I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Translator: Dreamscribe

February 14th, late morning. LA.

By the time the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences (ATAS), responsible for the ‘Primetime Emmy Awards’, became aware of ‘Beneficial Evil’, Kang Woojin, who had no way of knowing this, was on the move in a large van. Having recently wrapped up the auditions for ‘Beast and the Beauty’, he had completed all the major official schedules in LA, leaving only moderately sized tasks ahead.

‘Let’s see, today, I’m recording in the morning and heading to Columbia Studios in the afternoon, right? The schedule here is relatively simple, which makes it convenient.’

Wearing a hoodie zipped up with a cap pulled down low, Woojin was on his way to a rented studio for recording and filming related to his ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel. After that, he would head to ‘Columbia Studios’ for a meeting. Notably, even while staying in LA, Woojin hadn’t neglected his ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel. Upon arriving here, he rented a studio and continued recording and filming without pause.

Thus, even if the video uploads were slow, they were still ongoing.

The meetings with ‘Columbia Studios’ were expected to occur frequently for some time. Since the lead male role and the grand ‘Cinematic Universe’ project were both confirmed, the movie ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ was now rapidly advancing in its pre-production phase. Currently, other actors were being cast, and the respective teams were bustling with activity.

At this stage, there wasn’t much that Kang Woojin needed to do, to be honest.

‘Other actors might be staking their lives on analyzing the script at this point-’

But Woojin already had the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ in ‘Pierrot’. Of course, compared to the past, Woojin had grown significantly in various skills and as an actor, so he was working on refining the role by reading the script and enhancing its quality through ‘role synthesis’ and ‘freedom of the role’. However, even this process was relatively straightforward compared to other Hollywood actors.

‘Even if I execute the tasks Columbia requests, there’ll still be some time left. Tsk, if I get the role of the ‘Beast’, it might keep me a bit busier. Wonder when that call will come?’

The auditions for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ had concluded just two days ago. It was too soon to expect any updates. Whatever the case, LA before the start of filming was like paradise for Woojin. Honestly, it was to the point that he felt restless. Back in Korea, every day had been a nightmare of packed schedules.

Soon, Woojin, wearing a solemn expression, gazed out the crowded window filled with cars. Suddenly, the face of the giant, Joseph, came to mind.

‘That giant guy kept making a fuss about showing the script once it’s done, has it still not come out?’

Joseph Felton, who had started working with ‘Universal Movies’, another ‘Big Five’ studio alongside ‘Columbia Studios’, had met Woojin at Cannes last October. Counting the days, it had been about five months since then.

‘Well, scriptwriting isn’t exactly something that happens overnight.’

Especially in Hollywood, it might take even longer. Around this time, Woojin’s team members were loudly chattering about ‘Beneficial Evil’ reaching #1 worldwide on Netflix.

“Whoa-first Korean drama to reach #1 worldwide! Goosebumps!!!”

“Korea, Japan, even the American media here are going wild, just wild!!”

“Other countries are probably the same, right? ‘Beneficial Evil’ is the first drama of its kind to cause such an insane ripple effect across Asia!”

“Seriously, ‘Beneficial Evil’ feels like it’s going to blow people’s minds even further! Though it already has!”

Woojin agreed wholeheartedly. There was no way an EX-grade project like ‘Beneficial Evil’ would stop here. While he felt like dancing with joy he refrained from being careless and nonchalantly picked up his phone.

-Swish.

He had already checked the domestic and international press coverage and public opinion. This time, Woojin accessed his ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel.

[Channel Name: Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego]

[Subscribers: 47.71 million]

[Videos: 123]

The number of subscribers had neared 50 million before he realized it. Naturally, it was still rising rapidly.

‘It’s seriously mind-blowing. 50 million???’

Even though it was reality, Woojin felt as if he were dreaming. With 50 million subscribers, his influence was impossible to ignore, not just in Korea but globally. Worldwide, he ranked within the top 50, and in Korea, he was 4th. Although there were still many ahead of him, in terms of growth rate, Kang Woojin was #1.

Woojin tapped on his most recent video.

Comments from newly incoming subscribers were flooding in, in languages from all around the world. Positive comments such as cheers and support made up around 70%, while negative comments, excluding hate, accounted for around 30%. Notably, there were many comments related to ‘Beast and the Beauty’.

The hate comments that began in Korea had now spread globally.

But Kang Woojin, as always.

