I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor - Chapter 419: Appearance (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
When Kang Woojin first arrived at the script reading venue for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, he had only one thought.
‘Huh, it’s not all that different from Korea, is it?’
It didn’t feel unfamiliar. Even though this was Hollywood, which ruled the global film industry, the script reading itself wasn’t anything special. The atmosphere was almost identical to that of Korea.
There was just one difference.
Everyone, without exception, was a foreigner.
As expected, Woojin’s thoughts were right. No matter how massive Hollywood’s reputation was, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about it. Just before arriving, he had felt a bit nervous since this was his first Hollywood script reading experience, but the familiar atmosphere quickly eased his tension.
However, his mindset was a little different than usual.
His fighting spirit had surged. Kang Woojin was the only Korean actor in this script reading room. Moreover, he was the male lead of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. Even if the script reading setting was nearly identical, the background and the people were completely different. If script readings in Korea were a battlefield for maintaining his concept, here, it was a battlefield where he had to unleash his pride as Korea’s representative.
Beyond this hallway, once he entered the reading room, countless Hollywood actors would be lined up.
‘They’ll all be watching me, won’t they?’
There was no doubt that they would be judging him, the only Korean actor and male lead of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, and the very person who had been shaking up Hollywood with multiple issues recently. It was only natural for them to be curious.
Is this what it feels like to be a national representative?
Even though no one had particularly challenged him, yet something hot was welling up inside Woojin’s heart. It wasn’t about crushing everyone but rather about making his presence unmistakably clear. Something like, ‘I am Kang Woojin’?
But there was no need to overdo it.
‘Acting too tough and trying to seem strong often makes you look weak. Yeah, that’s right. Keep it cool, stay flexible and composed. But when it’s time to show my skills, make it undeniable.’
Just as Woojin reached the reading room, the first thing he saw was the back of a Hollywood top star he was quite familiar with. It was Chris Hartnett. He was speaking to the people inside the reading room.
“Besides, I didn’t even attempt the audition. I gave up after watching Kang Woojin act or you could say I lost the will to compete.”
Wait, what is this guy talking about? Woojin’s face remained indifferent, but internally, he was quite surprised.
‘What? What is he saying??!’
Hearing someone talk about him was already odd enough, but what was even stranger was how Chris was casually blurting out such a sensitive topic as if it were nothing.
‘Is this just how Hollywood is? Damn, they’re so open. Or is it just that this guy is weird?’
Woojin was tempted to watch a bit more, but instead, he decided to make his presence known to Chris with a low-toned greeting in English.
“Hello, Chris.”
Chris Hartnett flinched slightly and turned around. By then, Woojin had already equipped his concept as he stepped calmly into the reading room. A spacious area with a table in the center, packed with foreign actors. To the left, dozens of chairs filled with more people.
“……”
Woojin quietly scanned the numerous foreigners. His expression barely changed. The unusual thing was that, despite the room being filled with Hollywood actors, it was eerily silent. And all of them, without exception, were staring at him.
It was an overwhelmingly pressuring situation, yet Woojin remained unfazed.
At that moment.
-Swoosh.
Chris Hartnett, with his striking deep brown eyes, smoothly approached Woojin, wearing a faint smile.
“It’s been a while. Your aura is quite different from the last time I saw you.”
He was referring to multiple Hollywood-related achievements, including the ‘Emmy Award’ for Best Actor. Woojin, after briefly shaking hands with Chris, responded concisely.
“Thanks for the support you sent through DM.”
“Oh, come on. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Friends? With who? Me? Internally, Woojin tilted his head in confusion, but outwardly, he simply nodded nonchalantly.
“Sure.”
Even while Woojin was having a casual conversation with Chris, the reading room remained silent aside from the two of them. However, everyone was assessing the newly arrived Kang Woojin.
That included the invited foreign reporters.
‘Impressive- such composure, and the atmosphere around him is definitely different.’
‘This must be his first script reading in Hollywood… yet he stands firm without a hint of hesitation. Arrogance? No, he just seems strong.’
Actors’ team members, staff, and production crew, all of them. Especially the Hollywood actors seated at the table, whose minds were buzzing with thoughts.
‘It’s expected for the male lead, but he’s not intimidated at all. On top of that, his aura is so heavy.’
‘Is he close with Chris? More than that, even with all the controversies surrounding him, he hasn’t been in Hollywood for long, so why does he seem so relaxed?’
‘There’s no awkwardness at all… but he’s more cynical than I expected? Is that just his natural persona?’
‘His aura is definitely not ordinary.’
Though silent, a flood of internal evaluations about Kang Woojin was being exchanged. The general consensus was simple: He’s definitely not ordinary. And that extraordinary Kang Woojin was internally getting excited while marveling at the scene before him.
