The phrase “Great talents mature late” (大器晩成).
There are various types of actors. Some stand out and showcase their talent as actors right from their debut, while others are recognized as actors after long and painstaking efforts, much like a farmer cultivating their crops.
The latter is often referred to as a “late bloomer,” but their numbers are extremely small in the broadcasting industry, which pays barely enough to make ends meet.
“Hyungnim, are you saying that Youngguk is a late bloomer?”
Director Baek Janghoon nods briefly at the question from cinematographer Do Jangwook. A dry laugh escapes over his rough stubble.
“Stop talking nonsense. In what way is Youngguk a late bloomer?”
In the past, Do Jangwook first encountered Youngguk on a filming site. Director Baek Janghoon, who was always meticulous in selecting child actors, suddenly appeared one day with a little boy in tow.
The first impression was, to put it precisely, bland.
From the outside, his tanned skin and chestnut-like hair made him look like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city. But.
“Hyungnim, where did you find a kid like that?”
The child actor’s performance on set was enough to surprise Do Jangwook.
Despite being in a short cameo, the child left a strong impression that lingered in the mind.
Not only did he have an exceptional ability to grasp the script, but he also had a unique understanding of the filming composition, almost like a seasoned veteran of the set. As evidence:
“Director Do, in my entire life, I’ve never seen a kid who doesn’t look for their parents or get nervous on set. Moreover, his acting is so natural, it’s like he’s a fish in water. Sometimes I think he acts better than me.”
An elderly actor, who had acted alongside him, burst into a helpless laugh. That’s how unrivaled Youngguk was as a child actor compared to his peers. Calling such an actor a late bloomer is absurd.
“Even now, when you look at him, is there anyone who can easily approach Youngguk on set? We’ve known him since he was young, so we can approach him easily, but the newcomers who just joined the filming team shudder just by meeting his gaze. His acting is so brilliant that people mistake it for his real personality.”
“He has set his own boundaries.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
Do Jangwook leans forward, unable to suppress his curiosity.
“I mean that he acts like an actor who has set his own limits. That’s what I meant by calling him a late bloomer. It felt like he already knew his limits. Perhaps that’s why he was better at acting than others even from a young age.”
“I don’t understand at all. Hyungnim, I acknowledge that your insight is the best in Chungmuro, but how could such a young kid know his own limits and set them? Didn’t you say he had only been acting for a few months back then?”
“It’s something I realized after being with him for a long time. Who knows how such a young kid knew his limits…”
If Youngguk had heard the conversation between the two, he would have felt chills down his spine. It meant Director Baek Janghoon had vaguely sensed the experiences of his past life.
“You said he’s a late bloomer, so by your logic, isn’t Youngguk already at his peak?”
“The starting point is different.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At that moment, Director Baek Janghoon looks up at the filming site. Amid the bustling staff, one actor stands out. Although he has known him for a long time, there are still many mysterious aspects about the kid.
But one thing is clear.
“The real beginning is after breaking out of the shell.”
Lunchtime at the filming site is busy. Not only the staff but also the actors need to be fed.
When filming in remote areas, it can be challenging to even get lunchboxes, let alone a mobile kitchen.
In contrast, the city is more accommodating. Moreover, Director Baek Janghoon’s team was the first in Chungmuro to introduce a mobile kitchen on set.
“Auntie, it’s Samgyetang today?”
“Today is Chobok (the beginning of the hottest period of summer). I made plenty, so everyone, please eat a lot.”
The aunt’s kind smile and the milky-white Samgyetang stimulate the appetite. The various side dishes made from seasonal vegetables all glisten with a sheen.
As he takes a bite of the chicken leg, it melts in his mouth. Truly, the aunt’s culinary skills are top-notch. She wasn’t called the best nutritionist in Chungmuro for nothing.
At that moment.
Tap.
Someone sits across from him. Youngguk looks up to see who it is.
“Hyung, don’t you have a shoot today?”
Son Hwawon lifts his spoon and smiles bashfully.
“It’s Chobok, right? The lunch here on set is better than most restaurants. The auntie’s cooking is so good that I even think about it on days I don’t have a shoot. Why else would I come? I came to see you, Youngguk.”
What?
Sometimes, while filming, this thought crossed his mind. Does Son Hwawon even like women? Of course, he’s still a young actor, so there haven’t been any significant scandals. But recalling memories of his past life, middle-aged Son Hwawon was still unmarried.
“Stop right there. If you go any further, I won’t be able to hold back.”
“What? Is it that hard to believe that a hyung wants to see his close dongsaeng?”
His heart sinks. He almost dropped his spoon.
There’s a saying that an actor’s personality changes depending on the role they play. Like that saying, Son Hwawon’s personality had become more cunning as the shooting period continued, much like his character Lee Howon in the script.
