast??’

He answered in a low voice.

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

A few minutes later, Woo-jin suddenly entered the subspace. What he checked was, of course, ‘Beneficial Evil’ among the white squares.

-[9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil), EX Grade]

Kang Woo-jin smiled.

“Well, thankfully there are no major changes.”

About an hour later.

Around 1 p.m. A 5-star hotel about 10 minutes away from the ‘Palais des Festivals,’ the main venue of the Cannes Film Festival. Of course, it was a different place from where Kang Woo-jin was staying, and the large restaurant inside the hotel was crowded with customers, probably because it was lunchtime. Naturally, most of them were people attending the Cannes Film Festival.

Among them.

“Did that director really ask to have lunch together?”

“Yes, I was surprised when I got the call too.”

Two familiar figures were visible at a table for four near the entrance. It was the giant Joseph Felton and Caddie Megan Stone. They were sitting side by side, not facing each other, and from the tone of their conversation, it seemed like they were waiting for someone.

At that moment.

-Swish.

An old foreign man entered the restaurant. It was the Hollywood master director Danny Landis, with round glasses on his nose. The half-bald man immediately spotted Joseph and Megan as soon as he entered the restaurant.

“…”

He moved directly without a word. Joseph and Megan, who recognized that he was approaching, turned their gaze. Danny received the handshakes they offered and asked as soon as he sat down. His expression was serious.

“I watched ‘Leech’ this morning. Kang Woo-jin, does he perhaps have Ripley Syndrome? Did Director Ahn Ga-bok cast him for the sake of the work?”

Joseph was slightly surprised by the straight question. Megan was the same. For reference, Joseph hadn’t seen ‘Leech’ yet. He was scheduled to see it at the 7 p.m. showing a few hours later. However, Joseph, recalling Kang Woo-jin whom he had seen directly on the set of ‘Leech’ before, and the ‘Ripley Syndrome’ he had shown, answered with a relaxed smile.

“That’s impossible. Kang Woo-jin is an actor, everything you saw was just his acting.”

Danny, who had paused for a moment, wiped his cool forehead.

“…Acting. Are you sure?”

“I can bet everything on it.”

“Huh, so that was a character he created through acting. Wow, he didn’t look that old, but such tension. Amazing. Is he a child actor?”

Joseph, who had briefly made eye contact with Megan, chuckled.

“No, Kang Woo-jin is in his second year since his debut this year.”

At that moment, the Hollywood mogul Danny Landis, who had frowned, asked back.

“…Second year since his debut?? Are you trying to play games with me right now?”