It took some time to materialize the characters as I had envisioned.
I have a lot of experience with roles similar to this one, but I had to consider the differences between the martial world and the modern era, so some adjustments were necessary.
The performance of the original actor who played this role was quite helpful during this process.
The actor, who is still actively working and well-known, had previously played similar roles, providing fairly reliable reference material.
As time went on, the agreed-upon day arrived.
Upon arriving at the SBC Broadcasting Company’s Third Conference Room, I noticed a scattering of people who appeared to be aspiring actors.
They must have been participants in Director Yoo’s secret audition scheduled for today.
It was amusing to see them all tilt their heads curiously when our eyes met.
It’s understandable though. After all, my current appearance is…
“It’s time.”
It was now 12:55 PM.
Though slightly early, it was still a reasonable time to arrive safely.
Director Yoo wouldn’t eat while conducting the secret audition, so even if I entered early, there would still be a chance for the audition.
I strode confidently, opened the conference room door, and went inside.
—
(Min Woo-hee)
At SBC Broadcasting Company’s Third Conference Room…
Director Yoo Myung-woo and Writer Min Woo-hee were present, along with the assistant director and the cinematographer, all gathered snugly in this room.
They were participating as judges for this audition.
“Do we really have to do this?”
Writer Min Woo-hee, who had already collaborated on three pieces with Yoo Myung-woo, was quite familiar with such auditions.
They felt like an annual event that occurred with every filming project, but calling her during such a busy period made her think Director Yoo was quite extreme.
The auditions were previously held because there were necessary roles, but in this case, that wasn’t the reason.
It really felt like a waste of time, so Min Woo-hee couldn’t help but comment.
“Why?”
“Not necessarily. Why do you think we need this audition?”
“We have more than enough actors who readily accept calls. Why go through all this trouble?”
“Well, there might be good actors we don’t know about. Also…”
“An actor like Nam Yeon-ho might appear?”
“Exactly. Discovering hidden talent is quite an interesting activity, isn’t it?”
“Sigh, such an actor won’t come around again. Finding Nam Yeon-ho was a miracle.”
The reason Director Yoo’s extreme behavior worked was because there had already been a successful case.
Three years ago, Writer Min Woo-hee, working for the first time with Director Yoo on his debut project, discovered an unbelievable big fish named Nam Yeon-ho through this secret audition. Nam Yeon-ho carried the drama successfully as a significant supporting role, leading to its success.
Nam Yeon-ho is now a well-known actor in Korea, so this secret audition’s biggest output seems to have been Nam Yeon-ho.
Because there was already such success, Writer Min Woo-hee also sometimes ended up acting as a judge for these auditions.
Of course, there was only the success case of Nam Yeon-ho, but since things didn’t fail entirely, Writer Min also didn’t have much to say about this one.
“Writer Min, just let it go. Our PD is just having another bout of the great director’s disease. There’s no cure for that.”
“Hey, what makes this great director’s disease?”
“Leaving decent actors aside while going around trying to discover new ones is what great director’s disease is.”
“Hmph. There might always be hidden gems, you know?”
“Dream at home on your own time.”
At the assistant director’s sharp comment about the great director’s disease, Director Yoo flared up a little, making Min suppress a laugh.
It seemed Director Yoo acknowledged he had this great director’s disease.
Seeing Director Yoo’s flustered face, Writer Min felt a bit relieved and decided to relax.
Since the script was almost complete and the direction had been decided anyway, she had decided to clear her mind for at least one day.
“By the way, how many people are coming this time?”
“That, I’m not quite sure about. I handed out my business cards pretty generously, so enough people should come. Everyone who could come by now should be here, and the most courageous one will probably come first.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to receive at least their profiles?”
“Ah, what would we do with those? Since we’re only picking based on acting anyway. If all of them come in, we can dismiss them right away.”
“Once again, as always, so reckless.”
Thinking about how reckless Director Yoo was, she decided to just wait.
As Director Yoo had said, someone brave would come first.
And just then…
As the door opened, someone entered the room.
“…Huh?”
“…So, you’re here for the audition…”
“Nice to meet you. I’m an aspiring actor, White Siu.”
“Oh, yes…”
Everyone preparing for the evaluation was at a loss for words.
The first aspiring actor to arrive in the meeting room appeared to be around 70 years old.
While drama roles weren’t restricted by age, it was their first time seeing someone of that generation attend such an audition.
Roles for older characters were usually played by veteran actors who joined the production without going through auditions, so this was unusual.
“Uh… So, Mr. White Siu?”
“Yes, PD.”
“Are you considering the role of Elder Yoon?”
“Yes. Though I am inadequate, I’ve come here for the role of Elder Yoon.”
Since this was their first occurrence, Director Yoo seemed flustered but quickly regained his composure and began the audition.
Writer Min remembered through their conversation that there was one role suitable for an elder in this drama.
That was ‘Elder Yoon.’
It was a role that hadn’t found its owner yet because there were many aspects to consider.
“Now that I think about it… It does feel somewhat similar to Elder Yoon…”
Despite his age, his white hair and wrinkles made him seem dignified, and there was charm in his features that suggested he used to captivate women in his youth.
Especially his demeanor and graceful posture matched perfectly with the tailored hanbok he was wearing today.
Considering Elder Yoon’s regular costume was also a tailored hanbok, the synchronization here was excellent.
