[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor":3,"chapter-i-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor-i-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor-chapter-429":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},459516,712,"Chapter 429","i-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor-chapter-429",429,"\u003Cp>Chapter 429: Joker (7)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kang Woo-jin gazed indifferently into the distance, lost in thought, while Choi Sung-geon, oblivious to his distraction, tightened his ponytail and repeated his suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wouldn't it be easier to leave everything to Yejung if you're too busy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, that's probably best. With your packed schedule, there's no reason for you to worry about tuxedos or suits, colors, or brands. I’ll just assign everything to Yejung and the styling team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choi Sung-geon grabbed a bottle of water from the trailer’s fridge and handed it to Woo-jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Considering how much you cared about tuxedo designs for Cannes and the Blue Dragon Awards, I thought you might want to choose for this, too. But with your schedule, it's probably too much. I’ll inform Yejung; just focus on your filming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Choi Sung-geon finished speaking and turned to leave the trailer, Woo-jin’s low voice stopped him in his tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Representative, how about something that’s not so ordinary or dull?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pausing, Choi turned back with a curious look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ordinary or dull? You mean tuxedos or suits? Sure, I get that, but what else is there? Don't tell me—you want something custom-designed? Not a bad idea, but I’m not sure we’d have the time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that’s not it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo-jin responded cynically, meeting Choi's gaze with an even colder expression, intensifying his “serious” act. But internally, he was amused by the idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This’ll be entertaining, at the very least.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outwardly, though, he remained stoic, only letting a hint of his boldness shine through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Representative, to me, the ‘Emmys’ is more of a stopover.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A... stopover? Are you serious? The *Emmys*? That’s the *Academy Awards* of television—prestigious and renowned! Sure, the *Academy Awards* may be the ultimate goal, but—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choi’s voice trailed off as he remembered something. Right, this was Woo-jin, who treated even Cannes as a mere stepping stone. So, would it be strange for him to think of the *Emmys* as just another pit stop?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, it’s not strange at all.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, this was the same Woo-jin who spoke casually about the “final boss,” the *Academy Awards*. So it only made sense he would feel similarly about the *Emmys*. The typical actor might faint at the thought, but not Woo-jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Because he’s Kang Woo-jin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside his conventional thoughts, Choi responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All right then, so to you, the *Emmys* is just a stopover. Got it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo-jin casually ran his fingers through his black hair, continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For me, Cannes and the *Emmys* are similar. But to the world, they’re different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Not only is this your first invitation, but you’re nominated in ten categories. The attention on you is going to be massive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, and that creates a gap—a gap between what the *Emmys* mean to me and what they mean to the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boring things aren’t interesting to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boring? The *Emmys*?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s on the dull side. That’s why I came up with an alternative.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choi swallowed nervously. Knowing Woo-jin, nothing he proposed was ever ordinary. Slowly, Woo-jin walked over to the rack of clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A performance. It could benefit *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, and, personally, it would make things a bit more enjoyable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo-jin reached out, picking up the red jacket of the Joker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coincidentally, the Joker’s costumes are formalwear too. Although the colors are a bit… insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just a bit insane?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he watched Woo-jin, Choi quickly caught on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… You’re not thinking—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Woo-jin responded swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Joker walking down the red carpet would be one of a kind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choi’s mouth fell open as he processed this bold idea before snapping back to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying… you’ll go to the *Emmys* dressed as the Joker?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that strange?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not strange—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait. On second thought, Choi’s shock transformed into composure. The mere idea of the Joker crashing the *Emmys* was guaranteed to draw unprecedented attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A nominee for Best Actor shows up dressed as a madman? Curiosity will explode.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was more to it than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even if Woo-jin doesn’t win Best Actor… he’ll be the talk of the night as the Joker, guaranteed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning after the *Emmys*, his presence as the Joker would eclipse the award winner’s fame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breaking into a grin, Choi asked, “That’ll definitely be interesting. Are you planning on doing the full makeup?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo-jin shook his head, unfazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, just the outfit and hair should be enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choi concluded, “Of course, we’ll need permission from the director and Columbia Studios.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hours later, back in Korea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While it was past lunchtime in LA, it was the early dawn of the next day in Seoul, around 5 a.m. Despite the hour, the editing room at DM Production was brightly lit as if the night didn’t exist here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the air was slightly smoky, and five people worked tirelessly, their eyes dark with exhaustion from sleepless nights. Among them, a particularly disheveled man with a thickening beard sat at the central editing station: PD Song Man-woo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was pouring his heart into editing *Beneficial Evil* Part 2. Filming had wrapped in early June, and they were three weeks into post-production, aiming for a September release. Song Man-woo was sacrificing sleep to meet the deadline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...There was a full shot just now, wasn’t there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s try that one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation was minimal. PD Song was too busy focusing on the monitor, his fingers moving constantly as he watched Woo-jin’s performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, a bust shot is better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew—this is tough. The footage is all so good, which makes it harder to cut.