I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 375

Kang Woo-jin, still holding the hand of the Hollywood A-lister—an actor as recognizable as Miley Cara, or rather, the A-lister who was now half-forced to remain hand-in-hand—spoke calmly in English.

“By the way, what’s your name?”

The question caused a stir among the onlookers. The staff of ‘Columbia Studio,’ the studio guests, and the Hollywood actor’s team all reacted. Over a dozen pairs of eyes, each with different colored irises, widened in surprise.

“W-what did Kang Woo-jin just say?”

“Did he ask for his name?”

“Oh my god, does he not know who he is?”

“No way. He must be joking.”

“Could this be… a power play?”

Even Choi Sung-gun, standing beside Kang Woo-jin with his signature ponytail, was taken aback, though he also found it refreshing. He hadn’t clearly heard what the Hollywood actor had whispered to Woo-jin, but he had felt a twinge of annoyance at the actor’s initial handshake remarks.

‘When has Woo-jin ever cared about the Academy Awards? And what was that about being too confident? That’s ridiculous.’

That’s why Choi Sung-gun didn’t intervene. It was a display of audacity that only Kang Woo-jin could pull off, a situation only he could create. The situation was unusual, but he decided to let it play out.

‘…Should I step in? No. This kind of thing is bound to happen in Hollywood. It’s good to experience it now, especially with such a big name.’

Since Kang Woo-jin was a relative unknown in Hollywood, similar incidents were inevitable. Therefore, CEO Choi Sung-gun chose to observe. However, the expressions of the Hollywood actor’s team were grim. As soon as they heard Woo-jin’s question, their faces contorted. A portly man, seemingly the main manager, stepped forward from behind the actor.

“H-hey. What did you just say?”

However.

-Swish.

The Hollywood actor, still holding Kang Woo-jin’s hand, glanced at his manager. It was a silent command to stay out of it. The manager immediately shut his mouth, and the actor, turning back to Woo-jin, asked, his relaxed tone now sharp and cold.

“…What did you just say?”

A clear warning was present. But so what? Kang Woo-jin released his hand and answered immediately, his voice dry and firm.

“I asked for your name.”

“……”

The murmuring of the onlookers intensified. But Woo-jin’s solemn English didn’t falter.

“You seem to know my name, but I don’t know yours. I don’t think that’s very polite.”

A direct counter. Disrespect deserved disrespect. It was a sincere ‘no backing down’ move.

‘I really don’t know this handsome guy’s name.’

Kang Woo-jin genuinely didn’t know his name. Or rather, he couldn’t recall it. It must have seemed absurd to the actor. He was claiming not to know him, a recognition magnet not only in Hollywood but across the United States, and even in Korea and worldwide.

In other words, Kang Woo-jin was committing a sincere act of disregard.

And now, he was adding a ‘beast mode’ [a state of heightened focus and intensity] concept to it.

Who could possibly understand Kang Woo-jin’s true intentions? No one in the world could, and the Hollywood actor facing Woo-jin was equally clueless. He simply assumed that Kang Woo-jin was retaliating because of his earlier remarks.

“Woo-jin, were my words offensive?”

Woo-jin answered curtly.

“Not at all. I took it as advice, though I don’t think it will be very helpful.”

“…Then why are you acting like this?”

“Is it strange to ask for a name?”

The Hollywood actor was in turmoil. Woo-jin was clearly aggressive, yet his eyes were devoid of emotion. It didn’t seem fake at all. But how could he not know him? He stared at Kang Woo-jin’s impassive face for a moment.

‘It’s hard to read what he’s thinking… but his eyes look like he could pounce at any moment.’

One thing was certain. Woo-jin’s eyes were more dangerous than threatening. At that moment, the portly manager whispered from behind.

“There are too many eyes watching; it’s better to leave.”

Indeed, the crowd around them was growing. Hollywood was a place where rumors spread like wildfire. The Hollywood actor, letting out a small breath, spoke to Kang Woo-jin while stepping back.

“I am Chris Hartnett.”

As soon as he heard the name, Woo-jin exclaimed inwardly.

‘Ah! That’s right, Chris Hartnett!’

The Hollywood A-lister he had only seen in movies. Though the real person was right in front of him, Kang Woo-jin maintained his cynical demeanor.

“I’m Kang Woo-jin.”

Chris Hartnett, after a few seconds of staring at Woo-jin, smiled faintly and then said,

“See you again.”

