Translator: Dreamscribe
Chris Hartnett was a Hollywood superstar, comparable to Miley Cara. In terms of recognition, influence, and impact. Such a figure as Chris had humbled himself endlessly while recalling Kang Woojin, an actor from Korea.
“It’s a shame to let what I prepared go to waste, but, well, just thinking about performing tricks in front of the ‘real deal’ made my mind go blank.”
He even referred to his own acting as mere tricks. In fact, Chris now saw all the Hollywood actors of a similar caliber to himself, who attended that audition, as being in the same boat.
“Whether it was in front of Kang Woojin or behind him, the result wouldn’t have changed. To that man, it must have all looked like mere child’s play.”
If that arrogant monster had seen it, he would’ve just snorted in disdain. Chris, who had prepared significantly for that audition, could have performed his acting, if only out of regret. But after watching Kang Woojin’s ‘Joker’, his body refused to move.
Perhaps it was his last shred of pride?
He was someone whose self-esteem and sense of dignity were usually high. If he felt jealous, he would turn it into ferocity and charge head-on. That’s why he had harbored expectations even in the small clash he had with Woojin. He wondered what kind of battle he could wage against him. But no matter how much he thought about it, competing with the real deal was simply impossible.
“I just couldn’t bring myself to perform those tricks.”
Isn’t giving up sometimes a form of courage? After witnessing Kang Woojin’s immense acting skills, Chris erased all possibilities. Thoughts like “If I try just a little harder, I might succeed” can sometimes drive a person to ruin. In any case, Chris let out a long sigh while looking out the window.
“Giving up doesn’t feel all that bad.”
He smiled slightly, though with a tinge of bitterness. Seeing this, the surrounding team members cautiously observed him, and noticing their glances, Chris shrugged and gestured to reassure them.
“I’m fine. Really, I mean it when I say it doesn’t feel bad. What happened today will eventually benefit me in some way in the future.”
To the optimistic Chris, his plump manager replied.
“If you say so, got it. You worked hard. Let’s forget about it quickly and look for another project.”
Chris turned his gaze back out the window.
“So, what did you think of Kang Woojin’s acting? No, his performance on stage?”
“……Honestly, I still can’t believe it. Sure, he won the Best Actor award at Cannes, but to think he was at that level, remember when you had that spat with him? I’m embarrassed at how I used to disregard him back then.”
“Haha, then apologize to Kang Woojin the next time you meet him.”
“It’s not like I said it to his face! Never mind, we should focus on the next thing now. Go through the other scripts we’ve received, and I’ll start preparing for meetings on the projects I’ve put on hold.”
As the manager pulled out his phone, Chris turned his head toward him.
“I gave up on ‘Henry Gordon’, but I haven’t let go of ‘Pierrot.’”
“What?”
“Don’t you want to see it? A ‘Joker’ where everything is perfectly in place. I’m dying of curiosity.”
“You…don’t tell me.”
Chris’s laughter deepened as he crossed his legs.
“Contact the people at ‘Columbia Studios’ again. Tell them I’m interested in a role other than ‘Henry Gordon’.”
“Another role? In ‘Pierrot’, aside from ‘Henry Gordon’, even the best you could hope for is a supporting role.”
“I don’t care.”
For the record, Chris had never stepped down from a leading role since rising to the top ranks in Hollywood. So, as his manager, this decision left his mouth hanging open. However, Chris Hartnett’s expression at that moment was refreshingly bright. Of course, he was thinking about Kang Woojin.
“No matter what role it is, I want to join ‘Pierrot’. Even if it’s just a minor role.”
Meanwhile, at the audition venue for ‘Pierrot’,
Inside one of the large vans exiting the massive ‘Columbia Studios’ lot, which was almost empty now, Kang Woojin could be found. After the auditions and screen tests for ‘Pierrot’ had all ended, Woojin had exchanged some polite farewells with the people involved and had a brief conversation with Director Ahn Ga-bok, making him the last to leave.
“……”
Woojin, with his characteristic indifference, was checking his phone. There were many messages piled up. At the same time, he was mentally replaying the audition that had taken place earlier. Perhaps because he had done something quite insane, the excitement had yet to fade.
‘It was pretty damn fun, wasn’t it?’
There was no regret. He had done everything he could.
‘I must have stood out the most. Even the CEO and Director Ahn said so. I feel like I might have overdone it a bit, but who cares.’
Although Woojin had delivered a stunning performance at the audition, there was no guarantee of a 100% success rate. After all, Hollywood was full of unexpected twists. Besides, Kang Woojin had also heard various things here and there. In Hollywood, actors weren’t chosen solely based on their acting skills. Factors like the actor’s recognition, rumors surrounding them, and every little detail about them were meticulously evaluated before reaching a decision.
