I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Chapter 478

Episode 478: Sudden Event (Part 1)

After Kang Woojin’s acceptance speech, Director Ahn Gabok took over, followed by a brief acceptance speech from Chris Hartnet. Naturally, other key staff involved in the production of The Clown: The Birth of a Villain also gave short speeches. Although it was an unusual sight, the finale of the 95th Academy Awards ended with the entire The Clown team receiving the award for Best Picture.

-Clap clap clap clap!!

-Clap clap clap clap clap!!

As soon as the speeches ended, a standing ovation erupted in the Dolby Theater. And it lasted for quite a while, filled with enthusiasm. While Kang Woojin remained composed on the stage, he couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

‘What a spectacle—what a scene.’

Everyone on the The Clown team, including Director Ahn Gabok, felt the same way. In the end, The Clown: The Birth of a Villain swept the 95th Academy Awards, taking home four Oscars and rewriting history.

After more than ten minutes of applause, Woojin and the The Clown team finally returned to their seats.

“This has truly been an extraordinary night at the 95th Academy Awards! What an incredible journey it has been! It’s been an absolute honor to host this evening...”

As the host delivered his closing remarks, most of the The Clown team began envisioning the bright future ahead.

“Four Oscars, four! This isn’t just unexpected; it’s downright insane!”

“Hahaha, just four Oscars? We took home the big ones—Best Costume Design, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture! We practically dominated the main events at the Academy Awards.”

“Even just being nominated for Best Costume Design would have been great publicity—but this? This is like dropping a nuclear bomb globally. The box office potential is unimaginable!”

Indeed, one of the main goals of The Clown: The Birth of a Villain entering the Academy Awards was to achieve results that would greatly boost its global release. While there was the fear of failure, the success was beyond expectations.

“Box office success? This is going to be far more than that... There’s a high chance we’ll break records!”

The results were nothing short of a blockbuster.

With all the buzz and Kang Woojin’s skyrocketing brand power, combined with the sensational coverage around The Clown, the film’s Oscar success was the cherry on top. Listening to the team’s excited conversations, Woojin felt the adrenaline as well but tried to remain calm while predicting what lay ahead.

Yet, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around it.

‘A record-breaking result? It feels like it might happen, but... I really don’t know. Damn, you’d have to experience it to really understand.’

It was hard to grasp. Sure, Kang Woojin had already set records with Korean films, leading the top three in box office rankings and surpassing 20 million viewers. He had even conquered Japan and achieved miracles with Leech at Cannes, where it performed well in multiple countries.

But The Clown: The Birth of a Villain was on a completely different scale.

The starting point was Hollywood, with a global release across 40 countries. The production company was the Hollywood giant Columbia Studios. For Woojin, who was experiencing everything in Hollywood for the first time, it wasn’t surprising that he couldn’t fully imagine the outcome.

As he recalled the rating of The Clown’s scenario, he smiled.

-[11/Scenario (Title: The Clown: The Birth of a Villain), EX+++ grade]

One thing was certain.

‘Whatever. Let’s just say it’s going to be a massive, ultra-mega-hit that I can’t even fathom.’

Soon after, the host officially concluded the ceremony.

“The 95th Academy Awards ends here! See you next year!!”

Thunderous applause erupted once again from the thousands of VIPs. Although the event was over, the cameras from the Academy’s broadcast team continued to focus on Kang Woojin and the The Clown team, the stars of the night.

Naturally, the global audience still tuned in to the live broadcast was buzzing.

Even after the chaotic Academy Awards ended, Woojin’s surroundings were anything but quiet. Countless VIPs approached him for handshakes and conversations, and when he finally escaped the hall, he was met with the deafening screams of the thousands of reporters and broadcast teams waiting outside.

“Kang Woojin!! Kang Woojin!! Over here! Please look this way!!”

“Can we get a comment?! How did it feel to hold the Best Actor trophy?!”

“Was your Joker speech pre-planned?!”

“Woojin!!! Are you aiming for next year’s Academy Awards too?!”

“What are your predictions for The Clown’s box office performance?!”

“Hey!! Kang Woojin!!!”

“Any message for your global fans?!”

Endless shouts, screams, and calls echoed around the entrance of the Dolby Theater. The excitement from the thousands of reporters showed no signs of fading, and the onlookers surrounding them were even more intense. News teams from various countries were busy capturing the entire scene. Woojin, who had once again switched into his Joker persona, handled the situation appropriately before leaving with the The Clown team.

Almost everyone invited to the Academy Awards tonight planned to attend the afterparty.

“Woojin, you’re coming, right?”