Most importantly, his voice and gaze—low and warm yet firm—reminded Min of exactly how she imagined Elder Yoon, making the match seem natural.
“No. We should see the acting first. But even with this script, will that make any sense?”
Suppressing her excitement, she shook her head.
The role of Elder Yoon wasn’t that simple.
While the first episode script only had a brief dialogue for his entrance, it was a more significant role than it appeared.
It had its twists and hidden settings, so it wasn’t something just any level of acting skill could handle.
That’s why they had been continuously seeking out renowned veteran actor Seo Jin-seob.
Besides, with just the first episode script, it was clear that the actor wouldn’t be able to portray the Elder Yoon she envisioned.
“Let’s see the acting first. In the first episode, there is…”
“22-3-2.”
“Just one scene? Will this even be meaningful? Let’s see anyway.”
Following Director Yoo’s instructions, Mr. White Siu began acting.
– Is it difficult?
– Yes, dealing with people is always difficult. Actually, the same is true for me.
– It’s really not easy even at my age.
– But you’re far better than me. Back in the day, I didn’t even realize dealing with people could be hard.
– That’s why… when more time passes, I believe you will become a much better adult compared to me.
“…What? Why is it going so well? No, how the heck is this matching Elder Yoon so perfectly?”
Actually, the acting skill itself could be considered decent for his age.
Considering anyone attending a drama audition at this age probably had something solid, this was expected.
However, fully comprehending the character was a different story altogether.
With only the first episode script, it was impossible to completely understand the character of Elder Yoon.
How could anyone grasp hidden backgrounds that hadn’t been fully explained?
But the actor in front of them was acting as if he knew the hidden layers.
If not, he wouldn’t be delivering such a wistful gaze, making it seem like he’s remembering something he’d let go of in the past, based solely on a script with a direction that says “(Warmly, as an act of comfort).”
“But… over there, just a moment. Mr. Siu?”
“Yes, Writer.”
“Why exactly did you act that scene in this way?”
Surprisingly interrupted during the role that perfectly matched the vision she had in mind, Writer Min couldn’t help but ask.
“Why?”
“Well, the script only directs to act ‘Warmly, as an act of comfort,’ but your acting was more like…”
“Like there’s a hidden story?”
“Yes, exactly that.”
“That would be because this character has a hidden backstory, wouldn’t it?”
“So… you figured that out just from this script?”
“Haha… should I say I figured it out?”
White Siu chuckled before he explained, step by step, while gazing straight at Writer Min.
“I personally am a big fan of Writer Min Woo-hee’s works, so I’ve enjoyed watching them.”
“Whoa, thank you…”
“Min.”
“That’s not right. Anyway… why?”
Writer Min, who felt her own heart flutter a bit under the gaze of the elder actor, scolded herself and refocused on listening.
“Writer Min, you don’t just toss out characters without meaning. Most writers don’t do that, but you are especially meticulous.”
“That’s…”
“That’s true.”
“Yet this Elder Yoon doesn’t have much going on. Nothing except comforting the protagonist in the park was revealed.”
“Right.”
“But there are plenty of unnecessary settings. The outfit is specifically a tailored hanbok, and the emotional direction is very detailed. This isn’t something you’d find in a role that only appears once or twice.”
“Hmm…”
“So, upon reflecting, I noticed the protagonist’s name, Yoon Seo-eun. Then this role, Elder Yoon. So I imagined there could be a hidden blood relation.”
“Ah, you went that route…”
“And the moment they first met, Elder Yoon’s emotions were extremely restless. Of course, the script indicated just a pause while looking at Yoon Seo-eun, but perhaps Elder Yoon had instinctively recognized her as his blood at that moment.”
With Mr. White Siu’s explanation, which assumed a blood relation as a base, Min Woo-hee nodded unconsciously, as it was quite close to the actual story.
One couldn’t help but marvel at the acting skills accumulated at that level of seniority. The thought emerged that giving this role to him would definitely be fine.
“Good. Really good.”
Director Yoo also looked quite satisfied, seemingly thinking along the same lines.
Actually, Director Yoo might be even more satisfied than herself.
While Writer Min just needed to write the script, Director Yoo was in a position where he had to somehow cast the continuously rejecting renowned veteran actor.
“Then, sir, though your acting feels long-practiced, how much experience do you actually have?”
Just as they thought the role was unofficially settled, Director Yoo inquired about White Siu’s acting experience.
Actually, Writer Min was curious too.
Given how profoundly skillful Mr. White Siu appeared just by looking at him, it was quite surprising that he was an unfamiliar face.
As everyone waited with curious eyes, Mr. White Siu’s demeanor strangely changed.
The grave and composed aura he had exuded until now disappeared, and even his voice seemed different now.
It felt like a young person faking to appear elderly.
“Ha-ha, greetings again. I’m White Siu, a 23-year-old aspiring actor.”
“…23 years old?”
“What, with that face?”
“Yes, this is a special makeup job.”
“Special makeup…?”
So this… is special makeup?
The core is in his 20s?
Meaning all the presentation up until now was acting?
“Really 23?”
“Ha-ha, that’s right.”
A 20-something actor wearing special makeup to audition for a 70-year-old character?
And he did it convincingly?
This… could he be crazy?
It seems like a lunatic has popped up at today’s audition site.
