I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Chapter 441

Chapter 441: Emmy (3)

Translator: NovelBin

As Kang Woo-jin’s short and blunt words echoed in his “Joker” persona:

“Take it or leave it.”

The photo zone at the end of the Emmy Awards red carpet fell silent. The two hosts, the hundreds of journalists, broadcast teams, and live-streaming crews all froze, jaws slightly dropped.

"…"

"…"

It was understandable; Woo-jin’s arrival and his offbeat interview were unlike anything they had seen before. Their faces showed complete bewilderment, as if unsure of how to react to something so novel.

‘Take it or leave it? Has he lost his mind?’

‘Who promotes their own movie like that?!’

‘Is this actually okay for live TV?!’

Meanwhile, Woo-jin continued gazing at the live cameras, unperturbed and with no visible change in expression. His “Joker” persona was in full swing, though inside, he was feeling a bit of apprehension.

‘Did I go too far? No, I’m committed—this is the “Joker” look.’

Maintaining his poker face, Woo-jin felt the inevitable as the male host snapped out of his daze and asked a question.

"Uh, I see! So, Woo-jin, were you channeling your character from your upcoming film?”

“Yes. Does that explain it?”

“It certainly does! But wasn’t the ‘take it or leave it’ line a bit much? Haha.”

The male host’s eyes pleaded, practically begging Woo-jin to answer more normally this time, but Woo-jin held his ground.

“I’m serious. Take it or leave it.”

Then—

-Crack, crack, crack!

The shutters of hundreds of cameras went wild, capturing this rare scene. Some journalists even chuckled, charmed by how Woo-jin always managed to make headlines.

‘He can take the flak; we just have to share this shock factor.’

Meanwhile, reactions from Hollywood insiders watching the live stream were divided. On the set of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, director Ahn Ga-bok and producer Nora Foster watched the broadcast with a mix of worry and satisfaction.

“Isn’t he pushing it a bit far?”

“Maybe. But given Woo-jin’s usual antics, this could actually pull in more viewers.”

The actors’ reactions were similar. Chris Hartnett was clearly enjoying the show.

“Woo-jin’s going to be all over the news tomorrow. Who else promotes their movie like that? To pull off meeting the public in full “Joker” character—that takes guts.”

Hollywood’s bigwigs were glued to the broadcast, from Columbia Studio executives to the *Beauty and the Beast* production team to Joseph Felton of *John Persona*. Woo-jin was making quite the spectacle.

As Woo-jin wrapped up his time in the photo zone, he calmly said, “That’ll be all,” and headed off.

The world’s viewers, watching from places like South Korea and Japan, exploded with reactions, the chat going wild.

-Lol Woo-jin just said “take it or leave it” on live TV?! Did I hear that right?

-Is he seriously doing an interview like this?!

-OMG foreigners don’t even know what hit them. We’re used to him by now.

-This performance is a bit much, but he must be confident in his work to pull this off.

-Why are the Koreans enjoying this so much? Is it really that entertaining to watch one of your actors go off the rails?

-Haha, just let it go and enjoy!

-Kang Woo-jin is on fire.

-Wait, does this mean his entire red carpet appearance was in character?

-Could Woo-jin be the first to turn a red carpet event into a teaser for his upcoming role?

The comments kept flooding in, in every language: Korean, Japanese, English, French, and more. Reactions were sharply split—half criticized him as crazy, while the other half offered loud cheers.

One thing was clear: Woo-jin’s global impact couldn’t be ignored. The Emmy red carpet had plenty of Hollywood’s top actors, but all eyes were on Woo-jin alone.

Behind the scenes, as Woo-jin swept his hair back, he was ushered toward the main building by the event staff and guards, where the Emmy ceremony would take place. Entering the building, he noticed the bustling crowd of foreign industry insiders—directors, producers, actors, and celebrities—most of whom were casting sidelong glances his way.

“Woo-jin! Over here!”

Among the swarm of people, his agency head Choi Sung-geon and his team waved him over, each giving him a thumbs-up with satisfied smiles.

“You really nailed it, Woo-jin. Everyone here is talking about you.”

Woo-jin nodded, keeping his response casual. “Glad it landed well.”

