Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 73

73.

There’s something captivating about actors.

[They transform as individuals.]

People evolve.

The moment they commit to acting, they seem to change from the person you knew into someone fundamentally different.

To ordinary people, it’s almost magical.

[Like that guy who’s a total shut-in, but when he acts, he becomes a king straight out of a historical drama, you know?]

[Jim Carrey? How can that actor be this actor? I thought it was a completely different person.]

[An actor is an actor for a reason.]

The appearance remains the same.

The scent is the same.

It’s the person you’ve always known.

Even with all the familiar information, why do they feel like strangers?

It’s simple.

-As an actor, you must be able to change everything except your core self to truly embody the role.

Because that’s what defines an actor.

Because that’s what an actor is.

Simply put, an actor must be able to alter everything from their walk to their gestures, from their facial expressions to the tone, intonation, and subtle nuances of their voice.

-Abandon yourself. Abandon your walk, abandon the way you breathe. Abandon the pattern of blinking your eyes. You must abandon everything to become an actor.

That’s what acting is.

It’s about becoming someone other than yourself.

‘Change, huh.’

Lee Minki, dressed as an office worker, stood on the set of the studio shorts.

The suit was stylishly tailored.

A neatly pressed white shirt underneath, and slim-fit suit pants stretching down.

A company ID card swung cheerfully around his neck.

A typical new employee look.

But the role he’s been given is anything but typical.

‘……This is going to be a bit difficult.’

It was nothing less than becoming a completely different person.

Like Jekyll and Hyde, his task was to transform into a new person in an instant.

The comment accompanying the storyboard synopsis was this:

[The new employee transforms into a completely different person after drinking a cup of coffee.

It shows that you can change with just a drink you always have.

I want you to act out the change in energy.

Like Clark Kent in American movies puffs out his chest and raises his head to become Superman, I hope for a wonderful twist.]

Easier said than done.

It’s a challenge any actor would attempt at least once.

And the Superman transformation is a legendary reference in the industry.

Rustle, rustle.

Lee Minki repeatedly read the storyboard, its corners frayed from countless readings, and repeatedly fell into contemplation.

‘Come to think of it, I had to play a dual personality as an assignment at the academy before.’

What was it.

The actor could clearly recognize what to do in the gap of that change.

It was a pretty interesting assignment.

‘I played a man and a woman there.’

A male personality and a female personality.

A lot of research was needed to emphasize the gap between the two gender differences.

The feeling changes as much as heaven and earth with just the range of the pelvis moving when taking a step.

I also thought a lot about what a feminine look and a feminine posture are.

I was doing well for a while, but then my voice cracked in the middle of it, and I was ridiculed a lot.

“…….”

His face turned red.

‘Ugh…… I should have just done what everyone else was doing.’

Why do embarrassing memories always linger?

Anyway, it’s embarrassing, but I feel like I’m getting a sense of it.

It was the moment when I ran the simulation in my head for the last time.

“Ready.”

About twenty steps away, Director Kwon Yerin, huddled together with the staff, signaled to Lee Minki.

“Action!”

It’s the start.

The moment that voice echoed.

Lee Minki sat in the office chair, bowed his head, and sighed as if the ground was sinking.

“Hoo …….”

It’s nothing special.

He was just sitting in a chair and sighing in a voice that sounded like he was tired of the world.

But it felt like he was the only one in this world.

The actor Lee Minki, with his usual gentle and healthy image, disappeared with a short sigh.

What’s here is a completely different person.

Just an ordinary new employee A who is tired of company life.

His upper body, which was drooping with exhaustion, was so weak that I wanted to reach out and comfort him.

The next moment, it felt like he would shatter into pieces like glass if touched one more time.

“Oh, our youngest.”

A fat man approached and dropped the data on his desk with a thud.

“Oh, take this, take this. This too. You can do it all by lunchtime, right?”

It was a scene of dumping work.

But Lee Minki silently accepted them without saying anything.

