I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 406

Chris Hartnett, who had been watching TV, suddenly stopped, his brown eyes wide. It was a rare moment of bewilderment for the Hollywood superstar. He even dropped the potato chip he was about to eat.

“…Huh? What did he say?”

His eyes were fixed on Kang Woo-jin on the TV.

“Really? Seriously?”

He looked utterly shocked, and for good reason. Kang Woo-jin, who had appeared on the number one-rated American show, ‘The Jamie Show,’ had just dropped a bombshell.

-[“No, I’m not a candidate actor. I have been confirmed for the ‘Beast’ role.”]

It was the biggest controversy among the world’s public since it was revealed. Kang Woo-jin, one of the rumored candidates, had announced that he was confirmed for the ‘Beast’ role. Without any prior notice or promotion, it was a bolt from the blue.

And on top of that.

“Good heavens… how can he deliver such a nuclear announcement so nonchalantly?”

Kang Woo-jin’s face on TV looked not just calm but even bored, as if it was nothing special. Perhaps that’s why Chris, who had stopped moving and was still staring at the TV, thought for a moment that his ears were playing tricks on him.

He felt like he might have misheard.

Chris, barely regaining his senses, grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. Soon, the host on TV, also looking slightly bewildered, asked Woo-jin again.

-[“…Excuse me? Mr. Kang Woo-jin, what did you just say—”]

‘That’s right, that’s exactly what I wanted to say,’ Chris thought, feeling the same as the host, and stared at the TV with a stiff expression. But nothing changed. Kang Woo-jin simply replied in a low tone again.

-[“I said I have been confirmed for the ‘Beast’ role.”]

-[“Oh!! Really? Seriously?”]

-[“Yes.”]

-[“It’s such a big deal, but you’re saying it so calmly that it’s hard to believe. Are you perhaps joking?”]

-[“I’m not particularly fond of joking.”]

Kang Woo-jin, having answered appropriately, now looked at the camera. That is, he spoke to the viewers watching ‘The Jamie Show’.

-[“I have been cast as the ‘Beast,’ and that is a fact.”]

Chris Hartnett, watching TV, finally showed a noticeable reaction. He suddenly ran a hand through his hair and laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! Wow! That’s really amazing?? ‘Joker’ and now ‘Beast’? I’ve never seen anything like this before. I didn’t even think it was possible in Hollywood—”

His common sense was right. There were plenty of top actors in Hollywood, but no actor had ever landed lead roles in such huge projects right after their debut like Kang Woo-jin. Moreover, Woo-jin was a Korean actor. He was making history and shaking things up in Hollywood, which wasn’t even his home turf.

Furthermore.

“…For ‘Columbia Studios’ and ‘World Disney Pictures’ to grab the same actor.”

It was also unprecedented for two of the ‘Big Five’ Hollywood studios to cast the same actor as the lead in similar timeframes. While it was possible for an actor to be a candidate for both due to various circumstances or luck, it was impossible for them to actually land the lead roles through luck alone. This was proof that both studios were completely captivated by Kang Woo-jin, to the point of overlooking various interests, face, and traditions.

Chris Hartnett, who had been in Hollywood for over a decade, knew this better than anyone.

“Something that was difficult for me even with my decade-plus career—did that Korean actor achieve it in less than a year? It’s intriguing, but I’m also a little jealous.”

But then Chris recalled Woo-jin’s performance in ‘Joker’.

“He must have shown the ‘real’ thing for ‘Beast’ as well, so much so that ‘World Disney Pictures’ had no choice but to grab him.”

As Chris slumped back into the sofa, feeling somewhat deflated, the host of ‘The Jamie Show’ was getting excited on TV.

-[“Wow! Nothing about you is ever light, is it?! Before we even started talking about ‘Clown: The Birth of a Villain,’ a bomb exploded regarding ‘Beauty and the Beast’! First of all, congratulations!! I think it’s a great achievement.”]

-[“Thank you.”]

-[“But is it okay to suddenly make such a big announcement here?”]

-[“Of course. I thought it would be okay on ‘The Jamie Show’.”]

-[“Haha, I’m honored! Has it been discussed with Disney?”]

-[“Yes. It was already discussed beforehand.”]

Unlike the excited host, Kang Woo-jin was very solemn. Then the host continued.

-[“Well, well, after this broadcast, Hollywood, and the whole world, will be buzzing! It’s already a hot topic!”]

