The Script-Eating Actor – Chapter 85

Ch 85

The script that Director Park Jin-woo has been revising for over a year, <7 Years of Memory>.

‘My older sister died. She was murdered.’

Starting with the calm lines of the first narration that opens the film, the work does not lose its immersion throughout the long 2 hour and 20 minute runtime.

A family is murdered by a mysterious intruder, and the son chases the traces of a serial killer who has not been caught for 7 years.

Chasing a cold case that the nation, the media, and the police have given up on, the ugly nature of humanity hidden behind the life of a killer that comes alive like a rewinding tape.

A masterpiece thriller that looks back at the perfectly contrasting lives of the killer and the victim over the past 7 years.

Within the plot, there are detailed elements that make it clear at a glance that it is a text that has been revised over a long period of time.

I arrived in Yeongdeungpo as an observer of the <7 Years of Memory> audition and as a lead actor. Before entering the Film Company office, I stopped by a nearby Korean restaurant at Director Park Jin-woo’s suggestion to have lunch together.

“It’s a request you could have refused, but thank you for accepting.”

“It’s nothing. I also think it’s a good experience.”

Director Park Jin-woo.

The movie’s storyboard and actors are the ‘worldview’ that is drawn in the director’s head.

In other words, Director Park Jin-woo has requested to share his worldview with me.

This already means that I have been given a role beyond just a cog in the machine that makes the work run, and it means that he trusts me that much.

I readily agreed.

“What’s good at this place?”

“The *dogani tang* （ox knee soup） here is really good. It’s a place I often stop by when I’m working.”

“Then I’ll have that.”

Right after ordering the meal, Director Kim Min-hee, who is in charge of overall production at , took out the actors’ profiles.

As I received the profile, Director Park Jin-woo said.

“As you may have heard, we plan to cast a rookie for the female lead.”

“Ah, yes.”

There are many roles to be cast today.

But among them, the highlight is casting the role of the ‘older sister,’ the victim of the murder.

The ‘older sister’ plays an important role in the play, but there isn’t enough screen time to use a famous actress. Moreover, the first cut she appears in is a portrait for a funeral. From the perspective of young actresses with bright careers, it’s a bit unsettling.

However, since the ‘Do Jae-hee x Park Jin-woo’ combination was already rumored in the industry, several counter-proposals to do it first came in.

“Fortunately, many good actors applied because they had a good impression of me…”

However, Director Park Jin-woo believes in his own ‘conviction.’

“Personally, I want to use a rookie. Rather than an established actor with a clear image, I want her to feel like the one and only ‘older sister’ in the protagonist’s life.”

A rookie with no existing image to the public.

At the same time, an audition to find a talented actress who will be imprinted as ‘Do Jae-hee’s older sister.’ There were over two thousand applicants, but after filtering, the open audition was narrowed down to several dozen people.

“Please help me, Actor Do, so that I can make the right choice. Haha!”

There is no right answer in acting.

It’s not a genre that can be organized with a clear formula, and I don’t think my acting has perfectly captivated everyone. I only digest 99% of the roles created by the director and writer.

<7 Years of Memory> is an audition that you can only pass if you meet the ‘standards’ created by the character ‘Park Jin-woo’.

Other people’s opinions are for reference only, and no one can be of real help to the director’s choice.

However.

『<7 Years of Memory> can be absorbed.』

『Would you like to absorb it?』

Of course, I am an exception.

“I will do my best.”

The images of the characters created by the director are already perfectly in my head.

*

The newly established Film Company office in Yeongdeungpo.

More rookie actors than the congratulatory wreaths that are densely packed from the hallway.

Every time I passed through the clean white marble hallway, I could see young actors standing with tense faces, each holding a side script in their hands.

They recognized Director Park Jin-woo and me and quickly greeted us.

“Ah, hello! I’m rookie actor Heo Myeong-hwan…”

“Yes, hello.”

The rookie actors are slightly embarrassed by my sudden appearance.

They all turned to look at me and started whispering.

It reminds me of the old days.

When I came to the audition, I was also surprised to see Jo Seung-hee.

I entered the office.

There are not many tables and it is still a simple new office, but the heat inside was intense.

Film Company’s first feature debut.

Starring Do Jae-hee, and the next work of Director Park Jin-woo, who caused an unprecedented sensation in Korean independent films.

The desire to do this work no matter what.

The gazes of the actors and managers filling the office are all focused on me.

“Wo, wow.”

“It’s Do Jae-hee….”

Changing the atmosphere around me as soon as I appear.

It’s a common occurrence now, but it’s a little more ‘intense’ with these people.

Envy, admiration, and other complex gazes are fixed on me.

Director Park Jin-woo said.

“We’ll be holding the auditions in the meeting room, so could you wait a moment?”

“Yes.”

Director Park Jin-woo and the actors went into the reading room for greetings, and I entered the meeting room.

In the meantime.

“Hello. I’m Park Ha-in, section chief at Polaris Entertainment.”

“Actor Do Jae-hee, if you’re okay with it… could we talk for a moment?”

“If you’re asking about contract renewal, if you’re talking to our company…”

Several agencies have contacted me, but it’s a boring story now.

Jae-ik Hyung was angry at first, but now he deals with managers skillfully.

“It’s okay if you want to take him. But he’s quite expensive, are you sure you’re okay? Do you know how much Jae-hee’s market value is? You’ll have to give at least 10 billion won.”