‘It’s also true that Korean actors don’t have much of a presence in Hollywood. Whatever, damn it. If I don’t make it, I can just do something else.’
Though it would be a shame to miss out on the EX+ grade project ‘Pierrot’, Kang Woojin wasn’t too concerned about the possibility of not passing. After all, there was still ‘Beast and the Beauty’, and Hollywood was vast with plenty of projects to go around. Overcoming a slight rising sense of anxiety, Kang Woojin stayed composed. Meanwhile, the team around him, aside from his stylist team, was in a frenzy.
“Oppa? How did it go??!”
“Yes, yes! That’s right! You’re not saying anything, so we’re dying of curiosity! Did the audition go well?”
“Of course, Oppa! You totally crushed those Hollywood actors, right??”
“Wow- by the way, how was Chris Hartnett in real life?”
“I saw Tom Brando earlier, and oh my god, he was incredible.”
Since no one besides Choi Sung-gun had seen Woojin’s audition, their reactions were natural. Soon, Choi Sung-gun, who was seated in the passenger seat and observing Kang Woojin’s expression through the rearview mirror, turned his body around.
“Woojin.”
The presence that Choi Sung-gun had witnessed in Kang Woojin was overwhelming. His opinion? Kang Woojin had utterly outclassed those so-called Hollywood stars. Even Chris Hartnett had declared his surrender. This meant that Woojin had a strong chance. His heart thumped loudly as he realized that after three years, Woojin’s Hollywood debut as a lead actor was coming into view.
Then, Choi Sung-gun asked Kang Woojin,
“What do you think?”
What do I think? How would I know anything? Woojin didn’t know either. He had considered the possibility of failure. But for now, he decided to put on a strong front.
“You’d better start thinking about how much I’m worth.”
Choi Sung-gun smirked.
“Ha, I knew you’d say that.”
The price he had in mind for Kang Woojin’s worth was,
“Don’t worry. That part has already been sorted out.”
It would be on a completely different level than before.
Later.
While it was around noon in LA, it was early morning in Korea. In Korea, which was abuzz with issues surrounding the soon-to-be-launched ‘Beneficial Evil’.
『With the launch of “Beneficial Evil” imminent, teaser and trailer views reach millions… Overseas audiences show explosive interest』
News of Kang Woojin slowly began to spread.
『[Star Talk] Kang Woojin departs for LA, completes auditions and screen tests for ‘Pierrot’. What’s the result?』
『Auditions for ‘Pierrot’ conclude… How did Kang Woojin fare against Chris Hartnett and other Hollywood superstars?』
The domestic media had caught wind of the fact that the auditions for ‘Pierrot’ were over.
As a result, not only the media but also public opinion gradually began to stir. Questions about how the audition had gone, what kind of competition Kang Woojin had with Hollywood’s top actors, and when the results would be announced spread rapidly across social media and online communities.
Naturally, baseless rumors and nonsense began to creep out as well.
– I heard from someone involved in the audition that Kang Woojin totally screwed up ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. FYI, I work for a production company in New York.
Given the provocative nature of the topic, rumors spread like wildfire. Interestingly, the rumors were rampant even in Hollywood. What was notable was that Hollywood rumors carried a certain level of credibility.
“I heard there was an actor in the ‘Pierrot’ audition who completely overwhelmed the judges?”
“Oh- really? Well, the lineup of candidates for that role was pretty impressive. But what happened with Kang Woojin?”
“Not sure. I haven’t heard anything about him. But since it’s been quiet, he probably didn’t stand out much.”
The reason for this was simple.
The rumors about the ‘Pierrot’ audition and screen test originated from key staff members who had attended. Since the details were classified, there were no concrete facts, but vague rumors about the audition had already spread widely throughout LA.
“I heard there was even an actor who gave up on the audition.”
“Gave up? On the audition? Were they in bad condition? But who gave up?”
“I don’t know their name, but my guess is Kang Woojin.”
“Hmm. That’s plausible. It’s a project of overwhelming scale for him, and it’s his first time in Hollywood.”
And so, about two days passed.
Friday, the 28th.
As soon as the morning arrived, one of Hollywood’s Big Five, ‘Columbia Studios’, was buzzing in a large conference room. The ㄷ-shaped table, large enough to comfortably seat 50 people, was completely filled. The faces of the foreigners seated at the table were quite familiar.
That was to be expected.