And as the man was about to leave.

Instead of picking up the documents he had left behind, he glanced at them with a shaking gaze.

Clatter!

He strongly gripped the canned coffee placed on his desk.

It was a coffee with the brand BFC, Beomcheon Food Company, elegantly engraved on it.

Click!

Gulp, gulp.

Lee Minki emptied a can in an instant.

As soon as he picked up the documents and got up from his seat, Director Kwon Yerin’s heart started pounding.

‘It’s starting.’

It was the beginning of the ordeal in this storyboard.

‘It won’t be easy at all.’

It was an advertisement about how a person completely changes after drinking a cup of coffee.

When Lee Minki was going to the advertisement site last time, the copywriter came up with this idea after seeing the actress, who was sharply raising her voice, become docile as soon as she saw Lee Minki.

‘It’s fresh if it’s fresh, and simple if it’s simple.’

Anyway, there are so many advertisements with similar concepts that you can trip over them.

But an idea is originally there.

In this world where hundreds of advertisements pour out every day, there is no such thing as a completely fresh idea.

What really matters is how you make it.

How to direct and how to act.

‘Let’s see.’

Expectations are high for Lee Minki.

Because the life and death of the advertisement is scheduled to be determined by his acting skills.

Even if it’s a little lacking, you can just reshoot it, but there’s still a base, right?

‘If you’re going to touch it, you have to do as much as the floor you’re going to touch.’

Director Kwon Yerin hoped that Lee Minki would do it to a level that wouldn’t be embarrassing.

Tok! Clatter.

The moment the thought reached this point, the can fell to the floor and rolled coolly, and Lee Minki untied the tie around his neck and threw it on the floor.

Step.

At the same time, Lee Minki shoved one hand into his suit pants pocket and walked down the hallway with his shoes.

And.

‘Huh?’

Director Kwon Yerin’s eyes widened.

‘Is that the same person as before?’

He just got up from his chair.

In just a fleeting moment.

Lee Minki’s presence completely changed in the blink of an eye or two.

‘Were his shoulders that broad?’

Lee Minki’s crouching back spread out like a stingray, filling the set in an instant.

‘His jawline is really sharp.’

The jawline, which had been limply relaxed, tightened.

Confidence was born.

Swish.

Lee Minki swept his forehead with one hand.

The pre-set part was revealed, and the cool forehead revealed confidence.

He rolled up his sleeves.

Masculine arm muscles were revealed.

It was the forearm that had already demonstrated its power in the [Forever Green] days.

The metal watch wrapped around his wrist flaunted its thickness.

And.

‘His impression is really relaxed.’

Lee Minki’s face itself changed.

His eyebrows came down.

The drooping eyes went up.

His eyes widened.

The protruding lips went deep inside.

With each step he took, Lee Minki changed step by step as if he were going up an escalator.

Just a few seconds ago, he was a passive new employee, but when he took ten light steps, he had transformed into the hidden son of the chairman.

‘Crazy.’

‘Confidence is exploding.’

‘That style suits him too.’

‘Is that the same person as before?’

While the staff on set were surprised by Lee Minki’s change.

Lee Minki, who had walked right in front of the section chief’s seat with the sound of his shoes clicking, shouted in a cool voice.

“Excuse me, Section Chief.”

The next moment.

A pile of documents poured onto the section chief’s desk.

It was what the section chief had left a little while ago.

“Let’s split it up.”

“…….”

The section chief looked down at the spilled documents, his plump chin wiggling nicely.

As if something that should not have happened in this world had happened.

After looking back and forth between the documents and Lee Minki for a while, the moment his forehead trembled.

“Cut!”

Director Kwon Yerin’s voice echoed coolly in the air.

At the same time, the tension that had been held tightly like a taut string was released like an arrow leaving a bowstring.

‘Was it okay?’

Lee Minki flinched.

Acting like a person transforms in an instant after drinking a cup of coffee.