Since the bomb had already been dropped, they continued with questions about ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

-[“Considering the timing, you’re joining ‘Beauty and the Beast’ almost immediately after ‘Clown.’ How did you feel when you received the offer?”]

-[“Of course, I was happy.”]

-[“Haha. You seem very calm now? Did you perhaps expect it a little?”]

-[“To some extent.”]

The surprised host then pointed at the camera.

-[“Do you have anything to say to the viewers watching this show?”]

Kang Woo-jin nonchalantly replied to the viewers on TV.

-[“For me too, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a precious work filled with memories, and I will pour everything into it so that there are no regrets. It’s normal for actors to do anything for a role, but this time, I’ll be a bit more daring. To become a ‘Beast’ that everyone is satisfied with, I’ll have to do anything for the ‘Beast’s’ synchronization. Even shave my head. You can criticize it after you’ve seen the work.”]

In other words, it was like saying, ‘Don’t talk smack beforehand.’

Chris Hartnett chuckled and muttered.

“It’s going to be on fire, blazing.”

After that.

After dropping the nuclear bomb about the ‘Beast’ role, Kang Woo-jin discussed various topics on ‘The Jamie Show.’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ of course, as well as ‘Clown: The Birth of a Villain,’ ‘The Beneficial Evil’ which had turned the world upside down, Woo-jin’s SNS, and the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel, etc. The talk about Part 2 of ‘The Beneficial Evil’ was also briefly mentioned.

The ‘Jamie Show,’ full of bombshells and things to see, ended late at night.

But Hollywood, including the rest of America, was not quiet.

“I can’t just sit still, I wonder how others saw it? First, I need to make some calls.”

Chris, who was sitting in front of the TV, started calling his fellow actors, and Miley Cara, who had also watched ‘The Jamie Show’ at home, was the same. She was several times more excited than Chris.

“I knew it!! I knew Kang Woo-jin would get the ‘Beast’! But still, isn’t it crazy? To just announce it out of the blue on ‘The Jamie Show’?!!”

The news spread like wildfire among the Hollywood actors who had received calls from the two, and those who had watched ‘The Jamie Show’ directly. The actors who had auditioned with Woo-jin for ‘Clown: The Birth of a Villain’.

“This is—unbelievable, did he really decide to do ‘Beast’? Both Columbia and Disney at the same time?”

And the actors who had auditioned for the ‘Beast’ role.

“I, I understand why I didn’t get it! But it’s strange that Kang Woo-jin was confirmed for the ‘Beast’ role!!”

The actors who had seen Kang Woo-jin in Cannes, and those who felt intrigued or uncomfortable with his appearance, etc. The absurd actions of Woo-jin quickly reached not only actors, singers, and broadcasters, but also people in other industries. It was a natural phenomenon. An unheard-of situation was unfolding as if it were nothing.

Hollywood was quickly shaken up.

Immediately after ‘The Jamie Show,’ which was the number one-rated show in the US, foreign media outlets poured out related articles as if they had been waiting for it.

『LA TIME/Kang Woo-jin, the first Korean actor to appear on ‘The Jamie Show,’ says, “I am the Beast”』

『BBX/Kang Woo-jin is the ‘Beast’ in ‘World Disney Pictures’ live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ he announced it himself!』

『CNM/Kang Woo-jin announces his confirmation for the ‘Beast’ role on ‘The Jamie Show’! Following ‘Clown: The Birth of a Villain,’ now ‘Beauty and the Beast’?』

It was a foreign press that had already built up a hot fan base with ‘Clown’ and ‘The Beneficial Evil’.

『NT/”I am the Beast,” Kang Woo-jin directly announces his casting confirmation, telling fans worldwide, “You can criticize it after you’ve seen the work”』

Kang Woo-jin’s sudden declaration was like pouring water on a hot fan base.

『ABY/Kang Woo-jin confirmed for ‘Beast’ role, it is quite unusual for ‘Columbia Studios’ and ‘World Disney Pictures’ to confirm the same actor around the same time』

‘World Disney Pictures’ released an official statement as if they had been waiting for it. It was on their official SNS channel.

-[“Hello, this is World Disney Pictures. Kang Woo-jin has been confirmed as the actor for the ‘Beast’ role in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ We have high expectations for him, and we believe that Kang Woo-jin has completed the ‘Beast.’ We ask for the support of the fans who love ‘Beauty and the Beast’…”]

It was an announcement that was timed perfectly. The attention of everyone, except for ‘Columbia Studios,’ numerous Hollywood film companies, and production companies, was focused on Kang Woo-jin.

