I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor - Chapter 422: Appearance (5)
Translator: Dreamscribe
After all the filming for ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 was completed, the official announcement of the ‘Primetime Emmy Awards’ ceremony date spread throughout the entire set, just as the staff were already in a frenzy.
“PD-nim!! The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the Emmy Awards date!”
It started with an assistant director, and soon, the news reached PD Song Man-woo, over a hundred staff members, and Kang Woojin.
“August 1st!! It’s on August 1st!!”
The staff, who were already ecstatic from wrapping up filming, went completely wild.
“Whoa!! August 1st??! That means it’s less than two months away??!”
“Whoa- PD-nim! Are you finally stepping onto the ‘Emmy Awards’ stage??!”
“Amazing! PD-nim! Who’s going?! Who’s going?!”
“By the way, does anyone know where the ‘Emmy Awards’ are held?”
“Hey, hey! Were you all just getting excited without even knowing that?!”
“Do you know, camera director-nim?!”
“Of course! I’m going too!”
The atmosphere of the set instantly shifted to focus on the ‘Emmy Awards’. The same was true for Kang Woojin’s team. From the stylists to all the team members, everyone was busy checking their phones, while Choi Sung-gun was already calling the company’s PR team.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin was.
“……”
Calm. His reaction wasn’t much different. He genuinely had no particular thoughts about it. He acknowledged that the ‘Emmys’ were a big deal, but the overall picture seemed similar to the ‘Cannes Film Festival’.
‘Well, getting nominated for Best Actor was a bit surprising, though.’
As more people arrived on set, including writer Choi Na-na and executive director Kim So-hyang, the excitement only escalated further.
‘Beneficial Evil’ had been nominated in a staggering 10 categories.
Best Actor, Best Drama Series, Best Directing, and more. Meaning, many people from this set, PD Song Man-woo, writer Choi Na-na, Kang Woojin, the music director, art director, cinematographer, and others, would be heading to the ‘Emmy Awards’. Naturally, Netflix Korea would also be joining them. It was going to be a massive delegation, and ‘Beneficial Evil’ was making history as the first Asian production to be nominated for so many awards at the ‘Emmys’.
It was completely understandable why everyone was losing their minds.
And then.
-Vroom!
By the time Kang Woojin got into the van and started moving, the news had already spread across the entire country.
‘As expected, reporters are fast. Really fast.’
The ‘Emmy Awards’ news was already dominating the main pages of every major portal site.
『[Issue Talk] ‘Primetime Emmy Awards’ officially set for August 1st!』
『’Beneficial Evil’ nominated in 10 categories at the ‘Emmys’, the global festival set to be held grandly on August 1st』
The fact that ‘Beneficial Evil’ had set an unprecedented record for Asia was already a national sensation in Korea.
『August 1st confirmed for the ‘Emmys’! What are Beneficial Evil’s and Kang Woojin’s chances of winning?』
Though there were still about two months left, the domestic media were firing off articles as if the ‘Emmys’ were happening in just two hours.
『[Issue IS] About two months until the ‘Emmys’! Will Kang Woojin have to attend while filming a Hollywood project?』
『If they win even one of the 10 categories, it’s huge! Global attention on ‘Beneficial Evil’!』
The public, too, was quick to flood the internet with comments.
-ㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅜㅜFinally, it’s happening!! Cheering for them!!
-Ha, shitㅋㅋㅋㅋThere’s still time left, but why am I already nervous?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Where can we watch the Emmys? Is there a live stream?
-These days, all awards shows stream live on YouTubeㅇㅇㅇ
-10 nominations… That’s legendary…
-But looking at Kang Woojin, he’s literally attending all the major film festivalsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Korean ones, Cannes, and now the ‘Emmys’ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-If ‘Beneficial Evil’ sweeps all the awards, that would be insane!!!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-I’m holding my breath until August 1st.
-Cannes, Emmys, and even the Academy Awards within three years, Is Kang Woojin the first to do this??
-The way people are talking, it sounds like he already won an Academy Awardㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Like that’s just some small convenience store?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
.
.
.
The heated atmosphere carried on through the night, into the early morning, and even into the next day. Around this time, Netflix Korea dropped another major announcement, further escalating the excitement.
『[Official] Netflix Korea: “‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 filming is complete, set to launch as early as September.”』
They had officially announced the crank-up of ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2.
Early June in Korea was filled with noise and excitement.