Choi Sung-geon checked the time and motioned urgently. “We need to get you changed, and fix your makeup, right away.”

Following his team to the waiting room, Woo-jin ditched the “Joker” look and, after thirty minutes, emerged in a navy tuxedo, hair neatly slicked back. He glanced down at himself, thinking how he resembled “Joker” in some ironic sense—swapping one mask for another.

As he stepped out, a familiar voice called his name in English. He turned to see Miley Cara in a black dress, her golden hair shimmering.

‘Wow…’ Woo-jin marveled, though only to himself.

Miley, with her stunning beauty and aura, casually linked her arm through his.

“Shall we?”

This wasn’t unusual for a ceremony, though Woo-jin noticed her hand was trembling slightly as she held his arm.

‘Is she nervous? Or… is it because of me?’

Indeed, Miley’s heartbeat was racing, though she tried to keep her composure. The feeling of Woo-jin’s presence beside her was overwhelming.

Woo-jin quietly asked, “Are you nervous?”

“Why would I be?” she shot back. “Do I look like I’m pretending to be calm?”

“Well, I was when I walked the red carpet earlier.”

“You didn’t look nervous at all.”

“Exactly. That’s what I call a persona.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a famous Hollywood director.

“Miley! And Woo-jin? It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Nice to see you, director.”

They exchanged greetings, and more people soon swarmed them. Many were excited by the chance to meet Woo-jin, some complimenting his bold performance on the red carpet.

“Woo-jin, that red carpet performance—brilliant! Bringing the teaser into reality, very impressive!”

“Thank you.”

Others, however, offered backhanded advice.

“While everyone’s intrigued now, if you plan to keep working in Hollywood, you might need to be a bit more humble.”

Woo-jin remained unfazed. “So I’m good for now?”

“Your arrogance will catch up to you eventually.”

“I’ll handle that myself.”

As they entered the Emmy venue, Woo-jin looked around in awe.

‘Damn… this place is massive.’

The venue’s grandeur exceeded anything he’d seen. Huge pearl-like lights hung from the high ceiling, resembling stars in the night sky. Thousands of seats spanned across multiple levels, and the colossal stage displayed a towering Emmy trophy, with large monitors on each side, flashing “EMMYS.”

Standing next to him, Miley pointed out their seats for *Beneficial Evil*.

“Over there, Woo-jin.”

Just then, a deep voice called her name, and Woo-jin turned to see a bald, bearded man approaching them. He recognized him immediately.

‘Wait—I know this guy.’

Miley greeted the man warmly, “Matthew.”

Matthew Majors, a veteran Hollywood actor known for his flawless skills and current lead role in a popular series, extended his hand to Woo-jin.

“Good to meet you, Woo-jin.”

Woo-jin shook his hand, feeling Matthew’s grip tighten, and instinctively responded with equal pressure.

“…”

After a moment, they released, and Matthew, his expression unreadable, commented, “I saw you on *The Tonight Show*. Your remark about not caring about the competition was quite surprising.”

Woo-jin’s eyes narrowed as Miley whispered beside him, “He’s also nominated for Best Actor in Drama.”

Woo-jin’s interview had indeed been misconstrued by the media, making it sound as though he’d dismissed the other nominees entirely.

“Well, it worked if it bothered you.”

Matthew frowned, “So it was intentional, then?”

Woo-jin met his gaze calmly, though internally he felt a slight twinge.

‘I didn’t mean it like that!’

Yet, Hollywood had interpreted it their way, stirring up controversy. Matthew clearly took issue with the statement, adding, “Confidence and arrogance are a fine line, Woo-jin. You should be careful.”

“I’m always sincere in my actions.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

They exchanged a long look before Matthew let out a dry laugh.

“Confidence and respect go hand in hand, Woo-jin. You may be talented, but this is Hollywood. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“I do respect others,” Woo-jin replied, his voice even. “In my interview, I simply stated I wasn’t focused on my surroundings. Nothing more.”

Matthew’s expression hardened, “So you’re that confident about winning tonight?”

“It’s not up to us.”

With that, Matthew left, muttering as he walked away, “Let’s see if the Cannes miracle repeats itself at the Emmys.”