I will live as an actor, episode 143.
Dan-yeokâs pupils shake violently as if there was an earthquake. How can one not be surprised when blood is flowing from Britainâs hands? It was that moment. The hair he was holding moved violently and Dan-yeokâs head was bent.
âA wolf.â
The shining eyes and the slanted sneer on the corner of the mouth said so. In the world of the law of the jungle, I am a carnivore. Raise your bleeding palm and firmly grasp the opponentâs shoulder. Drops of blood flow down the palm and run down Jo Yeonâs shoulder.
âpick.â
What should I choose? This is a line that was not in the original script. Like a wolf growling and moaning, Jeong Hae-seok is rhyming.
âDo you want to die here or get stretched between your crotches?â
The voice was low, but overflowing with an inexplicable sense of intimidation. The person whose hair is grabbed by Jeong Hae-seok cannot answer. I wasnât embarrassed because of the ad-libs. This is because Jeong Hae-seokâs eyes were shining cruelly, as if he would swallow him up at any moment. It was then.
âOkay, die here.â
Jeong Hae-seok raises his blood-covered palm and clenches it into a fist. And the fist flies straight at him. Danyeok closed his eyes tightly without realizing it.
Before I know it, the corners of my eyes start to tremble and I have a premonition of what will happen next. But I donât feel the blow that should follow. As he carefully opens his eyes, Jeong Hae-seok, who had been shining just a moment ago, bursts into laughter for some reason.
âFriend, I tried to play a prank. Why are you so surprised?â
Jeong Hae-seok touches the frozen face of his counterpart, touches his cheek a few times with his palm, and then returns to his original position. There is a strong sense of tension at the filming site, as if walking on thin ice. The person who creates that tension is none other than Jeong Hae-seok, who is sitting at the head table.
Son Hwa-won, who was watching the scene from a corner of the filming site, swallowed her saliva and could not take her eyes off even for a moment. Obviously, if you think about what the UK looked like before filming, you couldnât picture what it looks like now. Doesnât it feel like you have become a different person? Not only the atmosphere, but also the accent, facial expressions, and behavior were all different.
âItâs definitely an ad-lib.â
Son Hwa-won was a master of not only his own scripts but also other peopleâs scripts. Therefore, we could see that the British line was ad-libbed. It was clearly an accident that had to stop filming, but I couldnât understand how it could proceed so smoothly. Would you be able to do it yourself? I thought about it over and over again, but I couldnât easily think of an answer.
Director Baek Jang-hoon continues to face the televised screen without stopping filming. This may be proof that they trust Britain that much. As the situation in the script changed, the end of the scene also changed.
Jeong Hae-seok looks down at his palm, which is dripping blood. And then he smiles inexplicably.
âBring it.â
Jeong Hae-seok nods and points to a bucket filled with ice. The person whose hair had just been grabbed by him carefully brings the container to him with a trembling gaze. Jeong Hae-seok pushes his hand into a bucket filled with ice.
The transparent ice bucket quickly turns blood red. Jeong Hae-seok shakes his palm as if waving his hand and arrogantly holds out the ice bucket to his opponent.
âArenât you thirsty?â
* * *
âIt doesnât hurt, does it?â
Although it was a liquor glass made of sugar, the wound on the palm area was bigger than expected. I quickly stopped the bleeding and the bleeding stopped, but it was clear that the long wound between my palms was torn. An emergency medical technician waiting at the filming site shakes his head.
âIf it was like this, we should have stopped filming.â
England gives a faint smile. Actually, this is not the first time I got hurt while filming. In your past life, didnât you mainly take on tough roles such as gangsters and bodyguards? There were many times I got injured while playing Tachimawa (action).
âYou need to go to the hospital right away and get stitches.â
The wound was disinfected and bandaged. Manager Lee Bong-chun, who was anxiously watching the scene from behind, fussed about whether he should call 911. After finishing treatment, England stood up and walked towards the actor who had worked with him today.
âIâm sorry. You were very surprised, right?â
It was a scene that was not planned in the script. Didnât the sugar-based liquor cup suddenly break and blood flowed out? Moreover, the scenes that followed were purely British ad-libs. Iâm just grateful to the actor who accepted the ad-lib without being embarrassed.
âNo, I was actually grateful. In fact, if England hadnât ad-libbed so quickly, I would have been shocked and ruined the picture.â
âAnd although this is only a small amount, I hope you will accept it. The head of the costume team said that he brought the costume himself.â
âOh no. Itâs really okay.â
England semi-forcibly shoved a white envelope into the coat of the hand-wringing member. In fact, the costumes for minor characters are also prepared by the costume team. However, sometimes, like the actor you see now, he prepared his own costume.
This is because it is difficult for the costume team to know the body sizes of the minor characters unless they are Joo Yeon. The blood that had seeped from Englandâs palm was still smeared on his shoulder.
âDirector, how was the scene?â
England visited cinematographer Do Wook Do and asked. In fact, I couldnât monitor it because I was receiving treatment right after the scene ended, and I was worried because it wasnât the picture I had planned.
