I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Translator: Dreamscribe

On April 1st, Kang Woojin was inside a vast set. The internal set complex of Hollywood’s ‘Universal Movies’ also boasted a formidable scale, just like other members of the ‘Big Five’.

It was truly worthy of being called a mega-sized film company.

The set complex currently being used by the ‘John Persona’ team had been roughly but very realistically re-created to resemble the downtowns of various countries. Vietnam, Russia, Spain, etc. This was because the story of ‘John Persona’ included a variety of nations. Of course, there were also location shoots scheduled in those countries, but those were planned for the latter half of the filming schedule, and the rest of the scenes were set to be shot here at the Hollywood set.

At any rate, Kang Woojin could be found now on the set that reproduced a major downtown area of Russia.

‘Ugh– damn, that action scene was kind of intense.’

Apparently, there had been an intense action scene just now, as the makeup team staff surrounded Woojin. They were touching up his makeup. At that moment.

“Please have some before continuing!!”

In the bustling site filled with countless foreign staff, donuts and coffee were handed out as snacks. Everyone seemed to be a little hungry anyway, so the staff joyfully bit into their donuts, and since Kang Woojin wasn’t particularly hungry.

‘I’ll just have some coffee.’

With his poker face firmly in place, he quietly sipped his coffee. It wasn’t some kind of intentional image crafting; it was just his long-maintained tough-guy persona manifesting subconsciously. Because of that, the foreign staff who were seeing Kang Woojin for the first time through this project were busy whispering as they watched him enjoy his coffee and donut.

“Isn’t it amazing? Woojin pulled off that intense action scene multiple times, but he never looked out of breath.”

“Right, it’s still early in the shoot, but there have been so many high-intensity action scenes, and he always looks so relaxed.”

“I heard from the stunt coordinator team that Kang Woojin is a former special forces operative.”

“Ah, Ethan Smith said that, didn’t he? I heard it too.”

“No wonder. That CQC scene in ‘Beneficial Evil’ was incredibly fluid.”

“Seeing how he makes action look so effortless in both ‘Beneficial Evil’ and our ‘John Persona’, that special forces unit must’ve been really hardcore.”

While this casual misconception was spreading quietly, Director Danny Landis and Joseph Felton approached Woojin, who was sipping his coffee. Along with them were Megan Stone, the CD, and Ethan Smith with his big nose. Holding a donut in one hand, Director Danny opened the conversation with a smile.

“The official ‘Academy Awards’ nominee announcement is in two days. What time was it again?”

The answer came from the towering Joseph Felton.

“8 p.m. It’ll be live-streamed via the Academy Awards’ official social media and YouTube channels. Same as every year.”

“Hmm. Who’s announcing the nominees?”

“No word yet, but I think a few of last year’s winners will probably come out and do it.”

As Director Danny nodded slowly, he fixed his gaze on Kang Woojin, who was silently drinking his coffee.

“Where do you plan to watch the live nominee announcement?”

Woojin, with a calm expression, lowered his voice.

“I’ll probably watch it at home.”

“After the day’s shoot ends, right?”

“Yes, Director.”

For reference, Woojin only had a morning shoot scheduled for the day of the official ‘Academy Awards’ nominee announcement two days later. It was a meaningful day, so the ‘John Persona’ team had accommodated him. Then, Director Danny, adjusting his round glasses, chuckled.

“So, how does it feel? Nervous? The results will be out in two days.”

Of course, obviously. Is that even a question? Woojin instantly replied inwardly, but outwardly maintained his composure.

“Not really. I’ve done what I could, so I’ll just accept whatever results come.”

It was a comment laced with buildup, meant to prepare for the possibility of not being nominated. He needed some excuse later, right? After all, they were going to be seeing each other for months. However, the giant Joseph made a completely incorrect assumption based on Kang Woojin’s calm demeanor.

“……So you’re confident you’ll be nominated. You don’t seem to even consider the possibility of not making it.”

What? Where the hell did he get that from? Woojin felt a bit frustrated. But he was already used to such misunderstandings, so he handled it quickly.

“Of course, it would be great to be nominated.”

Here, big-nosed Ethan Smith, who had worked with Woojin in Part 1 of ‘Beneficial Evil’, joined in. His energy was high.

“Hahaha! A likely nominee for Oscar’s Best Actor in just his fourth year since debut! Even seeing this unbelievable situation right in front of me, it’s still hard to believe.”

The baton was taken up by Megan Stone, with her brown bobbed hair.

“Even just ‘Cannes’ and the ‘Emmy Awards’ were already an unparalleled pace in Hollywood, but if you make it to the ‘Academy Awards’ now, my goodness, this record will probably remain unbroken for decades.”

Their conversation was already a popular topic among many figures in Hollywood. Kang Woojin was being mentioned as a strong candidate for the Best Actor category in this year’s ‘Academy Awards’, and if he were to officially be nominated, it would mean he had gone from ‘Cannes’ to the ‘Emmy Awards’ and now the ‘Academy Awards’ in a straight line. Soon, the heavyweight Hollywood director Danny Landis placed a hand on Woojin’s shoulder.