『LA TIME/’World Disney Pictures’ acknowledges Kang Woo-jin’s confirmation on their official SNS channel, the first comment was from ‘Columbia Studios’』

But at this moment, the public was more excited than anything else.

-fuck!!! seriously??

Of course, the first to react were the overseas viewers who had watched ‘The Jamie Show’.

-Really? Are you sure?? Is it true that Kang Woo-jin will finally play the Beast??!!

-I thought everyone would be surprised, I even spat out the beer I was drinking while watching Jamie Show because of Kang Woo-jin’s announcement

-Disney….I’m disappointed?

-Why is everyone acting weird? I think it’s okay for him to play the Beast

-No way! Isn’t Kang Woo-jin only doing Clown?? Why!!

-There’s no need to guess why major Hollywood studios are after him, it’s a fact that Kang Woo-jin is causing a fresh storm in Hollywood since The Beneficial Evil

-Shut up!! I can’t accept it!

This quickly spread to the public around the world. In just a few tens of minutes, various communities and SNS around the world were filled with Kang Woo-jin, ‘The Jamie Show,’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

It had only been an hour since ‘The Jamie Show’ ended.

Morning, at Kang Woo-jin’s LA home.

It was past 9 o’clock. Woo-jin, who had just woken up groggily from bed.

“Ugh!”

Even while stretching, he immediately grabbed his phone. Currently, messages were arriving via KakaoTalk [a popular Korean messaging app] and DMs, but his phone was silent. He had switched it to silent mode. Of course, Woo-jin had also watched ‘The Jamie Show’ last night.

“Ugh—man, there’s a ton of them.”

That’s because from that moment on, his phone had been vibrating uncontrollably. First, Woo-jin scanned the missed calls. There were over 20. There were no calls from his parents or Kang Hyun-ah. That’s because Woo-jin had already contacted them before ‘The Jamie Show’. What about KakaoTalk? It was overloaded. Not only his close friends, but also Hwa-rin, Hong Hye-yeon, Ryu Jung-min, and many other top Korean actors. There were also many congratulatory messages from big-name directors like Song Man-woo PD [PD stands for ‘Program Director’, a common title in Korean media] and Kwon Ki-taek.

And the DMs.

“It’s chaos, utter chaos.”

It was similar to KakaoTalk, but the language was different. There were many messages from actors and people mainly from Japan and Hollywood. Joseph Felton, a famous Hollywood producer, was also there. It was impossible to reply to all of them individually.

-Swish.

Woo-jin put down his phone for now. Soon, a smile spread across his face.

“Well, I guess it went as expected? Heh heh, it’s just the beginning though.”

It was a sign that the storm was just starting. The nuclear bomb was indeed thrilling. Woo-jin, who seemed to be enjoying it, picked up his phone again. It was to check the reactions in Korea, where it was early morning, unlike LA. He knew that there would be an earthquake, but.

“Let’s see—”

It was different to see it directly.

What was displayed on Woo-jin’s phone screen was the number one search site in Korea.

And.

『[Breaking News] Kang Woo-jin Confirmed to Appear as the ‘Beast’ in ‘World Disney Pictures’ Live-Action ‘Beauty and the Beast’』

The main page of the search site was filled with Kang Woo-jin’s name. About 10 hours had passed since ‘The Jamie Show’ was broadcast, so it should have reached Korea long ago. It probably gained momentum within 30 minutes of ‘The Jamie Show’ ending.

At that moment.

“Hmm?”

Although there was no vibration because it was on silent, Woo-jin’s phone screen changed. He was receiving a call. The caller was Choi Sung-gun. Kang Woo-jin cleared his throat and put the phone to his ear, lowering his voice.

“Yes, CEO.”

Choi Sung-gun on the other end of the phone was urgent.

“Woo-jin! Turn on the TV! Right now!”

Woo-jin, maintaining his persona, tilted his head but moved to the living room on the first floor. He picked up the remote on the table and turned on the channel that Choi Sung-gun had told him. The news was being broadcast. Of course, it was news from the US, and it was a famous broadcasting station that even Woo-jin knew.

The funny thing was.

‘Wow—man, I’m on it!’

Kang Woo-jin was on the morning news in the US.