Chapter 123: Lee Tae-Poong's Audition (3)
As soon as Cha Tae-Hoon began acting, he transformed into a completely different person, proving that it was no fluke that he bagged the Best Actor award last year.
Cha Tae-Hoon's eyes suddenly filled up with murderous intent as he quickly raised both hands. "I'm sorry, comrade. But this is as far as we go."
He shot a sharp glare as if Park Gyeok-Hun, the superior he was supposed to kill, was right in front of him.
Swoosh!
He gripped the electric wires he had prepared in advance tightly in both hands, acting out scene 17 where Choi In-Sol strangled Colonel Park Gyeok-Hun.
Cha Tae-Hoon's hands had turned bright red from the force he had exerted and he wore a chilling expression on his face accompanied with bloodshot eyes.
On his knees, Cha Tae-Hoon tightly clenched his teeth and slowly released his hands as if confirming that he had completely cut off his opponent's breath.
"Shit. This feels disgusting."
Bang!
Cha Tae-Hoon harshly stomped on the floor, spat, and then sprawled out on the ground.
There was a sense of 'That's Cha Tae-Hoon for you' in the eyes of the five judges sitting in the panel.
"Okay!"
Cha Tae-Hoon dusted himself off and got up from his spot at Choi Sung-Moon's okay sign.
Although there were a few requests for more performances afterward, Cha Tae-Hoon met Choi Sung-Moon's demands without any trouble. It was truly befitting of a Best Actor award winner.
Choi Sung-Moon announced the end of the audition. "Excellent. There's no need to see more."
Cha Tae-Hoon, wiping the sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath and bowed. "Thank you, sir."
Kim Moon-Dong was clapping until he suddenly became aware of Choi Yang-Seop and Lee Tae-Poong who were still waiting for their auditions.
"Haha, my apologies. That was rude of me."
Choi Yang-Seop's face slightly contorted when Kim Moon-Dong apologized. However, he wasn't naive enough to show his emotions in front of an investor.
On the other hand, Lee Tae-Poong was still completely immersed in his role and did not even blink his eyes once. His concentration was remarkable.
It was only after Cha Tae-Hoon returned to his seat that Choi Yang-Seop stepped forward.
"Let's see a different scene from you, Mr. Choi Yang-Seop. Scene 19—the guard elimination scene, please," Choi Sung-Moon requested.
"Yes, Mr. Choi."
With a sharp expression, Choi Yang-Seop began to portray a different version of Lieutenant Choi In-Sol than Cha Tae-Hoon.
Choi Yang-Seop put on a serpentine expression and swiftly swung his right hand as if mercilessly slitting the throat of a guard with a knife.
Unlike Cha Tae-Hoon's dynamic performance, Choi Yang-Seop perfectly depicted a murderer's chilling and eerie demeanor.
The moment the judges made eye contact with Choi Yang-Seop, they shivered involuntarily. It was a moment that confirmed Choi Yang-Seop was also a formidable actor.
After successfully completing about three more scenes, Choi Yang-Seop finished his audition.
"There's depth to Yang-Seop's acting, indeed."
Choi Sung-Moon's praise made Choi Yang-Seop's face light up. "I'm still lacking. But I came here wanting to be properly guided by you, Mr. Choi."
After Choi Yang-Seop made his final appeal, it was finally Lee Tae-Poong's turn.
Choi Sung-Moon rested his chin on his clasped hands and wore an intrigued expression. "Now, Mr. Tae-Poong. Let's see you perform Scene 24—the escape scene. I'm curious to see how well you've prepared."
Even the judges beside him showed keen interest.
Lee Tae-Poong, who looked emaciated from not eating for a week, naturally commanded the atmosphere.
Lee Tae-Poong stood up with a bored expression and stepped forward at Choi Sung-Moon's words. His demeanor was like that of a soldier tired of monotonous military life.
Trudge, trudge.
But Lee Tae-Poong made no effort to silence his presence even with a guard he was supposed to kill in the script in front of him. Rather, he stretched and yawned to make his presence known.
'Why is he acting like that?'
Everyone looked puzzled. Lee Tae-Poong's attitude was strange because he was supposed to kill the opponent but he was too calm.
That's when Lee Tae-Poong stopped in his tracks and pulled out a pack of cigarettes he had prepared in advance from his chest pocket.
"Comrade, do you have a lighter?"
His act of tapping the cigarette pack and asking for a light seemed so natural that it almost felt like there was another person standing in front of Lee Tae-Poong.
