Become A Star

Chapter 67

He has always been a unique individual since his debut. His first role was a supporting character in a blockbuster guaranteed to be a box office hit. Judging from that alone, it might sound glamorous, but his character (loan shark A) was actually just a minor character with only two scenes in the beginning. For those who don’t know, you can judge how minor his role was, given that he had only received 500,000 won [1] as compensation back then.

The infamous Director Moon Keung-Kwons’ fickle temperament, along with Chae Woo-Jin’s competence, were the reasons why loan shark A had evolved into a supporting character. Without either one of them, it’s highly likely that the public would not have gotten a chance to meet The Unknown Actor, who was trending this summer. Nevertheless, it would have been impossible for actor Chae Woo-Jin to escape the public eye because, as luck would have it, his second film was released right after his first.

Just as the public was still basking in the hype over ‘The Unknown Actor,’ we got to meet Cha Hyun-Seung, a man with a passion akin to a late-summer heatwave. Chae Woo-jin’s first movie was a typical action film, while his second was a classic romance. He transformed from a fatally charming bad boy into a pure and upright young man in an instant, and it didn’t take long for him to catch the public’s attention. He was simultaneously able to captivate people with all kinds of tastes with these two distinctly different characters.

It was rare for a rookie to establish a solid fan base in such a short time like Chae Woo-Jin did. And this time around, he has once again appeared before us as a killer. He’s taking on the role of the main lead in a drama for the first time after playing supporting characters in the two previous films, making it hard not to harbor expectations as well as concerns. Undoubtedly, Chae Woo-Jin is good at acting. And it’s already been proven that his presence can overwhelm the main characters’ presence, so there was no need to worry about that.

But dramas are different from movies. Thus, there were concerns about how playing a killer as his first leading role in a drama would give the very charming Chae Woo-Jin a specific image. That’s because my idea of a killer did not deviate too much from the audiences’ idea of one.

However, this was a mistake that stemmed from overlooking the fact that City of Shadows was written by Yoo Soo-Min. In this newly released drama, ‘Louie’ did not look anything like the typical killers we usually imagine them to be. Instead, he had an ashen face and pale, chapped lips that would occasionally bleed, and nails that had been bitten to the point of exposing the pink flesh underneath; even his gait was unsteady and unfocused. He was pathetic and weak but beautiful, like a baby bird that had lost its mother. But when he was immersed in work, he would become a cold-blooded slaughterer with a murderous intent exuding from his emotionless face.

Chae Woo-Jin managed to capture the two distinctly different images in one character — Louie — and pulled it off effortlessly. Hence, those concerns were truly unfounded. A sensible actor would find a role that suits them, but an actor who’s good at acting would not mind taking on any role. So, it was absolutely pointless to worry about Chae Woo-Jin being given a fixed image as he’s someone wise and great at acting.

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Some time ago, I had described Chae Woo-Jin as a ‘monster rookie.’ Today, I’d like to place the modifier, ‘beautiful,’ in front of that term. Undoubtedly, Chae Woo-Jin looks perfect and beautiful, but that’s absolutely not what I’m talking about. He’s a very adventurous actor who loves taking on challenges. However, he’s not complacent and is not afraid of how he appears in the eyes of the public. When an actor becomes conscious of his appearance, he will get into a rut and fall behind.

Chae Woo-Jin hasn’t displayed any signs of that thus far. He has been part of only three productions so far, and only four episodes of the drama have been aired, so it may still be too early to give an evaluation. Hence, I acknowledge that this may be a warning disguised as a compliment. Still, the sight of him making progress and taking on challenges is remarkable. And I look forward to seeing more of it.