I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 416

‘Huh?? I’m nominated for Best Actor??’

Though his face remained a perfect poker mask, inside, Kang Woo-jin was quite flustered. If he’d dropped his cool facade, he probably would have tilted his head with a very noticeable reaction.

‘Wow, seriously, I didn’t expect this at all.’

He hadn’t anticipated it or even speculated about it. Kang Woo-jin knew about the ‘Primetime Emmys.’ Of course, until a few months ago, he’d never heard of it or paid any attention, but the foreign and domestic media kept mentioning ‘Beneficial Evil’ and the ‘Emmys,’ so Woo-jin couldn’t help but be aware of it.

After looking up some information, he confirmed it was a huge awards ceremony.

There were some subtly complex aspects, but Kang Woo-jin simply concluded that it had the impact of the broadcast version of the ‘Academy Awards’ [Oscars]. A nomination for Best Actor at such an ‘Emmys’? Kang Woo-jin’s feelings were subtly different from when he was at Cannes. If he were honest, he had somewhat aimed for the Cannes Film Festival, but this ‘Emmys’ nomination was completely unintentional.

‘I didn’t do a half-assed job with my acting—’

It wasn’t like Kang Woo-jin had just casually performed in ‘Beneficial Evil.’ If you had to break it down, he had combined his accumulated acting skills with his first attempt at action, so the level was high. Plus, there was CQC [Close Quarters Combat] on top of that. Still, he hadn’t aimed for the ‘Emmys’ from the start, so right now, Kang Woo-jin was…

‘It’s good, but why do I feel like I stumbled upon it?’

The feeling was strange. Whatever it was, he was happy. Being nominated for Best Actor at the ‘Emmys,’ which is a global broadcasting award, including Hollywood.

‘I guess I’m pretty awesome.’

The ‘Emmys’ was proof that they recognized Kang Woo-jin’s acting and action in ‘Beneficial Evil.’ Moreover, Woo-jin was the first Asian actor to be nominated for Best Actor at the ‘Emmys.’ That’s why Song Man-woo PD [Production Director], Kim So-hyang, the chief director, Choi Na-na, the writer, Choi Sung-gun, and many others were having a fit of excitement.

“Me, a Best Actor nominee??!! Wow!! Woo-jin is nominated for Best Actor?!”

“It’s the first time!! A Korean actor, no, an Asian actor has been nominated for Best Actor at the ‘Emmys’! Amazing!!”

“Woo-jin! Congratulations!! This is a huge deal! Even if you don’t win, you’ve changed the history of the ‘Emmys’!”

“After Cannes—what is going on?? Of course, Woo-jin was amazing in ‘Beneficial Evil’! But I didn’t expect him to be nominated for Best Actor right away!!”

“Woo-jin!!! You did great! You did great!!”

“Hahaha! No, from Cannes straight to the ‘Emmys’!! This is going to cause a frenzy both domestically and internationally, right?!”

Everyone sincerely congratulated Kang Woo-jin on his ‘Emmys’ Best Actor nomination. Their excitement, emotion, and admiration were overflowing. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin was…

“…Yes, thank you.”

He was calm. It was partly a show of being cool, but the real Kang Woo-jin was less excited than the people in front of him. You could say his reaction was lukewarm. They knew the crazy impact of the ‘Emmys,’ but for Kang Woo-jin, who was experiencing the ‘Emmys’ for the first time this year, it was unfamiliar. Let’s just say it’s a difference in experience.

As if used to it, the bearded Song Man-woo PD laughed heartily.

“As expected! You kind of predicted the ‘Emmys,’ right? Woo-jin. You had that amazing tension throughout the filming, so you must have been confident.”

What prediction? He hadn’t thought about it at all. Kang Woo-jin, who conveyed his true feelings internally, outwardly responded vaguely.

“Kind of.”

Kim So-hyang, the chief director, was slightly surprised. She seemed not yet used to Woo-jin’s boldness.

“Still… Woo-jin? It’s the ‘Emmys’?? It’s different in the details, but it’s on par with the ‘Academy Awards’! But you seem too lukewarm??”

“No, I’m happy.”

“No, you’re not!”

At this point, Choi Sung-gun, who was looking at Kang Woo-jin with pride and affection, was thinking.

‘This guy, he’s made Cannes look like a small stepping stone.’