I thought if I had been standing in front of Lee Tae-Poong, I would have been rummaging through my pockets to give him a light.
But then Lee Tae-Poong's right hand moved swiftly in an instant. He quickly drew the prop dagger hidden at his waist and stabbed upward in a motion as if piercing the neck of the person standing in front of him.
It felt like I could hear the sound of the dagger piercing through flesh.
Lee Tae-Poong slid the dagger between his armpits and then drew it out with a swift motion. "Sorry you couldn't enjoy your expensive cigarette fully. My apologies, comrade."
Lee Tae-Poong's performance was different from the previous two.
His expression vividly conveyed the tragic sentiment of having to kill someone to fulfill a mission. The judges were stunned by Lee Tae-Poong's natural movements and clear diction, as well as his portrayal of a skilled killing machine who nonetheless felt unexpected compassion and sorrow.
"Hahaha. A poignant murderer, huh? This is a good interpretation in its own way," Kim Moon-Dong murmured to himself without realizing it as the other judges nodded in agreement.
Choi Sung-Moon couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "Okay! Wow, since when did your acting skills improve so much?"
"That's what I'm saying. Haha."
The people seated in the judges' panel laughed despite Cha Tae-Hoon and Choi Yang-Seop being there. Cha Tae-Hoon and Choi Yang-Seop's faces began to contort.
"Ahem. But wait. It'd be a pity to judge just by this one scene. Try scene 29. Hurry."
After that, the audition continued several more times. Lee Tae-Poong performed splendidly in all four scenes he was given.
Finally, Lee Tae-Poong's portion of the audition which lasted a little longer than the other two ended.
As Lee Tae-Poong was about to return to his seat, Choi Sung-Moon called him back. "Mr. Tae-Poong, could you take off your top for a moment?"
Lee Tae-Poong lifted his North Korean army uniform without hesitation.
At that moment, a wave of admiration burst from the judges' panel again.
"Wow, look at that..."
"Ha ha ha, I wonder how much work must have gone into sculpting that body..."
The muscles across his shoulders, chest, and abdomen were sharply defined, and his tanned skin with a distinct six-pack looked like a sculpture. In commercial films where marketability was crucial, an actor's appearance and physique were just as important as their acting skills.
Lee Tae-Poong had proven he possessed all these, drawing a pleased reaction from Choi Sung-Moon.
"Well done! You may go now."
As Lee Tae-Poong returned to his place, I concealed my excitement and checked my planner.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: December 11th, 2020]
- 10:00 PM (Report) Beyond the Borders Box office count at 12 AM: 8,175,234.
'Not yet, huh?'
At that moment, Ga Eun-Soo announced the end of our group's audition. "The results will be communicated to you later. Thank you all for your effort."
Cha Tae-Hoon and Choi Yang-Seop left the audition hall first.
As I took Lee Tae-Poong outside with me, I began to think about what I had to do next. The actor had done everything he could. Now it was my turn to make a move as his talent agent.
After all, landing a leading role wasn't just about acting skills.
***
When Ga Eun-Soo was about to call the next group after the first group had completed their audition, Choi Sung-Moon made a comment.
"I knew Lee Tae-Poong was handsome, but his acting is exceptional as well. Was the industry gossip about him all false?"
"No, it's true. His pronunciation was a bit off and his acting was average before which was concerning. But he seems completely transformed now. Perhaps he sharpened his skills after changing agencies," Shin Jong-Ki responded.
Even Planning Director Pyo Eun-Mi nodded in agreement, leaving Ga Eun-Soo unable to stay quiet. If things continued this way, Lee Tae-Poong might take the lead role instead of Cha Tae-Hoon who was supposed to receive kickbacks.
Stopping in his tracks on the way to the waiting room, Ga Eun-Soo joined the conversation. "Mr. Choi, Mr. Lee Tae-Poong isn't bad, but things could get complicated if his old habits resurface after the role is confirmed."
Ga Eun-Soo's reminder of Lee Tae-Poong's poor past performances made Kim Moon-Dong flinch. After all, the risk of hastily choosing a lead could indeed lead to issues later on. Such was the reason the lead role was usually reserved for proven actors.
Kim Moon-Dong agreed with Ga Eun-Soo. "Mr. Choi, thinking about it now, Producer Ga might be right. It's probably better to go with someone who has proven themselves. There is less risk that way."
As the conversation turned toward financial considerations, Shin Jong-Ki also changed his stance. "I'm drawn to Mr. Lee Tae-Poong as well, but it might be better to go with someone else considering the failure of his previous works..."