He quickly descended the stairs, his team following suit. They all glared at Kang Woo-jin, but Woo-jin’s expression remained unchanged. At this point, Choi Sung-gun nudged Woo-jin’s shoulder.

“Let’s go, too. It’ll be a headache if we stay any longer.”

Because of the growing crowd. Woo-jin and Choi Sung-gun then went up the stairs, and as they reached the entrance,

“But Woo-jin.”

Choi Sung-gun asked quietly.

“Did you really not know Chris Hartnett’s name? Seriously?”

Cynical Woo-jin answered with a mix of sincerity and bravado.

“I didn’t know. If I hadn’t seen him today, I would have continued not knowing.”

Several tens of minutes later, inside a large van.

A van carrying several foreigners was driving through downtown LA. The foreigners inside were visibly agitated.

“Kang Woo-jin? That’s absurd. He’s too arrogant.”

“I know, right? He must have gotten too cocky after winning Best Actor at Cannes.”

“Let’s ignore him. If he’s acting like that just because of that, he won’t survive in Hollywood.”

“But when he asked for Chris’s name, I almost exploded with anger.”

The portly man turned to the person sitting by the window, a man with naturally swept-back brown hair.

“Chris, forget about that ridiculous guy.”

It was Chris Hartnett, the top-tier Hollywood actor who had just faced Kang Woo-jin. He looked out the window, his chin resting on his hand.

“I don’t know. It wasn’t an impact that’s easy to forget.”

“He’s just a guy full of arrogance.”

“Hmm… he landed a good one.”

“What?”

“It’s been a while since I felt this way. I think it’ll be fun.”

“…Fun?”

Chris had been working as an actor in Hollywood for over a decade. Chris Hartnett, looking out the window, met the eyes of his portly manager. His face was filled with genuine interest.

“Yeah, fun. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get hit so hard. I thought he’d be a little intimidated by the rumors that he hasn’t been in the industry for long—haha, what? He showed his teeth right away as if he didn’t care who the opponent was?”

“W-wasn’t it unpleasant?”

“It’s subtle. I’m confused about which side it is, but it’s exciting. I haven’t seen ‘Leech’ [a reference to a movie or character], but if he has that much guts, I’m looking forward to his acting too? Well, he must have something since he was chosen by Cannes.”

The portly manager shook his head, clearly disapproving.

“He must have been lucky. Today, his vibe was so dry that I couldn’t see his emotions well, so his acting must be obvious. I don’t know why he was even nominated for the lead role in ‘Pierrot.’”

Chris Hartnett, running a hand through his brown hair, chuckled. He then recalled Kang Woo-jin’s earlier appearance.

“Did no one see it?”

“Huh? See what?”

“Kang Woo-jin. He was quiet at first, but as soon as he heard my words, his eyes changed. Like… a beast? A wild animal? Either way, it was instantaneous. He must have intended it, showing me his freely controlled emotions.”

“I didn’t see it at all.”

Chris shrugged.

“A warning given through emotions, not words. Luck? No, whatever his personality is, he’s definitely a good actor. There aren’t many actors in Hollywood with such a fast emotional switch.”

He muttered, then pulled out a stack of papers tucked beside him. The cover had the title ‘Pierrot’ written in English. Chris Hartnett opened the script and murmured.

“If I’m not careful, I’ll get hit again. I’m looking forward to the audition.”

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized conference room at ‘Columbia Studio.’

Kang Woo-jin was seated at the center of a U-shaped table, surrounded by posters of past hit movies. Choi Sung-gun was seated next to him.

And.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Woo-jin.”

Across from Kang Woo-jin, facing the window, sat six foreigners and one Korean. They were the executives of ‘Columbia Studio,’ the general producer of ‘Pierrot,’ the casting team, and even Director Ahn Ga-bok.

Kang Woo-jin, having already greeted them, replied appropriately.

“It’s nice to meet you as well.”

The female producer smiled faintly and replied.

“I heard you met Chris outside. He also had a pre-meeting, but I heard there was some kind of incident before you came here?”

It seemed the rumor had already spread. Woo-jin was surprised internally, but.

‘Wow—the news travels so fast here, too.’

He nodded calmly.

“It wasn’t really anything, just a brief greeting.”

“A brief greeting? Did you really not know Chris’s name?”

“Yes, so I asked.”

“…You’re certainly unique.”