He was getting goosebumps all over again. Honestly, just the Cannes Film Festival alone was enough to call Kang Woo-jin’s career a ‘legend.’ And that’s not all? He swept the domestic Blue Dragon, Baeksang, and Grand Bell Awards [major South Korean film awards]. Plus, he achieved a triple crown at three of the ‘Big Five’ Hollywood film studios. He had already far surpassed the level of a monster.

But suddenly, the ‘Emmys’ popped up.

In other words, all the processes up to now, which would be enough for an ordinary actor to write an autobiography about, were just stepping stones for that alien, Kang Woo-jin. Even if Woo-jin ended his career here, no actor would surpass this record for hundreds of years. However, seeing Woo-jin’s lackluster reaction, Choi Sung-gun chuckled again.

‘Is he even seeing the Emmys as just another stepping stone, this guy?’

That wasn’t it. It was a clear misunderstanding. Kang Woo-jin, seeing Choi Sung-gun’s intense gaze, roughly understood the misunderstanding. But he didn’t bother to correct it.

‘Whatever—let it roll on its own.’

Kang Woo-jin was now well-versed in errors, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations. For the next several tens of minutes, the conference room was filled with loud cheers due to Woo-jin’s good news. Then, Kim So-hyang, who barely regained her senses, said.

“Ah! Ahhh! Look at my mind! Sorry, I’ll show you the categories ‘Beneficial Evil’ was nominated in!”

She projected what she had organized onto the screen through a laptop. Soon, the results of ‘Beneficial Evil’ began to appear on the slightly darkened screen at the front of the conference room. A whopping 10 categories at the ‘Emmys.’

-[(Drama Category) Best Drama Series, Best Actor, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Music, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Special Effects, Best Stunt Performance. Total of 10 categories.]

It was a truly terrifying list. Under the name of each award were the names of the people nominated. Kang Woo-jin, of course, as well as Song Man-woo PD, Choi Na-na, the writer, and several key staff members. At this point, it was safe to say they had written a legend.

“We’ve already achieved a historic feat! A non-English drama being nominated in 10 categories at the ‘Emmys’!!”

“That’s right! This is more than enough to promote national prestige! It’s something the president would call about!”

Then, Kim So-hyang looked at the silent Kang Woo-jin and said.

“If we win even one of these awards… ‘Beneficial Evil’ will be talked about forever, including on Netflix.”

Later.

While Kang Woo-jin and the ‘Beneficial Evil’ team were having a frantic meeting at Netflix Korea, the frenzy was spreading throughout the entire Korean entertainment industry.

“E-Emmys!! Is this real?!! ‘Beneficial Evil’ is not only officially nominated! But it’s nominated in 10 categories?!”

“What?!! 10 categories?! Are you sure you’re not mistaken?!”

“Hey! Come and see for yourself!”

Broadcasting stations, film companies, production companies, news agencies, and other related industries were also reacting.

“Crazy!! One nomination is a big deal, but 10?!!”

They had confirmed the official nominations for this year, which the ‘Emmys’ had announced on their official website and through online live broadcasts. The repercussions of this globally open announcement instantly gripped and shook the entire country of Korea.

“Wow—what is this result! I thought they might get a directing nomination since the foreign media kept talking about the Emmys, but… 10 categories?!”

“And it’s not just any 10 categories! These are the main awards in the drama category at the Emmys!”

“…Has this ever happened before?”

“It’s happened a few times in Hollywood, but it’s the first time for Korea, no, for all of Asia! The fact that an Asian drama has turned the ‘Emmys’ upside down like this is unprecedented!”

And then.

“Send out the articles! Send them out as fast as possible! The title must include ‘Beneficial Evil,’ ‘Emmys,’ and Kang Woo-jin!”

“Yes!”

“No! First, blast out Kang Woo-jin’s Best Actor nomination!”

“Kang Woo-jin first?!”

“Yes!! Sell Kang Woo-jin first, then throw in ‘Beneficial Evil’ after that! Quickly!”

Kang Woo-jin’s name was now associated with an explosive power beyond glory. It was quite understandable. ‘Beneficial Evil’ had already shown its global box office power, and most recently, it had broken common sense by conquering even ‘Universal Movies’ [Universal Pictures].

So.

“Wow—Kang Woo-jin is nominated for Best Actor in the drama category at the ‘Emmys’?!”

“Huh?? Really?”

“…Yeah, look at this.”

“That’s crazy. Look at the level of the Hollywood actors he’s nominated with? It’s both proud and incredibly jealous that a Korean actor is among them.”

“Honestly, as a fellow actor, he’s amazing. He feels like a pioneer?”