His smile was deep.

“Right now, the eyes of the entire world are probably on you, Woojin.”

Meanwhile.

People gathered in a large conference room. The atmosphere was intensely serious. Understandably so. These were the ones responsible for preparing a tightly organized awards ceremony under the watchful gaze of the world. They were the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), who would be announcing the official nominees in just two days.

Roughly several dozen individuals sat before tablets.

Each tablet contained the results and data submitted by roughly ten thousand members distributed across the world. In other words, evaluations of the works and actors that shone in Hollywood this year. Though the official announcement was two days away, the finalized nominees and works were already displayed on their screens.

A few people looking at their tablets let out exclamations. As if in disbelief.

“Whoa, I didn’t expect this kind of result.”

“Is this for real?”

“Amazing.”

Among them, an old woman who looked to be in her sixties smiled with curiosity as she looked at the five finalized nominees for Best Actor on the screen.

“This year’s ‘Academy Awards’ will definitely go down in history in many ways.”

Meanwhile.

With the official announcement of the ‘Academy Awards’ nominees just two days away, media outlets across the world, including Hollywood, heightened the atmosphere by flooding the public with similar headlines.

『LA TIME / Just two days before the official Academy Awards nominee announcement, this year’s Oscars are hotter than ever!』

On the 1st, and continuing on the 2nd as well.

『BBX / Experts predict Oscar nominees for films and actors: “If there’s ‘Pierrot’ and Kang Woojin, it proves the Academy is evolving.”』

By this point, excitement in Korea had reached fever pitch. And for good reason.

『[StarTalk] Can the miracle of the ‘Emmy Awards’ continue to the ‘Academy Awards’? The entire nation is cheering him on』

『“I’ll definitely watch the live broadcast of the Academy Awards nominee announcement!” The Oscars have captivated the Korean public thanks to Kang Woojin』

Kang Woojin had a real chance of becoming the first Korean- no, the first Asian, to be nominated for an ‘Academy Awards’ Best Actor. Normally, the nominee announcement broadcast for the ‘Academy Awards’ might have passed unnoticed, but this time was different. With Kang Woojin hotly involved, the interest from Korean media and the public surged uncontrollably.

Of course, Japan, where Woojin had already gained a significant presence, responded similarly, and reactions across Asia were particularly fervent.

And so, the remaining hours of the 2nd quietly melted away.

On the morning of the bright 3rd, in LA, Kang Woojin tried hard to calm his pounding heart.

“Action!”

From early morning, filming for ‘John Persona’ began. Shooting wrapped up around 2 p.m. As Woojin left the set, he was showered with cheers from Director Danny Landis, Joseph Felton, and many other staff. Woojin received them calmly on the outside, but internally, his nervousness was skyrocketing.

‘Whoa- damn, this is seriously several times more nerve-wracking than the ‘Emmy Awards’!’

Sure, the ‘Emmy Awards’ were considered the television equivalent of the ‘Academy Awards’. But in terms of recognition and impact, the ‘Academy Awards’ stood at the top. Even before becoming an actor, Kang Woojin had known about the ‘Academy Awards’, so it was only natural that his anxiety was intensifying.

‘The ‘Academy Awards’ kind of feels like the final boss dungeon, doesn’t it??’

Even just entering the room of that final boss was a massive jackpot for Woojin at his current stage. Then, around 4 p.m., many people gathered at Kang Woojin’s home in LA. The host, Kang Woojin, dressed in a comfortable gray hoodie, was there of course, along with Choi Sung-gun, team members, and overseas branch employees from bw Entertainment. In addition, the blonde woman attached at Woojin’s side was also present.

Who else could it be? None other than Miley Cara.

There was no way she would miss the moment when her boyfriend might achieve an ‘Academy Awards’ miracle. Cara had worked busily, adjusting her entire schedule from the previous week just for today. Like that, there were now over 20 people gathered in Woojin’s house. Cynical Kang Woojin looked around at the current scene and murmured inwardly.

‘This is making me even more nervous with everyone gathered. Whew, stay calm.’

His living room had turned into a party space, but Woojin was busy with mental control. Soon, the large TV was connected, and everyone gathered in front of it. The table was packed with snacks and canned beer. Time flew by as people chatted while waiting, and the current time was now 7 p.m.

In other words, exactly one hour remained until the official ‘Academy Awards’ nominee announcement.

Naturally, that one hour quickly melted away, and before long, the large TV connected to YouTube displayed an empty grand stage, except for two chairs. It was the venue where the ‘Academy Awards’ were held every year: the Dolby Theatre. A massive trophy statue was prominently placed behind the chairs. It was the very famous ‘Academy Awards’ trophy. The monitor next to it was also enormous.

–Swoosh.

