I Will Live As An Actor

I Will Live as an Actor Episode 135

I often hear people say I have no sense. As can be seen from his matted hair and loose-fitting clothes, he is not very interested in the appearance of the world. Even now, if you look at it, it looks no different from the homeless people in the station. Before he knew it, sweat began to form on his forehead.

gulp.

Mokuldae is shaking. Tension that had not been present even at academic achievement exams in the past took hold of my entire body. Did I even meet a wolf right before my eyes? Oh my God, how can wolves be so active in the city? But at this moment, the person sitting in front of me feels like a tiger, not a wolf.

“You said your name was Mr. Go Gwang-tae, right?”

“That’s right.”

As can be seen from the trembling voice, it is difficult to tell whether the current situation is a dream or reality. I bite my inner cheek with my molars to see if the intoxication of the makgeolli I drank last night has yet to subside. The faint pain rises like a harbinger of happiness.

“Do you know this old man?”

“How could you not know? Aren’t you Director Baek Jang-hoon!”

I often hear people say that I don’t have any sense, but how can I act like I’m a person with no sense of humor? Isn’t he the person I idolized the most as a filmmaker? I guarantee you that even if you were to meet silent film master Buster Keaton in person, you wouldn’t be this nervous.

“I’m sorry for asking you to meet writer Go Gwang-tae all of a sudden. You have other plans today, but I thought this old man might be rude. If you’re busy, it’s okay to just say hello today and set up a separate time.”

“Oh! Why are you talking so rudely? If I had any other schedules, I would be sitting on my butt in the alley of a used bookstore in Gosichon. You don’t have to worry at all. If it were Director Baek Jang-hoon, it wouldn’t have been enough for me to run out in socks and meet him. And I’m unemployed! I’m unemployed! I have a lot of time!”

It’s so intense, it’s as if my hands are cramping. It was because of concerns that director Baek Jang-hoon might resign.

“The work was too good to be judged as an unemployed person. After seeing the script written by writer Go Gwang-tae, I contacted him because I wanted to meet him.”

“My script…?”

“That’s England, so Actor Jang showed it to me. I apologize if you were inconvenienced in any way.”

“No! On the contrary, I want to kneel down and bow to Actor Jang. Isn’t it an honor for the family that the director looks at my script? And please speak comfortably. I look old on the outside, but I am much younger than the director! ”

Tangled hair shakes violently. He seemed to be uncomfortable with the fact that the person who was his idol continued to use respectful language. At that time, director Baek Jang-hoon got lucky.

“The reason why I asked to meet author Go Gwang-tae in person today.”

gulp.

“I wanted to ask if I could direct the author’s work.”

At that moment, Go Gwang-tae’s pupils tremble as if there was an earthquake.

…

_ doesn’t exist.”

For some reason, I feel ashamed.

“Wasn’t it the same during the oral interview? The problems of the Korean judicial system, how to overcome them, and even the future direction of the legal profession. I never imagined that the answer would be that there is no solution because there is a lack of self-reflection. .”

“You didn’t think that was arrogant?”

“If I had thought that way, would I still be a professor? I would still be wearing a law suit and working as a judge. The thoughts of the rest of the professors in the oral interview room were also the same. Some may say that your answer is very hasty and wrong-headed.”

Professor Shin Jeong-gil elaborates with a faint smile.

“I really like that kind of rebellious temperament.”

In any case, coming to meet Professor Shin Jeong-gil today was a great harvest. In order to study writer Go Gwang-tae’s screenplay, a legal professional’s perspective was also essential. I didn’t expect him to answer the question so honestly and without any modifications.

“Actually, I don’t know how much time passes these days because I’ve been watching movies and dramas you’ve appeared in.”

“yes?”

“Everyone in my house and my daughter are your fans, and it has become a daily routine for me to watch your work after work. Every time I see your image reflected in the TV, I feel amazing. The law student I met in the classroom. Rather, each work seemed as if a different character was breathing.”

It was unexpected. Wasn’t it Professor Shin Jeong-gil who seemed to live a life of isolation from dramas and movies? I never thought I would say that I looked through the entire filmography. At that time, Professor Shin Jeong-gil asks with a curious expression.

“Could you tell me about your next project? It’s clear that it’s related to the law, given that you’ve come to see me. I can’t predict how your appearance will change. You look good as a judge in a court uniform, you’re good as a prosecutor, and you’ve become a sharp sword at a law firm. A lawyer would also be a good fit.”

“…….”

“Which of the three is it?”

What should I answer? I wanted to show the script to Professor Shin Jeong-gil. He was a person well-versed in legal aspects. However, even if you read the script, it will be difficult to clearly determine what the main character’s occupation is.

He is a person who is a lawyer in a country governed by the rule of law, but at the same time he is not. After all, isn’t the theme of the screenplay also the power of the court? The law is far, but the fist is close. The answer to that is just one sentence.