“T-ten billion won?”

“At least. At least. I don’t know if you have enough funds.”

Of course, it’s an exaggerated amount, with exaggeration upon exaggeration.

Even Jo Seung-hee wouldn’t be able to get that much.

That means L&K has no intention of letting me go. And I am also satisfied with the present.

L&K, which positively conveyed the agency contract, said that they received a response from UAA that they would visit Korea soon.

Now that I’m about to challenge America, I don’t have time to worry about unnecessary things.

“I’m sorry. I’d like to be alone for a bit.”

“Ah, yes. Yes.”

The managers changed their expressions at my answer and stepped back.

Left alone in the meeting room, I began to look at the profiles of the rookie actors placed on the table.

Two days ago, the sample profiles I received at the drinking party have increased almost fourfold, but I read each line of the profiles with sincerity.

It’s a bit cruel, but it’s about choosing the actors who will participate in my work.

I have to be sure.

I started putting circles next to the names of actors whose visuals or profiles stood out.

I have to see their acting to know for sure, but it’s true that I’m drawn to them a little more for now.

Plays, short films, dramas where they appeared in minor image roles.

No one recognizes their faces, but they are also actors.

It reminds me of the old days.

The past times when I tried so hard to add one more line to my profile. The times when I was frustrated with repeated failures.

I was quickly flipping through the profiles when the door opened and Director Park Jin-woo entered.

“It starts in 5 minutes.”

“Ah, yes.”

Director Park Jin-woo looked at the profiles that were divided into two piles in front of me and asked.

“Oh, can I take a look too?”

“Of course.”

He quickly flipped through the profiles and smiled.

“As expected, Actor Do and I have similar aspects.”

“….”

It can’t be helped.

But there are definitely actors who stand out to anyone. Not those who are pushed by agencies, but those who have run around on their own two feet, you can tell just by looking at their profiles.

Their profiles are crude, but they have more related experience than any other rookies.

Some of them lack star power, but there are hidden talents like Moon Sung-i Hyung.

They are all the type that Director Park Jin-woo and I like.

I hope I can recognize them at a glance.

Knock knock.

After the knock, a film company employee peeked her head in.

“President. The audition will start now.”

*

Among the audition participants, there were also some rookie actors from L&K.

“Senior! Nice to meet you! I’m from L&K…”

They recognized my face and gave me subtle eye greetings, probably meaning to ask me to look favorably on them.

But the fact that we are from the same agency doesn’t guarantee ‘acceptance’.

If they do well, they will get in no matter what.

No, at least it would have been nice if they had shown some signs of effort.

“…..”

“Hmm.”

Director Park Jin-woo glanced at me and gauged my reaction.

Actors from the same company as me.

I could give them a small role, but I can clearly see that he is hesitating. I looked at Director Park Jin-woo and tapped the table slightly.

A kind of code we made up.

Director Park Jin-woo, looking relieved, said with a friendly expression.

“Yes, I’ve seen enough.”

Rejection.

There is a reason for rejection.

At the very least, they should know what they are saying. Speaking eloquently is not acting. Even if their dialect is mixed and they are somehow awkward, if they can make it work, that’s acting.

“What on earth are they thinking when they say those lines…”

Manufactured acting.

Trying to speak as eloquently as possible, acting with not even 1% of inner sincerity.

I want to ask them.

‘What did you just say?’

Then, they will probably just recite the memorized lines.

I’m not asking for them to be good.

I was like that.

I had no connections, and no one at my company was pushing me, so I prepared like crazy on my own, but I couldn’t do it well, so it wasn’t easy.

I am displeased that they don’t appreciate the opportunity they have been given, and take it for granted that they will pass with mediocre preparation.

“Next, please.”

After that, lackluster acting continued.

“Actor Do Jae-hee! I’m a huge fan! I’ll do my best!”

They acted with force as if they were conscious of ‘me’ in the audition, but as I said before.

Acting ends the moment you become conscious of someone.

I told the ‘prepared’ rejectees what I felt as plainly as possible.

“Your concentration was good. The endings of your sentences keep dropping, but if you make use of that or rather fix it, wouldn’t it be cleaner?”

Then they would smile brightly.

“Uwaa! Really? Is it real that Do Jae-hee praised me!”

Then I feel better too.

“Haha.”

Yes, laugh like that and shake it off.

Sometimes, there were rookies who made me clench my fists tightly.

People who were so immersed in their emotional acting that my heart fluttered and my vision blurred.

Those people were usually the actors I had circled in red.

Rookies who had no company or anyone to push them, who were desperately visiting broadcasting stations and film company offices on their own two feet.

‘I’m rookie actor so-and-so! Please look kindly on me!’

Even if they boldly hand out their profiles, they end up in the trash can.

The probability of being selected among them is extremely low. It’s like picking a star from the sky to become famous.

“I’ve seen enough.”

I want to pick them.

But, there are too many.

I want to tell them.

That you are not wrong.

It’s not like your life ends just because one blind date failed.

This movie was just not the right partner for you.

I hope you can find a ‘different’ partner that suits you, who are hidden in the field, as soon as possible.

And that the same ‘luck’ as me will come to you.

An audition where the definite owner of the role did not appear.

At that time, a remarkable actor appeared who caught the eyes of Director Park Jin-woo and me.