‘Ohh- so many actors here. I’ve seen that actor and that actor before, and that one too!’
There were plenty of Hollywood actors he recognized. It made him realize once again how far he had come.
‘You never know where life will take you. Who would’ve thought I’d be doing a script reading with these people?’
After greeting Chris and the surrounding foreign actors with appropriate courtesy, Woojin moved to take his seat. The excessive attention on him was starting to feel a bit tiresome. Scanning the room, he found his designated spot.
– [Henry Gordon / Kang Woojin]
It was the seat of the male lead in ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, as well as the seat of the very first character in Columbia Studios’ high-stakes Cinematic Universe.
-Swish.
As Woojin sat down, a strange tension spread through the reading room. The executives from ‘Columbia Studios’, seated in the back row, slowly nodded in approval.
‘The first villain should have at least this much presence.’
They were already getting swept up in Kang Woojin’s concept mode. Soon after, Chris took the seat to Woojin’s right. With his arrival, all the actor seats at the table were filled.
All the actors had arrived.
Then.
-Pababababak!
A barrage of camera shutters went off. The reporters had begun capturing the completed cast lineup of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’.
Of course.
‘Kang Woojin is the focal point.’
‘The main figure here is Kang Woojin.’
Every photo inevitably included Woojin. Chris, sitting to his right, was also caught in every shot.
At that moment.
-Ssshh.
A few additional figures entered the already heated reading room. One was a wrinkled-faced Korean man, Director Ahn Ga-bok. The other was a woman with an intense presence, the executive producer of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. As soon as Ahn Ga-bok entered, he began greeting several film executives and staff members.
“……”
Yet, his eyes met those of Kang Woojin, who was seated in the male lead’s chair.
‘It suits him well. Is this the second time since ‘Leech’?’
The circumstances, the actors, and the Hollywood setting were all different from before, but one element remained unchanged, there was a unique commonality between the past and present.
Ahn Ga-bok was still the director.
Kang Woojin was still the male lead.
With that, Director Ahn Ga-bok and the producer made their way to their seats.
At the rectangular table, right next to Woojin, Ahn Ga-bok pulled out the head seat’s chair and looked at Woojin as he spoke in a low voice. In Korean.
“Let’s enjoy this. And take it easy, take it easy.”
Shortly after.
With Director Ahn Ga-bok’s arrival, the script reading for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ officially began. Inside the spacious reading room, dozens of Hollywood actors and at least a hundred foreign crew members were gathered. The one commanding the atmosphere was none other than Director Ahn Ga-bok.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Ahn Ga-bok, the director of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’.”
As soon as he greeted them, applause filled the room. The next to speak was the executive producer, followed by Director Ahn Ga-bok, who continued.
“First, thank you all for joining ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. With so much interest surrounding this project and as the grand beginning of our Cinematic Universe, we will give it our absolute best. I believe everyone here shares the same mindset. I look forward to working with you all. The script is prepared, but feel free to make it your own.”
A serious atmosphere soon took over the room. Kang Woojin’s expression also grew noticeably rigid. However, inside, his mind was elsewhere.
‘Whoa- damn, the old man… I mean, Director Ahn’s English has improved a lot!’
Before long, Director Ahn Ga-bok began introducing the actors.
“Kang Woojin, playing the role of Henry Gordon.”
Woojin, momentarily lost in thought, snapped back to reality and immediately shifted into concept mode. Rising smoothly to his feet, he spoke in a deep, weighty voice in English.
“I’m Kang Woojin. I look forward to an enjoyable filming.”
A simple and concise greeting. Some Hollywood actors looked slightly surprised, with a few even furrowing their brows.
‘Is he nervous? He doesn’t seem like it, though.’
Regardless, Director Ahn continued introducing the cast. Next up was Chris Hartnett, who, unlike Woojin, mixed humor into his greeting. The introductions of the entire cast took over 30 minutes. Including the executive producer, key staff members, and ‘Columbia Studios’ executives, the process lasted nearly an hour.
Finally.
-Rustle.
With his wrinkled hands, Director Ahn Ga-bok flipped open the script. Following his lead, Kang Woojin, Chris, and all the other Hollywood actors did the same. The filming crew checked the cameras positioned around the room, while the reporters and others turned their attention toward the actors.
More specifically, most eyes were on Kang Woojin.
The official start of the ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ script reading began with Director Ahn Ga-bok’s voice.
“A bus is speeding down the road at night.”
Naturally, Director Ahn handled the scene descriptions and supplementary narration. The beginning of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ did not start with ‘Henry Gordon’ but rather with a brief glimpse of his awakened ‘Joker’ persona.
After reading the opening scene, Director Ahn passed the baton to Kang Woojin.