This is not to say that ad-libs are unconditionally accepted, and on the contrary, among cinematographers and film directors, there are often those who are reluctant to use arbitrary ad-libs from actors. However, cinematographer Do Wook Do raises his thumb and speaks in a cheerful voice.
âHe killed me. In all my life, Iâve never seen someone act like that while getting hurt. How are your hands? Are you okay?â
âItâs okay. It didnât hurt too much.â
âGo to the director. He told me to come right after Actor Jangâs treatment is over.â
England bowed his head to the cinematographer and headed straight to where director Baek Jang-hoon was. Director Baek Jang-hoon was busy preparing for the next filming.
However, a puzzled look appeared on Englandâs face as he looked at the filming site. From composition of shots to location of props and lights. It was obviously because it wasnât the planned next scene.
âDirector.â
Because it was a private event, England did not call him âgrandfatherâ as usual. Coach Baek Jang-hoon slowly turns around at Englandâs call. The first place his wrinkled gaze turned to was Englandâs palm, which was wrapped in a white bandage.
âGo to the hospital.â
Itâs a dry voice. There is a coldness in the eyes. When England looked at the filming site and tried to ask, director Baek Jang-hoon elaborated as if he had read his thoughts.
âWe decided to move up the next filming to another scene first, so donât worry and go to the hospital first. There is no need to come to the filming set today.â
His voice wasnât like that of his usual kind-hearted grandfather. Rather, his solemn gaze towards England seemed cold and scolding. England doesnât reply, but bows his head and retreats.
* * *
Dinner parties are always noisy. The smell of grilling meat fills the air, soju bottles are tipped here and there, and glasses are splashing and clinking. The main topic of discussion for the filming team attending the dinner was none other than the filming scene that took place today. Didnât everyone witness it? Englandâs passionate performance with torn palms.
âBrother, I thought my Youngguk was an object, but I didnât know it was to that extent. I was so scared that I was holding the camera and almost ran out. But I kept ad-libbing without any tension in my eyes, and I really didnât care whether my hands were bleeding or not. âIt means I was so immersed in the situation without even using it.â
âI saw it too.â
âBut wow, what did you say to England? I was so embarrassed earlier.â
In the Baek Jang-hoon division, it was Do Wook Do, the cinematographer who had been working with director Jang-hoon Baek for the longest time. Thatâs why you can ask questions so comfortably. Director Baek Jang-hoon lifts a glass of soju, pours it into his mouth, and then sets the glass down loudly.
âBecause I donât know how to save myself.â
Director Baek Jang-hoon wiped his dry lips. It was true that he was also surprised while filming. I wanted to stop filming and send England to the hospital right away, but I couldnât.
Because the sight of England reflected on the television screen was so beautiful. The behavior that seemed to be a direct copy of Jeong Hae-seok in the actual script was enough to make me shiver for a moment. but.
âIf such a situation happens a hundred or a thousand times, he will continue to force himself to act again. Thatâs why Iâm worried. Doesnât the job of a director place an emphasis on pictures? Even I, who has watched England for a long time, canât help but feel the desire of that moment. âI couldnât win, so I pushed ahead with filming, but I wonder if other directors would be appalled.â
Son Hwa-won is silently listening to the conversation between the two. He could see that director Baek Jang-hoonâs concern and concern were clearly visible from the corners of his wrinkled eyes. I canât believe that the person who is usually called the tiger director and who is more solemn than anyone else on the filming set is thinking of someone so kindly. It was then.
âOh Englandâ!â
Cinematographer Do Wook Jeong spots England walking across the threshold of the restaurant and raises his hand from his seat. At one point, the filming crewâs eyes turn to England.
The bandages wrapped around his hands showed the extent of his wounds. The assistant director takes the lead and claps, and the others follow suit, whistling and clapping.
England shyly bows his head to each and every member of the filming team and heads towards where the cinematographer and director Baek Jang-hoon are. First, he bows his head deeply to director Baek Jang-hoon and speaks.
âIâm sorry today, Director.â
Director Baek Jang-hoonâs gaze is still focused on the bandaged hand.
âAre your hands okay?â
âI got a few stitches, but the doctor said it wasnât a deep cut and that I shouldnât have any trouble with my daily life.â
Director Baek Jang-hoon swallows his tears when he hears that he got stitches.
âItâs really okay. I said it would be okay to take the bandages off when filming. I also said that I would take the stitches off after about a week, so I wouldnât have any scars.â
âI should have stopped filming, but I couldnât because of greed.â
âNo, really.â
âI say this because I have actor Son, but I was a director who valued directing more than the actual actors. However, as time went by, I didnât realize that my values had become stubborn. I myself didnât know that England would proceed with filming even when you were injured. . From now on, there is no need for you or actor Son to have to act while getting injured on set. Because actors are not props. And.â
Director Baek Jang-hoonâs sudden apology made England feel as if his mouth was on fire. Iâve been with director Baek Jang-hoon for a long time, but this was my first time seeing him like this. At that moment, director Baek Jang-hoon smiles and speaks politely to England. Not as a grandfather and grandson, but as a film director and actor.
âIâm really sorry and thank you for your passionate performance, actor Jang Young-guk.â