‘These kinds of bastards are everywhere, huh? Go ahead and talk all you want. It’s only your fingers that’ll get tired.’

It had no impact on him whatsoever. While briefly browsing his own YouTube channel, Woojin moved on and logged into a different platform, his SNS account.

– @Wooji_n

Posts: 308

Followers: 61.98 million

Following: 166

The growth here was also explosively rapid. Naturally, the number of hate comments was equally significant. Nevertheless, the numbers alone were enough to prove Kang Woojin’s skyrocketing global recognition.

It was at this moment.

– Buzz.

A DM arrived for Woojin. It was from none other than Chris Hartnett, a top Hollywood actor with whom Woojin had recently been in contact. Chris had been the one to initiate the request. Woojin chuckled internally at the thought of exchanging DMs with a top Hollywood star like Chris Hartnett.

‘I can’t believe I’m actually DMing with Chris Hartnett.’

Still, he checked the message. Chris had sent a photo of himself watching ‘Beneficial Evil’ along with a short comment: something along the lines of “Your action scenes are amazing.”

‘I’m more amazed that you’re sending me DMs, man.’

Hiding his amusement, Woojin sent back a casual reply while thinking about ‘Beneficial Evil’.

‘Ah- Is it about time to start filming Part 2?’

Meanwhile, in New York.

Among the towering buildings of the bustling city stood one that was unmistakably the largest. This was the headquarters of a major American broadcasting network. Inside the building, in a studio meeting room, about eight foreigners were gathered.

What was particularly interesting were the photos adorning the walls of the meeting room.

Just a glance revealed they were from a talk show, featuring numerous Hollywood stars. There were over ten such pictures.

The reason was simple.

These individuals were the main production team of the ‘Jamie Show’, which boasted the highest ratings among America’s top three talk shows. Even Miley Cara had appeared on it in the past, and her photo was among those on the wall. Back then, Cara had mentioned Kang Woojin on the show while preparing for her new album. Though it was brief, Woojin had become a hot topic in both international and domestic media because of it.

The ‘Jamie Show’ was a program symbolic of being a Hollywood star. It was a badge of honor.

With its long history and tradition, countless superstars had graced this talk show. However, no Korean actor had ever appeared on it, until now, it seemed. The reason was simple.

The main production team of the ‘Jamie Show’ had their sights set on Kang Woojin.

“Kang Woojin. We absolutely have to book him right now.”

“I agree. Honestly, we should’ve acted sooner. I’ve heard rumors that other shows are already eyeing him.”

“There’s so much material to work with, Cannes Film Festival, ‘Beast and the Beauty’, his relationship with Miley Cara, and even ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’. It’s all great content.”

For the first time, they were eager to feature a Korean actor. And that actor was Kang Woojin.

“Forget research, let’s focus on booking him first. Let’s contact him immediately.”

The next day, February 15, Kang Woojin received the booking request from the ‘Jamie Show’.

“Woojin! ‘Jamie Show’ wants you! Can you believe it? the ‘Jamie Show’!!”

Choi Sung-gun was practically jumping with excitement.

In contrast, Kang Woojin remained calm.

“Is that so?”

Though his tone was casual and seemingly detached, Kang Woojin’s true feelings were genuinely calm and sincere. He had heard of the ‘Jamie Show’ before, but having only watched it a few times, he wasn’t particularly moved by the opportunity. All he knew was that it was a popular talk show in America. However, Choi Sung-gun was beside himself with excitement.

“Yes, man! I mean! The ‘Jamie Show,’ you know? Isn’t that great?? And it’s even a solo appearance! This place basically confirms you’ve become a star in the U.S.! Your recognition will skyrocket!”

“It sounds good.”

“……When you’re so calm, it makes me look weird. Anyway, explaining this is almost a waste of breath, but it’s the number one talk show in America in terms of ratings, and the timing for your appearance couldn’t be better. ‘Beneficial Evil’ is already at insane level, but this will give it an even bigger boost. Same goes for your other films. So, are you going to do it? Of course, if you don’t want to, we can turn it down.”

Even as he spoke that way, Choi Sung-gun’s eyes were practically shouting, “Please! Please!!” Woojin also thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to appear on the show. Since it was his first experience with something like this, he found it intriguing.

‘But, will a solo appearance really be okay?’

He felt a bit nervous. A solo appearance on America’s number one talk show was no small deal. Still, his curiosity outweighed his nervousness. Woojin responded casually.