“……”
By this point, Woojin had already drawn up ‘Henry Gordon’. No- he had fully become ‘Joker’.
Chris and the surrounding Hollywood actors disappeared from his perception.
All he could see was a graffiti-covered bus. The sound of its exhaust echoed in his ears. His slightly damp red hair pricked at his eyes.
“Phew-”
He roughly swept his hair back.
Madness. Madness coursed through his veins. It seeped into his organs, into his brain. Tragedy and comedy coexisted. His emotions surged. There was no need for explanation. After all, they wouldn’t understand him anyway.
Kang Woojin’s mouth twisted into a grin.
Would ‘grinning’ even be the right way to describe it? There was no other way to put it.
A deeply unsettling expression and piercing eyes. Tragedy and comedy existed simultaneously on his face. At a glance, he seemed terrifying, someone to run away from, but strangely, he also felt reliable.
For the first time, dozens of Hollywood actors got a taste of Kang Woojin’s ‘Henry Gordon’.
“……”
“……”
Some actors slightly parted their lips, while others furrowed their brows, as if thinking, What the hell is this?
The next part of the script introduced a group of punk thugs who started causing trouble. Since they were minor roles, their lines were read by Director Ahn and the producer.
Violence ensued. Kang Woojin’s grin widened even further.
“Huuu-”
Even though he wasn’t actually being beaten, Woojin’s laughter grew even wilder, his madness intensifying.
“Keuk, keuk, keuk! Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!”
His eerie laughter filled the entire reading room.
At that moment, every single person, actors, dozens of staff members, and reporters, felt goosebumps rise on their arms.
He jumped straight into this level of acting the moment the script reading began?
However, the reading did not stop. This time, Director Ahn Ga-bok took on the role of the bus driver and delivered his line.
“Y-you! You’re crazy!”
Kang Woojin, tilting his head slightly at an angle, responded.
“Crazy? What a compliment.”
Within this scene, which lasted less than ten minutes, the way every actor perceived Kang Woojin shifted.
‘……’Joker’.’
‘My God, it’s as if he tore through the script and emerged into reality.’
‘Damn it, I’m watching a performance, so why do I feel like I’m seeing things?’
The seated Woojin had vanished entirely, replaced by a white-and-red-painted ‘Pierrot’.
But that transformation did not last long.
“A man in a tattered zip-up hoodie walks down the street.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok’s narration signaled a scene change.
In that instant, the madness-filled laughter of Woojin disappeared. It happened in a fraction of a second. And now, Kang Woojin was.
“What?”
“Ah, no, I just-”
A weak and timid ‘Henry Gordon’ with slumped shoulders. He was an entirely different person. Yet, he didn’t seem like a complete fool. His expression and posture were fragile, but within Woojin’s gaze, there was a faintly hidden fury. It could be felt in his breathing and in the subtle intensity of his lines.
The madness hadn’t disappeared. He had simply buried it deep within.
As they observed Woojin’s absurdly immersive acting, the Hollywood actors gradually came to a realization.
‘……Now I understand why he was chosen as ‘Henry Gordon’.’
They began to acknowledge him.
‘I can’t believe what I’m seeing. How can he perform at such a high level so effortlessly?’
‘Method acting? No, this is something even beyond that. Incredible. No wonder he beat out Chris.’
‘Shit. The goosebumps won’t go away. Honestly, I thought it would feel off somehow… but it doesn’t. This isn’t acting, he is ‘Joker’.’
They finally understood why this Korean actor, Kang Woojin, was sitting in the lead role of such a massive film, why he had been given a seat ahead of Chris.
‘There’s no need to analyze it. I was completely drawn in. With acting like that, how could they not give him the role of ‘Henry Gordon’?’
The Hollywood actors were deeply shaken. At the same time, the curiosity and skepticism they had harbored at the beginning were wiped away completely.
‘Crazy. It feels like we’re in the same space as ‘Joker’. No wonder Chris gave up on auditioning.’
At this point, refusing to acknowledge Kang Woojin was nothing more than sheer arrogance.
With that, Henry Gordon’s scene came to an end.
Before moving on to the next scene, Director Ahn Ga-bok softly called, ‘Cut’. Since this was the first gathering of the cast, he was giving them brief moments to recalibrate between takes.
Soon, murmurs spread throughout the reading room. Reporters, staff, and others were all busy exchanging words.
At that moment.
“Mr. Kang Woojin.”
Chris, who had been slightly tilting his head while watching Woojin scan the script with an indifferent expression, spoke up.
“You feel a bit different from the audition. Like you’re holding back a little.”
Woojin, after briefly looking at Chris, answered simply.
“I just did it moderately since it’s a script reading.”
It was the truth.
Instantly, the expressions of dozens of Hollywood actors visibly twisted.
‘What? That was, moderate?’
