Chapter 8. You, a Method Actor?

The second reading was Scene 5.

It was a scene where Song Kang-sik, playing the role of Lee Jang-hyuk, the second deputy director of the National Security Planning Department, reprimanded Kim Jin-mo, playing the role of Kang Seok-woo, his subordinate, in front of the torture room.

Throughout the reading, Ahn Si-hyun held his breath and only exhaled heavily after Song Kang-sik and Kim Jin-mo finished their lines.

The tension had finally eased.

'As expected of Senior Song Kang-sik. He's not called a national actor for nothing. This is his second leading role, yet his acting skills are already top-notch.'

Song Kang-sik.

He is one of the national actors who will dominate the film industry in the 2000s alongside Hwang Young-min and Choi Jung-soo. He is praised as an actor you can trust, capable of effortlessly portraying any character.

His acting skills are undoubtedly well-deserved.

It is even said that he once shot a five-minute scene in one take, a feat that has become a legend in the film industry.

'I Am a Spy' is Song Kang-sik's second leading role in a film. In 1999, Song Kang-sik was still building his filmography as a rising actor in the film industry, but his acting skills were already stable.

His acting would deepen with more experience in the future, but it was already in a completed state.

Ahn Si-hyun, who was in his early 30s, did not miss a single moment of Song Kang-sik's performance and etched it into his mind.

In fact, before the regression, he didn't think much about it.

Wow, he's a great actor. I want to be as good as him. What should we eat for the after-party after today's script reading?

That was all he thought.

But after reaching a certain level and regressing, Ahn Si-hyun felt a lot from Song Kang-sik's acting.

The emotions conveyed in each line were different.

These various emotions were delivered through precise pronunciation and memorable delivery. With the addition of facial expressions and actions, Song Kang-sik's acting was finally complete.

It was a script reading, not a shoot, so there were no facial expressions or actions, yet the emotional expression was skillful.

He was an actor who knew how to use his voice.

'As expected, only hard practice can save you.'

To reform his 21-year-old body, which still had imperfect pronunciation, Ahn Si-hyun practiced every day.

However...

Ahn Si-hyun wondered if he had been too complacent in his practice.

He was not just a leading actor but a national actor. It was a title that only a few among many actors could achieve.

Simple practice was not enough.

He felt the need to practice to the point where he could control every part of his body, even the fine hairs, as if they were at his command. He realized he needed to aim for more than his pre-regression self.

Only then could he catch up to Song Kang-sik.

* * *

The script reading went smoothly.

After the reading of Scene 15.

Ahn Si-hyun watched the script reading quietly without saying a word. Observing the performances of other actors, he identified their strengths and thought about how he could apply them to himself, and time flew by in an instant.

Clap, clap, clap.

Director Kwak Sang-pil clapped and stood up.

"I've prepared a dinner at the Korean beef restaurant in front. Those who don't have a schedule, please enjoy."

"Director, can we have raw beef?"

"Actor Song, we're having raw beef."

"Ugh. I love you, Director. You know my heart, right?"

"Brother, how about we do a play together? It's been a while since we did a big production after the theater scene took off."

"Hehe. Sure, let's do it."

At the after-party, Director Kwak Sang-pil didn't say much.

He wasn't the type to talk much, whether in public or private. He only answered when Song Kang-sik, Hwang Young-min, and other veteran actors spoke to him.

The other actors didn't even think about speaking to Director Kwak Sang-pil. The presence he brought was that overwhelming.

After a drink, Song Kang-sik showed interest in Kim Jin-mo.

"Kid, you're a good actor, aren't you?"

"I'm still lacking, Senior."

"Not lacking. Your pronunciation is stable, and your emotional expression is top-notch. I heard you were happy to join the theater department, and now you've grown so much. How is your father?"

"He's doing well, but he's too strict."

"Hehe. I should visit him soon."

Next, it was Ahn Si-hyun's turn.

"Si-hyun, you seem to have interpreted Lee Su-chul and Ri Su-chul as completely different personalities. Is that right?"

"Yes, Senior. I thought the sanitation worker Lee Su-chul and the North Korean agent Ri Su-chul should be different people."

"Your interpretation is good, but your acting was also great. Especially, the way you freely switched personalities in just a few seconds was amazing. It's not easy even with considerable acting experience. You're a method actor, right?"