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woo-jin’s incredible acting is both a blessing and a curse for the director.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A happy curse, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the work was progressing slower than usual for PD Song, who had decades of experience in this industry. The global attention was creating a pressure he hadn’t felt before, amplified by Woo-jin’s jaw-dropping performance in every frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is the most challenging edit of my career.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, PD Song marveled at the man on screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Here I am, stressed over one project, but this guy has had hit after hit without breaking a sweat.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PD Song, lost in thought, refocused on Woo-jin’s face on the monitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Definitely going with the bust shot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few hours later, around 9 a.m., PD Song paused the editing and sent his exhausted team to the lounge for a break. But he stayed behind, determined to keep working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Tap, tap, tap.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Knock, knock.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, he turned to see a familiar woman holding a paper bag from a sushi restaurant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“PD Song, how about breakfast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Kim So-hyang, the lead director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sushi for breakfast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I figured you’d be working hard. The least I can do is bring you some food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, let’s eat, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I also have news to deliver.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“News?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’ll be briefing the whole team soon, but I thought you should know first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked to PD Song’s office, Kim continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The *Emmys* departure date has been set—July 20th. The venue will be the usual, the Microsoft Theater in LA.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>July 20. Less than a month away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right around the corner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Ring, ring.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PD Song’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and looked surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kim raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it? Who’s calling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PD Song answered, “It’s Woo-jin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back to the evening of the 21st in LA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the day’s filming, a few figures gathered near Woo-jin’s trailer: Director Ahn Ga-bok, executive producer Nora Foster, a couple of key staff, and Choi Sung-geon. Woo-jin was currently inside, likely removing his makeup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fluent English, Choi addressed the group, his eyes on Director Ahn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is Woo-jin’s idea, but he wants to attend the *Emmys* dressed as the Joker.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Ahn and the rest of the group reacted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Come again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s eyes, including Nora’s and the key staff, widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...The *Emmys*, dressed as the Joker?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I hear that right? Why would he go to the *Emmys* as the Joker? It’s the *Emmys*, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, are you saying Woo-jin himself suggested this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nora seemed the most stunned, momentarily at a loss, before raising her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—what sense does that make? Why would we show the Joker costume at the *Emmys*?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Director Ahn who interrupted her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Choi, let’s hear Woo-jin’s reasoning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though surprised himself, Director Ahn knew Woo-jin well enough to understand that he wouldn’t make a suggestion like this without a purpose. As the room calmed, Choi\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>relayed Woo-jin’s thoughts from the previous morning. Although he added his own insights, the core message was clear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woo-jin wanted to make his *Emmys* entrance as the Joker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Director Ahn mulled over the idea, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Joker appearing on the *Emmys* red carpet…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured, digesting the concept, while Choi added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, he’ll only wear it for the red carpet. According to Woo-jin, that alone should make an impact. No full makeup—just the hair and outfit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagining the scene, the key staff fell silent. Director Ahn’s analytical mind then offered an assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Starting as the Joker and transforming back into Kang Woo-jin. It ties in with the essence of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, so that’s it! Choi recognized Director Ahn’s insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Woo-jin wasn’t just thinking about fun; he was considering the core theme of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not quite. Woo-jin’s real motive was purely for the thrill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they grasped the idea, Director Ahn spoke, sharing his understanding with the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’ll undoubtedly create a buzz—more than just a small one. Woo-jin’s global influence will amplify it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a satisfied smile, Director Ahn continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Joker at the *Emmys*—there couldn’t be a more perfect teaser for the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The promotional power would be monumental. Just then, Nora, her expression stern, spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m against it. In *Piero*, the Joker is a central character, the first villain of the cinematic universe. He’s part of a major project; we can’t just spoil him so casually. It’s a reckless idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when it happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These days, holding back doesn’t generate hype.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, male voice interrupted. Everyone turned to see Woo-jin, wearing a cap pulled low, walking toward them with a nonchalant expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Revealing a bit is far more explosive.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1716,"2026-05-30T10:06:28.723Z","2026-06-01T04:30:57.337Z",1,"novelbin.me","3a74e5cdee6fc1cbfb279454b702e04e9d0faba881b5bd4b1bfa9548cd11ada4","i-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor-chapter-430","i-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor-chapter-428",480,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-was-mistaken-as-a-monstrous-genius-actor-cover.jpg"]