The female producer had a faint smile. She seemed to like Kang Woo-jin. On the other hand, the executives of ‘Columbia Studio’ frowned. First impressions were clearly varied. The male casting director of ‘Pierrot,’ sitting next to the executives, chimed in.

“By the way, Mr. Woo-jin, this must be your first time in this kind of situation, but you don’t seem nervous at all.”

Indifferent Kang Woo-jin looked at him and immediately answered in English.

“Should I be nervous?”

“…No, it’s not that—I was just wondering if you had visited any other Hollywood film studios before coming here.”

“This is my first time here.”

“Ah—I see. How do you feel?”

“It’s no different from usual.”

Kang Woo-jin answered immediately, without a second of hesitation. He had decided to adopt this attitude before coming here. He had heard from Choi Sung-gun that this pre-meeting would also influence the audition and screen test scheduled for next month in January.

‘I don’t have any experience with Hollywood pre-meetings anyway, and acting ambiguously would be more confusing. Yeah, I’ll just be myself. Still, wow—I’m a little nervous, though.’

Since he had no experience in Hollywood, he decided to keep it simple. The casting director who had asked the question was slightly taken aback.

‘What, what is this? Why is he so calm?’

He didn’t show even a hint of nervousness. The male casting director of ‘Pierrot’ was actually asking a set of standard questions. He had asked the same question to Chris Hartnett during his previous time slot. It was a common question, but it allowed him to gauge the other person’s current feelings based on their answer.

But Kang Woo-jin was, how should he put it.

‘…Chris was relaxed, but there was a hint of anxiety mixed in. But this guy—I don’t know? I can’t see anything.’

He couldn’t detect any particular feelings like nervousness, anxiety, or joy. The casting director then turned his gaze to the executives of ‘Columbia Studio’ and the female producer. They were also staring at Kang Woo-jin quietly.

Everyone’s expressions were different.

Especially the faces of the ‘Columbia Studio’ executives were something to behold. They were filled with bewilderment and awkwardness at the character they were seeing for the first time.

‘Confidence? Or arrogance? Even if he achieved great results at Cannes… his vibe is too simple.’

To them, the Korean actor Kang Woo-jin was nothing short of a weirdo. Even if he was nominated for the lead role in ‘Pierrot,’ if he was filtered out in this pre-meeting, he wouldn’t reach the final audition or screen test. In a way, it was like a final interview for the audition.

But Kang Woo-jin didn’t seem to care at all.

Yes, they knew that he had turned Cannes upside down and won Best Actor, and that he was a rising star with an unprecedented filmography in Korea. But in Hollywood, Woo-jin was a nobody. Moreover, he was sitting in ‘Columbia Studio,’ one of the top film studios in Hollywood. Even the top actors here were lining up, so why was this Korean actor so indifferent?

‘It’s as if he doesn’t care at all whether he works with us or not.’

Of course, they were unaware of the Hollywood offers Kang Woo-jin had received from Joseph Felton or ‘Walt Disney Pictures.’ But even if they knew that, Woo-jin’s current attitude would be difficult to understand. The executives, with narrowed brows, muttered inwardly.

‘Nervous? He seems to be less interested than nervous.’

‘…He doesn’t seem burdened at all. He actually looks comfortable.’

The executives all glanced at Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been quiet. They were reminded of his words about Woo-jin.

‘A weirdo. Kang Woo-jin is a weirdo.’

A weirdo. Yes, the Korean actor was literally a weirdo. But wasn’t it a bit too much? The executives were slightly offended. They couldn’t see much desire in his bland demeanor.

‘Does he not have any ambition? Or does he have offers from other film studios? Surely—it’s not disrespect.’

At this point.

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin.”

The female producer, who had been crossing her legs, asked a question.

“Director Ahn Ga-bok gave you the ‘Pierrot’ script, and you gave us an answer right away. What was the reason for making such a quick decision?”

Woo-jin answered in a low voice.

“I had a good feeling.”

“…Huh? A feeling?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Director Ahn Ga-bok coughed and lowered his head, hiding his laughter.

‘Without any pretense, he’s throwing back the words he said to me.’

The female producer, oblivious to this, was momentarily stunned before speaking again.

“You don’t seem to have any reservations. As you know, this pre-meeting is a place where you can be excluded as a candidate. Will you… not regret it?”

Woo-jin, after a moment of looking at the female producer, answered dryly.

“I don’t care, but ‘Pierrot’ will regret it.”

In other words, they would regret it, not him.

End