"Yes, Senior."

"Even though you're close friends, your acting styles are completely different. Be careful. Method acting isn't bad, but I've seen many actors get consumed by their characters."

Method acting.

This acting technique, where the actor merges with the character to pursue realism, has clear advantages and disadvantages.

A significant disadvantage is that actors can get consumed by their characters, suffering from lingering effects even after filming ends.

A famous method actor, Choi Jung-soo, struggled to control his temper and curse words after playing a gangster role.

Ahn Si-hyun became deeply involved in method acting after joining the military, when he started to change and develop his acting style.

Ultimately, method acting and Ahn Si-hyun were a perfect match. As a supporting actor, he consistently showed excellent performances and was called a top-notch supporting actor, eventually winning the Best Actor award at the Korean Film Awards for 'Undercover Employment'.

If he hadn't encountered method acting? If he hadn't changed his acting style?

He would have continued acting anyway.

Ahn Si-hyun loved acting. He enjoyed and cherished it. He would have continued acting regardless of his status or achievements.

But the top-notch supporting actor Ahn Si-hyun, the Best Actor at the Korean Film Awards, might not have existed.

Method acting was the perfect fit for Ahn Si-hyun.

That doesn't mean Song Kang-sik's advice was meaningless.

Since he pursued method acting, he always had to worry about being consumed by his characters.

"Thank you, Senior. I'll study hard to avoid overshadowing the main character."

"Study? Man, just looking at you and Jin-mo, you're both destined to become leading actors in a few years. If you say you're studying, people will criticize you."

"Ahaha. I'll work hard."

"Don't work too hard. I'm scared you might take my bowl of rice. Hehe. Come, have a drink."

"I have to go somewhere tomorrow, so I'll just have one drink."

Ahn Si-hyun took his first sip of alcohol after the regression.

The alcohol tasted sweet today.

* * *

The after-party ended in the early morning.

After drinking two glasses of soju, Ahn Si-hyun refused more and switched to water. In contrast, Kim Jin-mo, excited by the drinking session with his admired Director Kwak Sang-pil, drank more than his limit.

The result:

"Just love you~ I said that~ Leaving behind all the words I prepared~"

"Please, just shut up. Before I leave you behind."

"Hey, I'll report you for abandonment! Hahaha!"

Ahn Si-hyun had to carry the drunk Kim Jin-mo.

After carrying Kim Jin-mo home and laying him on the bed, Ahn Si-hyun came out and turned on the light, sitting on the porch with the new script in hand. He wanted to check the changes in the Ri Su-chul role.

The first scene he checked was Scene 99.

It was the scene where Ri Su-chul, cornered and holding a hostage, struggles with confusion before finally giving up resistance and taking his own life. This was the scene Ahn Si-hyun performed during the audition.

The fallen Ri Su-chul, in a daze, mumbles instinctively:

Ri Su-chul: Republic... Long live.

The ad-lib Ahn Si-hyun did during the audition was added to the script.

There were also quite a few additional lines.

In terms of quantity, it was about a 20% increase from the original, which was more than the slight increase Director Kwak Sang-pil mentioned.

The role of Ri Su-chul, which had the least importance among the four supporting roles, was now on par with the other supporting roles.

'This could get complicated.'

An increase in the importance of the role he was playing was something to be happy about.

The problem was that the presence of the Ri Su-chul role, played by Ahn Si-hyun, was now similar to that of the role of Hwang Si-guk, played by Ryu Seung-woong.

Moreover, both roles were North Korean agents.

They would inevitably be compared.

Ryu Seung-woong, with his bad temper, would not look kindly on the situation where a newcomer like Ahn Si-hyun would be compared to him.

'Well, what can I do if he's upset? At most, he'll just pick a fight when we're alone.'

Ahn Si-hyun didn't worry much about it.

Ryu Seung-woong might not like it, but at most, it would just be a bit annoying.

He wouldn't be able to argue about the role's importance with the stern Director Kwak Sang-pil, and he wouldn't openly harm Ahn Si-hyun.

Moreover, Ryu Seung-woong was not the type to cause problems due to personal issues, like Song Myung-hyun. He had quietly disappeared due to his fixed image and poor character.

In other words, if Ahn Si-hyun could endure Ryu Seung-woong's behavior, there wouldn't be a significant problem with the film's success.