The media, public opinion, various platforms, SNS, YouTube, everywhere was hungry for the same topic. Information was overflowing, but everything was selling like hotcakes.
『’Beneficial Evil’ Part 2 filming wraps up, ‘Emmys’ in August, and Part 2 launching in September… Netizens: “It’ll be huge if they win awards and then release part 2?”』
Regardless of whether it was ‘Beneficial Evil’ or the ‘Emmys’, the main focus was Woojin. Yet, surprisingly, Woojin himself wasn’t making any flashy moves, quietly handling his remaining schedule. There were only a few days left until June 11th, and his departure was set for June 8th.
However, there was no official announcement yet.
Then, two days later.
-[Hello, this is ‘Columbia Studios’. We bring you new updates regarding ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. Soon, on June 11th, the first filming session for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ will take place. Currently, Director Ahn Ga-bok and the staff are preparing with utmost dedication…]
‘Columbia Studios’ officially announced the crank-in of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ to the world. They used their official SNS accounts and YouTube, and soon, foreign press turned it into articles that spread widely.
『CNM/’Columbia Studios’ kicks off its cinematic universe with ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’! Official crank-in on June 11th! Where will the first filming take place?』
‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ had already been under excessive attention for a long time, and since it was the first film following the bombshell that Kang Woojin had dropped, the volume of related articles was overwhelming.
『NT/The world’s eyes on South Korean actor Kang Woojin! With the first filming of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ confirmed, ‘Reddit’ is buzzing again!』
As a result, Hollywood spent the entire day buzzing about ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, and the heat quickly spread to Korea, which was already fired up over the ‘Emmys’.
Around this time, Kang Woojin’s side made an official statement.
-Whoa… Kang Woojin is flying out on the 8th… Just the fact that he’s the lead in a major Hollywood film is insanely cool.
The official statement confirmed that Woojin, having completed filming for ‘Beneficial Evil’, would be departing on the 8th, arriving in LA, spending a few days there, and then beginning his first filming session on the 11th.
It was, in every way, a massive bait for the public.
As a result, with just two days left until Kang Woojin’s departure, domestic news outlets scrambled to cover the story, while the media and YouTubers all joined the frenzy.
And just like that, two days vanished in the blink of an eye.
June 8th, Early Morning, Incheon Airport
Kang Woojin appeared at Incheon Airport. Since the announcement had been made on such a large scale, dozens of security guards and staff were stationed throughout the airport lobby. But even so, they were vastly outnumbered by the flood of reporters, spectators, and fans who had gathered in overwhelming numbers.
“Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin-ssi!!!”
“Woojin-ssi!! Just one comment, please!! Woojin-ssi!!”
“How are you feeling right now?! Are you nervous?!!!”
“Ow! Don’t push! Kang Woojin-ssi! Please look this way!!”
“Do you think you have a chance of winning Best Actor at the Emmys?!!”
“What did Director Ahn Ga-bok say?!!”
Reporters were shouting, fans were screaming, security guards were yelling. The moment Kang Woojin appeared, the airport turned into complete chaos.
But Kang Woojin’s poker face remained unchanged and.
“……”
Woojin casually waved towards the swarming fans and reporters, then simply said one thing.
“I plan to enjoy it.”
Shortly after, Kang Woojin’s private jet took off into the sky.
A Few Days Later, June 10th, LA
Inside the vast ‘Columbia Studios’ set. The space resembled an amusement park, with buildings of different concepts scattered throughout.
Among them was a section designed to resemble an entire city.
It was clearly a set designed to resemble New York. Along the roads, countless filming equipment and hundreds of foreign staff were bustling about.
“Camera! Camera test!!”
“Drone is rolling too!”
“How much time left for audio setup?!”
“Ten minutes!”
“Lowering the small Jimmy Jib!”
Each team was busy positioning and testing their equipment. The overall scene was similar to what one would find in Korea, yet distinctly different. The equipment alone made that clear. The types of cameras, whether mounted on cranes or attached to vehicles, were overwhelming, and beyond just audio and lighting, there was an array of expensive equipment rarely seen in Korea.
And that wasn’t all.
The sheer number of staff far exceeded what was typical in Korea. Just a short distance from where hundreds of crew members were gathered, a row of trailers, resembling small buses, stood impressively. Among the massive Hollywood crew, most held scripts in their hands, with a bold title printed on the cover.
-‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’-
In other words, all these hundreds of crew members belonged to the ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ team. Naturally, at a table where the key staff and lead figures were gathered, an aged face with headphones around his neck could be seen, it was Director Ahn Ga-bok.
He was in the middle of reviewing the shooting storyboard and giving instructions to the production team.
So, was today, the 10th, the first day of filming for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’? Technically, not quite. Today’s schedule included the final preparations and equipment tests, insert shots, and the first poster shoot for the film.
Of course, Hollywood also had a standard process leading up to the first day of filming.
“Director! The drone setup is complete!”
But such things could always be adjusted at the director’s discretion. However, given that this was Hollywood, a director’s authority was relatively limited. To make significant schedule changes, discussions with the film company and producers were necessary. Fortunately, ‘Columbia Studios’ placed a great deal of trust in Director Ahn Ga-bok, so they were approving almost everything he requested.
About an Hour Later
“Alright- Action.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok’s first cue echoed across the vast set.
Of course, no actors were involved yet. The shots being taken were for the buildings, roads, and storefronts. As the team focused on capturing the pre-planned insert shots, they moved in perfect sync. Since they were insert shots, Ahn Ga-bok’s “Cut” signals came quickly.
“Cut- let’s go one more time.”
A female staff member clapped the slate in front of several cameras, followed by another brief take. A continuous cycle of short insert shots and “Cut” signals from Ahn Ga-bok. Meanwhile, this process also served as a way to coordinate the hundreds of staff members and test all the equipment before the official crank-in.
Then.
“Move!!”
A male staff member shouted, and the hundreds of crew members shifted in unison. They headed towards an intersection not too far away, where slightly worn-out crosswalks were painted. This was the location that Ahn Ga-bok had chosen for the first poster shoot of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. Soon, Ahn Ga-bok, reviewing the poster shoot storyboard, spoke.
“Call him over.”
He said it in English, addressing the surrounding staff. A few foreign staff members nodded and took off running. Their destination was a few minutes away, where several gray-painted trailers stood in a row. There were at least five of them, and the first trailer was where a female staff member knocked.
– Knock knock.
Almost immediately, a low-toned voice responded from inside, speaking in English.
“Yes, shall I come out?”
The female staff member nodded and called out in a fairly loud voice.
“Yes! Please stand by!”
“Understood.”
Hearing the response, the female staff member and the others quickly ran back to the set. Exactly five minutes later, the trailer door opened.
– Ssshhk.
A man with jet-black hair stepped out.
He gazed at the massive set, where hundreds of foreign staff were gathered, his expression indifferent.
“……”
Without a word, he began moving. As he did, the waiting foreign staff members immediately fell in line beside him. Soon, the hundreds of crew members and Director Ahn Ga-bok turned their heads. The actor they had been waiting for, the lead of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, was walking toward them.
And then.
-Ssshhk.
He arrived in front of Director Ahn Ga-bok.
“Director-nim.”
It was Kang Woojin.
“Mm, alright. We’re going to take a test shot for the poster first.”
“Yes.”
Their entire conversation was in English. In fact, ever since their reunion, Kang Woojin and Ahn Ga-bok had barely spoken in Korean. Woojin then stepped into the crowd of hundreds of staff members, while Ahn Ga-bok directed the angles for the numerous cameras.
Right at the center of the intersection’s crosswalk.
How much time had passed? About thirty minutes later, Kang Woojin reappeared among the staff, this time, in a bizarre outfit. He hadn’t applied any facial makeup yet, but his suit alone was striking.
A red jacket and pants, a blue shirt, a yellow vest, and worn-out brown shoes.
The sight of him made Ahn Ga-bok unconsciously react.
“……Did I just get chills?”
Goosebumps. No, this was closer to a thrill. Unaware of this, Kang Woojin, with a cynical expression, brushed past Ahn Ga-bok and moved toward the point where all the cameras were focused.
Then.
-Ssshhk.
With both hands shoved into his pockets, he turned his body and faced the countless cameras, Director Ahn Ga-bok, and the hundreds of crew members head-on.
And soon, the hundreds of foreign staff members also.
‘Wow!’
‘Even without the facial makeup-‘
‘I almost mistook him for the real thing.’
They, too, felt the same thrill that had struck Ahn Ga-bok. Because standing before them.
“Is this good enough?”
The ‘Joker’ was speaking.