“That’s right, he’s out there in Hollywood paving the way. In the past, his explosive moves seemed a bit strange, but… now I even deeply respect him. Even though he’s my junior.”

“What are you talking about? Someone at Kang Woo-jin’s level is a senior no matter what their career is.”

The main focus of ‘Beneficial Evil’ being nominated in 10 categories at the ‘Emmys,’ the symbol, was naturally Kang Woo-jin. Seeing this explosive news, reporters frantically sent out articles.

『[Breaking News] ‘Beneficial Evil’ Nominated in 10 Categories at the Emmys Drama Category, Kang Woo-jin Nominated for Best Actor!』

『Netflix’s ‘Beneficial Evil’ Did It… Massive Nominations at the US Emmys』

『Kang Woo-jin, First Asian Actor Nominated for Best Actor at the ‘Emmys’! ‘Beneficial Evil’ Achieves 10 Nominations』

Various news channels quickly prepared their reports. In addition, influencers, YouTubers, bloggers, and other figures sensitive to issues also moved quickly. It all happened within 30 minutes of the ‘Emmys’ official announcement. Before Netflix Korea or Kang Woo-jin and BW Entertainment could even release an official statement.

『[Official] ‘Beneficial Evil’s’ Kang Woo-jin Did It Again… Enters the US Emmys Best Actor Race! The Cannes Film Festival Was Just an Appetizer』

The huge issue spread throughout Korea in an instant. Of course, this was just the beginning. After conquering Korea, this news would surely spread to Japan, then to Hollywood, and then to the rest of the world.

Because of this, Kang Woo-jin would be treated even more like an alien in the world.

Overseas, including in Hollywood, the image of Kang Woo-jin was already that of an absurd eccentric. If you add this ‘Emmys’ news to that, his reputation would grow several times over. Of course, if Kang Woo-jin actually won the ‘Emmys’ Best Actor award, he would no longer be limited to Korea.

『Foreign Media Sees Kang Woo-jin as “Strong Candidate” for Emmys, “Predicts First Asian Best Actor Win”』

He could be considered a ‘hero’ for all of Asia.

That same afternoon.

Kang Woo-jin, who had been at Netflix Korea in the morning, had already moved to Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. The filming set of ‘Beneficial Evil.’ Even though it was a day that shocked the world, they couldn’t skip the scheduled filming. Woo-jin, who had arrived around noon, had been filming for several hours. It was currently a break time.

The filming atmosphere for ‘Beneficial Evil’ today was more dynamic than ever.

How could it not be?

Starting with Song Man-woo PD, over a hundred staff members, actors, and their staff—at least 200 people—all had the ‘Emmys’ on their minds. So, their energy was several times higher than usual, and their tension was also exploding. Choi Sung-gun and the team members around Kang Woo-jin were no different.

“Oh wow! Articles are being released every second!!”

“Wow! Oppa [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend]! Your Instagram followers are going crazy?!”

“The online communities are also in an uproar! It’s all about ‘Beneficial Evil,’ the ‘Emmys,’ and Woo-jin oppa!!”

Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, hadn’t put down the phone he had attached to his ear since the morning. That meant the calls were exploding. The same was true for Woo-jin’s phone. However, there were more messages than calls. The usual congratulations. Still, compared to the past, the number of people contacting him had increased significantly. The nationalities were also diverse.

Even.

‘Wow—Miley Karana and Chris Hartnett are one thing, but who are these Hollywood actors I’ve never even met?? What’s going on?’

Hollywood actors that Kang Woo-jin had never met were posting congratulatory messages on social media. Their common point was that they stated they were fans of Kang Woo-jin in their messages. Woo-jin found it somewhat amazing.

‘I’m getting a little excited, damn it.’

It wasn’t strange.

It was the form of a Hollywood star becoming a star.

At that moment.

-Vvvv, vvvvv.

His phone vibrated long. It was a call, and the caller was Director Ahn Ga-bok in LA. Kang Woo-jin, because of the noisy surroundings, got up and moved slightly to take the call.

“Yes, Director.”

An old voice was heard over the phone.

“Woo-jin, I must congratulate you first. About the ‘Emmys’ Best Actor nomination. You’ve done in just three years what all of Asia couldn’t do for decades.”

“You can say I’ve done it when I win the award.”

“Haha, yes. Was I too excited?”

“No, thank you.”

Then, Director Ahn Ga-bok’s tone changed slightly.

“Actually, the congratulations are just a side note. The script reading date has been set.”

It was the tone of the general director of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain.’

“It’s May 17th.”

The script reading was next week.