He had been acting for 20 years.

He had experienced all kinds of people.

He had been physically assaulted by a director in front of all the staff, had a senior spit on his face, and was often told to drink with cigarette ashes in his alcohol.

Moreover, Ahn Si-hyun had worked with Ryu Seung-woong at the peak of his bad temper during his prime.

At this point, Ryu Seung-woong's temper was just a minor annoyance.

Ahn Si-hyun's best hope for the filming of 'I Am a Spy' was to endure Ryu Seung-woong's temper and complete the filming successfully.

* * *

The day after the first script reading.

The casting fees for 'I Am a Spy' were deposited into the accounts of Kim Jin-mo and Ahn Si-hyun.

15 million won.

It might seem like a small amount considering the future, but as a debut fee, it was quite substantial.

This was thanks to Director Kwak Sang-pil, who was known for treating actors well. Even this amount was reduced because they agreed to a profit-sharing deal.

Ahn Si-hyun and Kim Jin-mo were satisfied with the fee. 15 million won could do a lot.

The first thing they did was follow Kim Jin-mo to buy a used car.

The script reading was in Seoul, but the filming location was in Yangpyeong. Considering the distance and convenience, it was better to have a car than to use public transportation.

After much deliberation, they bought a 1994 Mitsubishi Pajero 602EL with over 150,000 km on the odometer.

Even before the regression, Kim Jin-mo was a fan of SUVs. This didn't change after the regression. Although there were better used car options, he only had eyes for the Pajero.

'Well, if I buy a Pajero and drive it until it's scrapped, that's fine.'

The next afternoon.

Ahn Si-hyun boarded a bus to Gangjin.

After dropping off the used car for maintenance and buying gifts for his parents at a department store, he arrived at the Gangjin bus terminal as the sun was setting.

His father greeted him warmly.

"Oh, our actor son is here? You look so sharp now that you've been cast! Are you hungry? I've slaughtered a cow for you, so let's go eat."

"Are you planning a feast tomorrow?"

"Of course! We have to celebrate! Our son has been cast as a supporting actor in a Kwak Sang-pil film, so slaughtering a few cows is nothing."

Riding in his father's truck, Ahn Si-hyun smiled at the banner hanging at the village entrance.

The content was not much different from before the regression.

The only difference was that he was a supporting actor now, not an extra.

Of course, he was equally happy.

When he arrived home, he saw his mother grilling meat in the yard. As soon as he got out of the car, Ahn Si-hyun approached his mother to take the tongs.

"I'll do it, Mom."

"Our actor should sit down and enjoy the grilled meat."

"That's right. Why would a guest grill meat? Don't say such nonsense and just eat."

"Ahaha. Yes, I'll enjoy it."

Ahn Si-hyun enjoyed the beef grilled by his parents.

It was delicious. So delicious that it brought tears to his eyes.

While he could eat beef in Seoul, it had been a long time since he had eaten beef grilled by his parents.

How much he had missed this time.

Ahn Si-hyun suppressed the lump in his throat and smiled, meeting his parents' eyes.

"When are you going back? You'll stay for a week, right?"

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have a script reading the day after tomorrow, so I have to take the first bus back."

"The day after tomorrow? What's so urgent? Why don't you just stay and rest with Jin-mo, eating good food?"

"Filming will get busier, and I have something to give them."

"Huh? Did you bring a gift?"

"Yes."

After dinner, Ahn Si-hyun entered the house and took out the gifts.

There were three gifts in total.

A tie for his father, a scarf for his mother, and a bag full of pain relief patches for his parents, who suffered from muscle pain due to hard work.

These were the first gifts Ahn Si-hyun had ever given his parents, including before the regression.

"Use the patches as soon as you feel pain. The tie and scarf are for you to wear when the movie opens for the premiere."

"Oh, look at this beautiful scarf. How did you know I like floral patterns?"

"You wear them all the time, how could I not know?"

"I'll have to show them off at every event. My actor son bought them for me."

"If I make more money, I'll build you a new barn."

"Hehe. Just hearing that is great!"

They were simple gifts.

The tie, scarf, and patches together probably cost about the same as the beef they had for dinner.

But to Ahn Si-hyun's parents, they were more meaningful and valuable than any luxury item worth millions.