In the empty frame, an elderly man and a woman with a striking presence appeared. They were a famous Hollywood director and actress who had won at last year’s ‘Academy Awards’. As they stepped onstage holding cue cards, everyone gathered at Woojin’s house erupted in excitement.

“Ohhh! It’s starting!!”

“Wow- this really is the ‘Academy Awards’! Doesn’t even the announcement feel so much weightier?!”

“Right?? It just has this super premium vibe!!”

“His name has to be on that cue card!! Woojin oppa’s name!!”

At that moment, the gaze of most people, including Choi Sung-gun and Cara, fell upon Kang Woojin standing in front of the TV. His face was, as always, unreadable and calm. Everyone else was anxious, but he alone seemed unbothered?

‘He’s got nerves of steel! How can he stay so composed all the time??’

That wasn’t true. Kang Woojin’s heart was currently pounding to the point of explosion. His stomach was churning a little.

‘Damn, wait a second! Ugh- my palms are sweating??’

Anyway, in the video being watched by countless people around the world, voices began to sound.

–[“Hello, we’re honored to bring you the news everyone’s been waiting for.”]

–[“Me too. I received an award here last year, and it feels like the glory continues.”]

The actress who would lead the announcement began to speak.

–[“We’ll start with the ‘Costume Design’ category. A total of five nominees have been selected.”]

The announcement began with the confirmed nominees for ‘Costume Design’ in the ‘Academy Awards’, and Kang Woojin subtly swallowed hard. Of course, at that time, he wasn’t the only one overwhelmed by nerves. For example, executives gathered in the large conference room of ‘Columbia Studios’, including Nora Foster and Director Ahn Ga-bok. They were all watching the main screen with desperate hope.

Let it be called, please let ‘Pierrot’ be called.

That was when the actress making the announcements on-screen read out the final nominee for ‘Costume Design’.

–[“The final nominee for ‘Costume Design’: Laura Collie for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain.’”]

‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ was actually called. And it was from the very first category, ‘Costume Design’. In that moment, a woman with her hair tied back shot up from her seat in the conference room.

“It’s-It’s me!! They called my name!!”

Applause and cheers erupted. Even if it was just for ‘Costume Design’, what mattered first was that the film was called at the ‘Academy Awards’. For ‘Columbia Studios’, it was a huge relief. At that moment, Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been clapping, had a thought.

“Costume Design, huh- of course the Joker-style costumes hit the mark. In that case… there might be more nominations to come.”

‘Pierrot’ was only just beginning.

Following the first call for ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, the team behind ‘Beast and the Beauty’ also rejoiced. Filming for ‘John Persona’ paused for a moment, and the team behind the film ‘Guest’ was equally delighted. Many Hollywood heavyweights and hundreds of staff members had their prayers reaching the skies.

Those prayers were also overflowing in Korea.

Due to the time difference, it was just past noon the following day in Korea, and the nation was practically filled with prayer. On buses, subways, taxis, cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, and more. An enormous number of people were watching the ‘Academy Awards’ nominee announcement live via smartphones or laptops.

There were many who anxiously sat in front of their TVs, like Kang Woo-chul, Seo Hyun-mi, and Kang Hyun-ah.

“Please-please!! PLEASE!!!!”

“Ah! Dad! You startled me!!”

“…Dear God, Buddha, Teacher, CEO, Alien. Whoever it is, please let Woojin’s name be called.”

“Uh, Mom. Some of those aren’t gods, you know? Anyway! Ah! I’m so nervous!”

Top stars in Korea, including Hong Hye-yeon, Ryu Jung-min, Jin Jae-jun, and Hwalin, were no different. All of them were watching the live announcement on their phones wherever they were. With everyone filled with hope, the director handling the live broadcast made the next announcement.

–[“Next is the ‘Best Actress’ category, some truly remarkable actresses have been selected.”]

He began naming famous Hollywood actresses that were recognizable by name alone. At this point, Kang Woojin in LA was fully focused on the TV. Naturally, so was Miley Cara.

“……”

“……”

Choi Sung-gun and the dozens of others in the room fell completely silent. All they could do was clasp their hands together and swallow dryly as they watched the TV.

Then it happened.

–[“And now, the ‘Best Actor’ category. Wow! We’ve got some truly amazing nominees here too!”]

The actress on the broadcast began reading the official nominees for ‘Best Actor’, one of the main events of the ‘Academy Awards’.

–[“There are five in total! Congratulations in advance to all. Let’s get started. David Ross, Ryan Chafin, Thomas Bosman, James Reznor.”]

The actress, who had been listing all the names in English, suddenly.

–Swoosh.

Smiled and lifted her gaze from the cue card to look forward, and then announced the final nominee for ‘Best Actor’.

–[“And Kang Woojin.”]

At that moment, Kang Woojin murmured without even realizing it. In a very quiet voice.

‘Wow- fuck, this actually happened??’

***

TL Note: Hi, this novel is now complete on Patreon. I will post new chapters daily for free readers, but if you wish, you can read all of it on my Patreon.

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