Every person in this room was either part of the production team for ‘Pierrot’ or an executive from ‘Columbia Studios’. Among them were also those who had observed the audition, including Director Ahn Ga-bok and the executive producer.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
More than 50 people were silently watching the video being displayed on the screen at the front. The screen was playing footage from the ‘Pierrot’ audition and screen test. In other words, this group had been gathered to evaluate the results after the audition.
On the screen, various Hollywood actors appeared.
Without a doubt, their performances were impressive. Even though these performances had already been witnessed at the audition venue, they were still captivating upon rewatching. At least, that’s what those who had observed the audition thought. Normally, this would be the moment where discussions would begin, praising the actors’ poised performances. After all, debates were necessary to finalize the casting decisions.
However, everyone’s expressions were devoid of excitement, and no one spoke a word.
“……”
“……”
“……”
They simply stared blankly at the audition footage displayed on the screen.
At this point,
-[“Next – Kang Woojin.”]
The voice of a female producer echoed, and then Kang Woojin appeared on the screen.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the conference room underwent a dramatic shift.
Here and there, faint gasps and murmurs of admiration could be heard, mixed with various other sounds. Some people were so surprised they covered their mouths, while others let out awkward chuckles in disbelief. Soon, the screen showed Kang Woojin grabbing the head of a bald executive. At this, the bald executive among the 50 attendees unconsciously rubbed his head, recalling the shocking emotions he had felt during the audition a few days ago.
‘It’s still vivid in my mind, the madness and violence mixed in his eyes.’
This heavy atmosphere intensified as time passed, and as soon as Kang Woojin’s segment ended on the screen, the room suddenly grew cold. Of course, there was a bit of murmuring earlier when Chris Hartnett’s statement about giving up was mentioned.
Another five minutes passed.
The conference room, filled with many of Hollywood’s biggest players, remained silent. For ‘Columbia Studios’, which had produced countless projects and held an innumerable number of hits, this was an unprecedented situation. Not a single person had voiced an opinion while watching the audition footage.
It was as if everyone was thinking, “Does it even matter?”
In fact, everyone in the room was having similar thoughts.
‘There’s no way opinions would be divided.’
‘Probably, everyone’s already arrived at the same conclusion.’
‘Has there ever been a situation like this, just two days after an audition?’
‘I was there in person, but watching it again on video still gives me chills. There’s no point in discussing this.’
‘Honestly… I can barely even recall the performances of the other actors.’
Director Ahn Ga-bok, whose face was lined with wrinkles, observed the expressions of the foreigners gathered in the conference room.
‘I was stunned too, seeing the absurd monstrosity of that man for the first time. I understand, because I felt the same way.’
It was only natural, never before had a decision about an actor been made this quickly, without any discussions or conflicts. Typically, choosing an actor in Hollywood takes a considerable amount of time. Pre-verification, multiple meetings, auditions and screen tests, followed by more meetings, and finally the contract process. It’s a procedure that takes at least several weeks, sometimes up to a month.
If the actor were to be decided at this pace, it could be seen as setting a new record.
At that moment.
“Hmm-”
A female producer, whose appearance gave off a rather stern impression, broke the silence for the first time while staring at the frozen screen of the video.
“Even though it’s an audition video, it turned into a one-man talk show, didn’t it? The ‘Joker’ running wild.”
A few days later, on January 30th, at Kang Woojin’s house in LA.
Kang Woojin, who had been staying in LA for his schedule, woke up in the bedroom on the second floor.
“……Ugh!”
He immediately stretched his body. Although he still hadn’t fully adjusted to the spacious house in LA, he seemed to have slept quite well. With his hair disheveled, Woojin let out a loud yawn and swept his arms across the bed, almost as if he were flapping wings.
-Thud.
Something bumped against his left hand. A phone. Woojin yawned again and turned on his phone. The time was past 9 in the morning. One thing he liked about being in LA was that he had never woken up at dawn.
At that moment,
-Bzzz, bzzzz.
Suddenly, the phone screen changed. A call was coming in. The caller ID showed it was Director Ahn Ga-bok. What was this about? This was after the ‘Pierrot’ audition. The call was clearly related to that. Soon, Woojin cleared his throat, adjusted his voice, and brought the phone to his ear, lowering his tone.
“Yes, Director-nim. Good morning.”
From the other side of the phone came the elderly voice of Director Ahn Ga-bok. For some reason, he sounded slightly excited.
“Hmm, sorry to bother you this early. But I thought I should tell you right away.”
“It’s no problem. Please go ahead.”
Then, through the phone, Director Ahn Ga-bok made his announcement.
“The ‘Joker’ in ‘Pierrot’ is yours.”