“Don’t worry. I like women a lot.”
As if reading Youngguk’s mind, Son Hwawon adds.
“I mean I like you as a goal. When you act as an actor, you inevitably find an actor you want to emulate. For me right now, that’s you, Youngguk.”
“What do you mean, not as a colleague, not even as a rival, but as a goal? People might think I’ve been acting for decades. You started as a child actor long before me.”
“Confucius said, teaching knows no age. Age is just a cumbersome thing. There’s only the path of learning. While acting, I felt the blocked path becoming clearer after meeting you. That’s why I came out even on days I don’t have a shoot. I can watch my role model’s acting up close.”
Huh.
It’s an overestimation. During the shoot of “Outlaw,” Son Hwawon occasionally asked Youngguk questions. If he had been curious about directorial aspects, he would have asked Director Baek Janghoon, but he only asked Youngguk about acting.
Each time, Youngguk answered sincerely based on his past life experiences. That series of events must have led to this blind faith.
“Hyung, then after lunch, can you help me practice my lines?”
“Practice?”
“I want to rehearse the scene we’re shooting in the afternoon.”
In movie shoots, rehearsals are conducted differently from broadcasting. While dramas focus on the psychology of the characters and the script, movies often focus on the directing techniques.
Therefore, rehearsals mainly focus on shooting composition, lighting, and actor movements rather than the script itself.
Unlike broadcasting stations that build their own studios, Chungmuro, which rents filming locations, often doesn’t have the luxury of time.
Son Hwawon’s face brightens at Youngguk’s sudden request.
“Okay!”
“Scene number 41, Jung Haesuk’s rampage—!”
The room is already filled with the smell of alcohol, with the bottom of the whiskey bottle visible. Amid the rising cigarette smoke, men in expensive suits are sitting with a woman each in their arms. Their conversation revolves solely around money and women.
“Even if you get caught messing around with unlisted stocks, so what? It’s not like you have to cough up what you took. You just spend a little time in the detention center and come out. That’s how the law works in Korea. It’s lenient to those who have it and harsh to those who don’t. That’s why I can’t leave this country. Right, Haesuk?”
“I’m not interested in such petty money.”
Jung Haesuk (Youngguk) leans back in his chair and raises his glass. It’s a gathering of second-generation chaebols.
They are all heirs to Korea’s leading conglomerates, destined to lead the country’s business world, but their characters are despicable.
They spend an average company employee’s annual salary on a night’s entertainment and occasionally indulge in drugs together.
As he is about to drink the whiskey swirling in his glass.
“You little prick, acting all high and mighty.”
At that moment, Jung Haesuk slams his glass down. An inexplicable tension fills the room as Jung Haesuk runs his long fingers down his face and speaks.
“Say that again.”
A cold atmosphere settles among the friends who were drinking together just a moment ago.
They are all wealthy individuals. Their personalities are similar too. As the saying goes, “you become the company you keep.”
Someone tries to defuse the situation, but it’s not easy.
“Hey, it was just a slip of the tongue. Why fight over that?”
“Friends?”
Jung Haesuk gets up from his seat with a wry smile. Son Hwawon, watching from the side of the set, swallows hard.
‘Wow, he was holding back during rehearsal.’
He had helped Youngguk rehearse this scene right after lunch. Although Youngguk had acted out the same script, the intensity felt different. The slight tremble in his eyes and his head shaking with laughter.
He was smiling on the outside, but it seemed like he could explode with rage any moment. The women sitting nearby flinch and lean back.
“Friends, huh? It’s a nice word. Right?”
Jung Haesuk lifts the glass he was drinking from. The whiskey he hadn’t drunk yet falls from the air.
Looking at the whiskey pouring onto the hair of the guy who insulted him, he asks again.
“Do I still look like your friend?”
“You bastard, how dare you!”
As the whiskey messes up the guy’s neatly styled hair, he glares and tries to stand up. But he doesn’t fully get up.
Crunch.
Jung Haesuk grabs the guy’s hair with one hand and twists his head.
The guy, forced back into his seat, finds Jung Haesuk’s face closing in on his. The others, sensing the tension, hesitate to intervene.
Of course, knowing Jung Haesuk’s temper, stepping in would be akin to courting death.
Eventually, their eyes meet. The guy, whose hair is being grabbed, tries to hold his ground.
But Jung Haesuk, with a wry smile, speaks.
“Just because we’re sitting in the same place doesn’t mean we’re all the same.”
Crunch!
At that moment, Jung Haesuk slams his glass on the table. The sugar-made prop glass shatters, and red blood drips from his hand.
Director Baek Janghoon, watching the scene, suddenly stands up.
It was supposed to be a prop glass made of sugar. But unexpectedly, it cut his hand.
As he is about to halt the shoot, Youngguk’s acting continues.