When Shin Jong-Ki momentarily forgot the impressive performance and started listing the failed projects of Lee Tae-Poong, Choi Sung-Moon frowned and was displeased by the sudden shift in attitude from the investor and distributor.
"Director Pyo, do you share the same opinion?"
Pyo Eun-Mi, who had worked with Choi Sung-Moon for 20 years, leaned back in her chair and added, "To be honest, Mr. Cha Tae-Hoon would be a safer bet for a stable expected revenue. If it's a script written by you, featuring Cha Tae-Hoon as the lead could easily surpass seven million audience."
"Hmm, seven million..."
Choi Sung-Moon was tempted by Pyo Eun-Mi's prediction known as the 'audience counter.'
"And what about if we choose Lee Tae-Poong?"
"If we go with Mr. Lee Tae-Poong, it could range anywhere between one million and ten million."
"Director Pyo, a range from one million to ten million is too broad. What does that even mean?"
Pyo Eun-Mi frowned as she was frustrated by her colleagues' confusion and explained, "If the performance we saw just now is all there is and he reverts to his terrible past performances, we're looking at under a million. It could be a historic flop. But if the performance we saw today is genuine, I'd stake my reputation on reaching ten million."
Actors who performed well in the auditions where there were no real opponents acting against them were more common than expected. But the real outcome of a shoot, especially when interacting with other actors, could only be known once filming began.
Given the numerous bad rumors about Lee Tae-Poong on set, it was difficult to make an immediate decision.
"Between one million and ten million, huh?" Choi Sung-Moon responded.
The judges began to weigh their thoughts, mulling over the wide range of possibilities. Pyo Eun-Mi had planted seeds of both hope and concern with just a single statement.
As Choi Sung-Moon's dilemma deepened, Ga Eun-Soo quickly began to come up with a scheme. After the auditions, he planned to invite Chief Kim Dong-Soo to dinner with the aim to secure Cha Tae-Hoon as the male lead.
"Producer Ga, what's going on? Aren't we calling the next group?"
"Ah, yes, sir. I'll bring them in right away."
As Ga Eun-Soo left the audition room, he immediately pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Mr. Kim Dong-Soo? Yes, it's me. We have a problem here!"
***
Lee Tae-Poong stepped into the hallway after the audition and immediately started trembling. His body had reached its limit after nearly a week of scant eating.
"Good grief, you fool. Who told you to starve yourself like this?" I reprimanded him.
Lee Tae-Poong simply grinned as I scolded him. "Well, the rumors said the competition was fierce. I thought I wouldn't stand out if I didn't do something drastic like this..."
"But what if you had fallen ill?"
Lee Tae-Poong sheepishly scratched his head and apologized. "I'm sorry."
He had now shed the intense demeanor of 'Lieutenant Choi In-Sol.'
I let out a deep sigh as I touched the coarse fabric of his North Korean army uniform. "Well, you did well, Tae-Poong. Your acting was great."
"Not at all. It was thanks to you that I could act at all."
Lee Tae-Poong attributed his improved dyslexia and performance to my help, stirring a warm feeling inside me. But then an absurd thought crossed my mind as I saw him smiling at me.
'He really is handsome.'
His week of fasting had sharpened his facial features and made them even more striking. Anyone passing by would turn their head for a second look at such a face, and I couldn't help but let out an exclamation of admiration.
If it made sense, his natural bone structure. Even his vibrating vocal cords seemed as if they were crafted with care.
'It's unfair how some are blessed by nature.'
Yes—that was the only thought that came to mind regarding his stunning appearance.
"Mr. Jung? What's wrong?"
Only after hearing Lee Tae-Poong's concerned voice did I snap back into reality.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
I suggested we head back to the car. "Let's head back to the car for a bit to rest, Tae-Poong. Sang-Bong, you go buy some sports drinks and yogurt."
"Rest in the car? Aren't we going straight to the company?"
"No, we have somewhere else to be."
My planner still had an entry about a dinner with Choi Sung-Moon following Cha Tae-Hoon's audition.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: May 15th, 2020]
-07:30 PM Reservation for 10 at Paju Guuguu, with Choi Sung-Moon and his party.
Cha Tae-Hoon had secured the lead role during that dinner. But this time, I planned to secure the role for Lee Tae-Poong at that very dinner.
It was only 4 p.m. and we still had about three and a half hours to spare. Waiting in the car for a bit was nothing if it meant securing the role for Lee Tae-Poong.
However, the moment we arrived at the parking lot, I saw Cha Tae-Hoon standing there and waiting for us with a frown on his face.
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