“He is an outlaw.”

* * *

“her.”

I still can’t believe it. My legs feel shaky as if I ran a marathon. I pinch my cheek to see if I’m walking in a dream, but all I feel is pain. When I raise my head and look at the sky, the strands of telephone poles tangled like spider webs remind me of reality.

“Gwangtae, is something wrong?”

The old owner of the used bookstore asked with a worried expression. After all, isn’t his appearance different from usual every time I encounter him? Instead of looking at the alley of the gosi village with a sharp gaze while joking about studying people, his eyes look dazed, like someone who is on drugs.

In the end, unable to control his shaking legs, he collapses on his butt in the corner of the used bookstore.

“Oh my gosh, Gwangtae—!”

“It’s okay. I’m just dizzy right now.”

“What on earth can happen to a young person? No matter how difficult it is, you have to keep your head straight.”

The hand of the used bookstore owner who supports Go Gwang-tae is full of concern.

“Is something bad happening?”

At that moment, Go Gwang-tae shakes his shoulders. He said he met director Baek Jang-hoon, whom he considered his idol, and talked endlessly about the script. It was a childlike script that no one recognized. My baby was recognized.

And that too to the famous director who is said to be the master of Chungmuro. Soon, a smile spreads across my face, whether it’s tears or laughter. It would be like laughing while crying.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“Are you really okay?”

“It’s because I won something better than the lottery.”

“What?!”

Even if I won the lottery, I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now. I have never felt so hot in my life. Director Baek Jang-hoon’s praise was enough to make my whole body shiver.

As the old owner of the used bookstore leaves with a puzzled look behind him, Go Gwang-tae sweeps his face with his long fingers. Tears and laughter come out salty together.

“Make it a video.”

It feels real that my own screenplay is being made into a video. Of course, we also know that production can fall apart during the pre-production stage.

However, isn’t the fact that director Baek Jang-hoon said he would personally take charge of the film a guarantee? Director Baek Jang-hoon was asked not only about the script but also about the selection of actors.

-When writing the script, was there an actor you had in mind for the lead role? Are you by any chance actor Jang Young-guk?

Go Gwang-tae shook his head in response to Director Baek Jang-hoon’s question. The reason I met actor Jang Young-guk in the first place was because I was concerned that the script would be buried in the dust. The way I could express my gratitude to him was beyond words, but it was unavoidable.

After all, Go Gwang-tae, who wrote the book in isolation from the media, was unaware of the existence of an actor named Jang Yeong-guk.

‘I think it would be better for the director to contact the lead actor directly rather than me. ‘I don’t know the actors well and I’m not talented enough to evaluate their acting.’

Director Baek Jang-hoon nodded briefly in response to Go Gwang-tae’s answer. I couldn’t help but wonder who would take on the lead role in the work.

* * *

“I met the late author.”

It was a dinner party. I couldn’t help but stop my chopsticks at my grandfather’s words. I never dreamed that I would meet artist Go Gwang-tae so quickly, even though he said he would get rid of an ox horn.

“Grandpa, that’s what you mean…!”

“Yonseok, swallow all your rice and then talk.”

I swallowed the rice that was full in my mouth and asked.

“Are you saying you want to direct?”

The grandfather responds with a brief nod. Actually, wasn’t it a long time ago? Each director has a different perspective on the work.

A masterpiece to some may feel like a masterpiece to others. Moreover, isn’t writer Go Gwang-tae’s script composed of a structure so complex that any director would be at a loss?

“England was a much more polite friend than you said?”

This is Go Gwang-tae, who was called the madman of Chungmuro in his past life. It’s not for nothing that they’re called crazy. Weren’t they reluctant to even do basic SFX work, including CG, which would be easily seen in any movie in the future? He was a man who sought to portray things as they were produced.

It was said that it was the actors who suffered because of this. Moreover, his personality was so strange that all the actors he worked with said in unison.

-Director Go Gwang-tae’s works are unconditionally successful. But I don’t want to never be together again.

That’s why my grandfather’s words felt puzzling. But if you think about it another way, isn’t your grandfather a person who is called the greatest master in Chungmuro? This means that no matter how crazy a dog is, it has no choice but to become calm in front of a tiger.

“A screenplay is something that you just have to take from an already completed script and assemble it. Having to reorganize the script for each shot only takes time, but it can be done as if you were drawing up a blueprint. As for financing, I expect it will come naturally if you look for it. There’s something really wrong with it.”

What could be an obstacle to Baek Jang-hoon’s division deciding to step forward? However, I was able to find out what the grandfather was thinking about through the following afterword.

“We need to cast a lead actor, hmm.”

“I gave you Grandpa’s script.”

“Of course, you keep England in mind because you are also an actor.”

Does this sound like a bolt from the blue?