“I think it’ll be fine.”

“Great! I’ll get it set up right away!”

The news confirming Kang Woojin’s appearance on the ‘Jamie Show’ broke the following morning.

Starting with Korea:

『[Star Issue] Kang Woojin confirmed to appear on the ‘Jamie Show’, a talk show graced by Hollywood superstars!』

『Already entering the ranks of Hollywood stars? Kang Woojin to appear as a solo guest on the ‘Jamie Show’!』

And international outlets:

『LA Times/Kang Woojin, the first Korean actor invited to the ‘Jamie Show’!』

Being the first Korean actor to make a solo appearance on ‘Jamie Show’ was no small issue. Woojin was already a hot topic for various reasons, and from his Hollywood debut until now, he had achieved numerous ‘firsts’. The brand power of Kang Woojin was undeniable.

Woojin met with the ‘Jamie Show’ production team on the morning of the 17th.

“Oh, hello!”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

Naturally, the ‘Jamie Show’ team had flown to LA. They were moving so urgently that it was almost palpable. It was only natural, they needed to jump on this rising wave as quickly as possible. The meeting wasn’t particularly long, lasting about two hours. Many things were decided during the meeting, but the most important was the recording date.

The recording was set for five days later, February 22.

Of course, Kang Woojin would have to travel to the ‘Jamie Show’ studio in New York. This news, too, quickly spread across both Korean and international media.

And.

『World #1 ‘Beneficial Evil’ continues to dominate global attention two weeks after release!』

‘Beneficial Evil’ was still holding strong as the world’s #1.

February 21st. LA.

The time was past 11 a.m. Kang Woojin had just arrived at the ‘SPT Studio’, a massive 50,000-pyeong complex where he had auditioned for the role of the ‘Beast’. This was the same location where the actual filming for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ would take place in the future.

Among the numerous warehouse-like stages, Woojin stepped out at.

-Clang!

The stage where the banquet hall set was located.

“……”

Woojin silently looked up at the massive warehouse stage. Though his expression remained stoic, curiosity brewed within him.

‘Why did they call me back here again?’

The reason Kang Woojin had returned to the set where he had auditioned for the role of the ‘Beast’ was due to a request from ‘World Disney Pictures’, more specifically, from Bill Rotner, the director of ‘Beast and the Beauty’. Out of the blue, he had asked for Kang Woojin to come to this location.

Though it felt a bit strange, Woojin moved to the stage with Choi Sung-gun and a few team members.

Near the entrance, there were a few foreign staff members. After briefly exchanging greetings with them, Woojin entered the banquet hall set that had left him in awe during the audition.

The set was somewhat dim.

This was because only a few lights were on. There were also foreign staff members inside the banquet hall set, people Woojin hadn’t seen during the audition. Among them, an older foreign man who noticed Woojin’s presence approached him with a smile.

“Welcome, Mr. Kang Woojin.”

It was Bill Rotner, the director. Adjusting his black-rimmed glasses, he extended his hand toward Woojin.

“Sorry for the sudden request.”

Woojin, with his usual indifferent expression, replied simply.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Shall we have a little chat?”

Woojin nodded and glanced toward Choi Sung-gun at the back before stepping forward to the center of the banquet hall set with Bill Rotner. The director was the first to break the silence.

“It’s been hectic since the audition. Many discussions took place. Unfortunately, we must choose only one person, and time isn’t infinite.”

Bill Rotner, who had been murmuring, made eye contact with Woojin.

“Beast and the Beauty’s global fans still harbor doubts about you. Perhaps it’s because your recognition has been rising so rapidly in such a short time, but the controversies surrounding you haven’t faded easily.”

Woojin thought to himself- Am I rejected? Judging by this old man’s long-winded buildup, is he trying to soften the blow because he feels bad? Bill Rotner’s introduction was indeed lengthy, and the atmosphere suggested as much. For now, Kang Woojin remained silent and listened.

“……”

Director Bill Rotner gestured to Woojin. It was toward a golden piano at one side of the set banquet hall.

“Would you mind sitting there?”

After briefly looking at the director, Woojin maintained his poker face and sat at the piano. As he sat there, Bill Rotner, observing him, continued to speak.

“But we’ve decided to endure those controversies for the sake of this vision.”

He smiled.

“Please illuminate the memories of global fans as Disney’s ‘Beast’.”