I practiced as much as I could, but it was such a unique act that even I wasn’t sure.

The moment of time passed when my heart was pounding like it was being hammered.

Director Kwon Yerin shouted with the brightest smile in the world.

“Minki, you’re a real genius?”

“…….”

It seems like I did well.

Lee Minki, who was finally relieved, sighed deeply and said.

“……Thank, mmp, you.”

Oh, I bit my tongue.

Lee Minki’s face turned red again because he hadn’t fully relaxed.

I’m embarrassed.

It was like this at the academy, but I did so well on set, but I made this mistake again at the end.

‘Ugh.’

I’m embarrassed because everyone’s watching.

But do you know that?

A mistake can have completely different results depending on who makes it in what situation.

‘Did you bite your tongue just now?’

A small smile spread among the staff.

‘He has that side of him too.’

‘I was a little scared after seeing his acting earlier, but he’s still cute.’

‘I’m going to have to become a Lee Minki fan from today.’

Director Kwon Yerin barely managed to suppress the urge to bury herself in the group and burst into laughter, and said.

“You did so well. Let’s shoot from a different angle again.”

* * *

That evening.

“I’m going to make it to the level where it can be submitted to Cannes (one of the world’s top 3 international advertising festivals).”

The filming came to an end with Director Kwon Yerin’s overflowing confidence.

“Haha, but wouldn’t Cannes be a little difficult?”

“Why difficult? You might be able to go if you do well.”

Is that easy?

The number of Korean actors who have entered Cannes can be counted on one hand.

‘It would be nice if that were me.’

Well, it still felt like a star in the sky that was too far away to even aim for.

Rather than Lee Minki simply undervaluing himself, Cannes itself is like a dream for people in this industry.

Meanwhile, Director Kwon Yerin had a very excited expression.

The appearance that had felt cold to the point of being aloof when we first met was so hard to find even a trace of it.

“I was a little surprised today, you know? Minki did so well. New actors sometimes have a lot of difficulties blooming…… Oh, this is not something to say to Minki. Hehe. Anyway, look forward to it.”

“I’ll trust you, Director.”

Lee Minki wrapped up his surprised heart with a short laugh.

‘Does a person change that much?’

She likes it so much.

Like that favor can be caught in hand.

But originally, the director and the actor were in this kind of relationship.

Just as a craftsman who has obtained a good tool rejoices as if he has found a partner, a good actor is a muse to the director.

Lee Minki was an actor who inspired Director Kwon Yerin.

Of course.

“I should contact actor Lee Minki when I make my debut later.”

So did the other staff.

Lee Minki was on their lips all day long.

Mostly in a good way.

“You idiot, will actor Lee Minki be at a level where he can film a work with you at that time?”

“Well, there’s no law that says you can’t poke a Hollywood actor, right?”

Among them, there were some who actually took courage, not just talking.

“Actor, we’re going to have a company dinner together in the evening, would you like to come with us?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I have a workout appointment later.”

“Wow…… self-management.”

Of course, just because you take courage doesn’t necessarily lead to results.

Rejection doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad feeling.

“He manages himself like that, so he has that body.”

“Anyone can’t be an actor.”

“That person will succeed.”

With that, Lee Minki left the studio with a much more pleasant heart, leaving the drinking party behind.

To work out, no less.

What can I do since Director Kwon of [Gym near my house] comes to visit me directly?

In the past, I would have tried to make excuses when I really couldn’t go, but now there’s no room for that.

‘I’m busy. I’m busy.’

I have to go home, put my luggage down, and go right away.

Lee Minki was walking down the alley near the entrance to the apartment with that thought.

“…….”

Somewhere around that alley.

A ominous man was standing on the road about 20 meters away.

Wearing a hood.

Holding something wrapped in newspaper in one hand.

‘Could this be, that?’

As Lee Minki flinched.

The other person thought.

‘I found you, Lee Minki.’

I barely met him.