“No, I’ll pass.”

At Chris’s question, Woojin shook his head. The reaction of surprise was expected, but given Woojin’s unpredictable character, everyone eventually understood. However, Chris Hartnet couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“Haha, an actor who just won Best Actor at the Oscars skipping the afterparty? That’s a first too, isn’t it?”

Afterward, Woojin met up with Choi Sung-gun and the team and climbed into the van. The atmosphere inside was electric. You could say everyone had gone mad—screams and excitement filled the vehicle. Woojin himself wanted to join in, but he restrained himself.

When Woojin arrived at his LA home...

“Woojin.”

Choi Sung-gun, whose face was full of excitement and joy, didn’t say much.

“As always, you were the best today.”

“Thank you. It was a tough day.”

It was simple.

‘I never doubted you’d win.’

Choi Sung-gun had unwavering faith in Kang Woojin. They had been together since the beginning, and their trust was rock solid.

“Get some rest. I’ll contact you tomorrow.”

After firmly gripping Woojin’s shoulder, Choi Sung-gun climbed back into the van, and Woojin watched as the vehicle disappeared into the distance before taking a long breath.

“Hoo—”

Then, he stepped inside.

As soon as he entered the living room, Woojin placed the golden trophy on the table.

“...”

A trophy that any actor around the world dreams of holding. Now, it belonged to Kang Woojin. He stared down at it for a moment, his face twitching.

Only for a second.

“Keke.”

Throwing aside the Joker persona, Woojin suddenly broke into a wide grin, raising both arms in the air.

“Wooooaaaaahhhhh!!!!”

He roared.

“Ahhhhh!! This feels amazing!!!”

It was the moment he had the world at his feet.

Meanwhile, both Hollywood and the rest of the world, including South Korea, were flooding the media with news about the Academy Awards as if they had planned it.

?CNM/Academy Awards: The Clown: The Birth of a Villain Takes Home Four Oscars!?

?ABY/Best Actor Kang Woojin, Best Director Ahn Gabok, and Best Picture for The Clown: The Birth of a Villain!?

It was beyond a miracle—it was an unprecedented phenomenon. The world was raving endlessly about The Clown: The Birth of a Villain.

In Korea, the situation was explosive, to say the least.

?Breaking News: The Clown Sweeps the Oscars! Takes Best Picture!?

?Kang Woojin and Director Ahn Gabok Take the World by Storm with The Clown. The Oscars Belonged to Them!?

It wasn’t just the media. Various news outlets and platforms worldwide, from forums to YouTube, were filled with praise for Kang Woojin and The Clown.

This went beyond mere promotion—it was entering the realm of global history.

The buzz continued for at least a week, with no signs of slowing down as May arrived.

Kang Woojin was busier than ever.

Following the Academy Awards, he was so overwhelmed with interviews, events, and parties that it was difficult to return to the filming of John Persona.

“The most powerful man in Hollywood right now, Kang Woojin, is here with us!”

“Hello.”

“Hahaha, I hear you’re the most expensive actor with the busiest schedule.”

“I still have a long way to go.”

His influence was skyrocketing, reaching unimaginable heights with each passing minute. It was no surprise that Kang Woojin was undoubtedly the busiest actor in Hollywood at the time.

As such...

[Channel Name: Kang Woojin Alt] [Subscribers: 87.89 million] [Videos: 266]

Woojin’s YouTube channel was nearing 90 million subscribers, and the numbers continued to rise rapidly. Not to mention his SNS account...

-@Wooji_n Posts: 512 Followers: 100 million Following: 238

He had surpassed 100 million followers.

This made him the top influencer in Korea and ranked him in the top 50 worldwide.

With such global dominance, Kang Woojin finally returned to the set of John Persona during the first week of May. Although he had already received numerous congratulations through messages, hundreds of crew members praised him once more. Even executives from Universal Movies made an appearance.

It was only natural.

‘Ah, this is a bit embarrassing.’

Setting unprecedented records aside, the fact that Kang Woojin’s mere presence as the male lead of John Persona was a colossal marketing strategy in itself couldn’t be ignored.

‘Phew—still, shooting is a hundred times better than random schedules.’

As Woojin struggled to resume filming, all projects related to him naturally gained momentum.

The film Guest, starring Kang Woojin’s girlfriend Miley Cara and his co-star Chris Hartnet from The Clown, had completed its script reading and set its first day of shooting for May 15th. With the craziness surrounding them, May 15th was just around the corner, and the Hollywood remake of Guest was about to begin.

“Action!”

Thanks to Kang Woojin, the entire Guest team was riding a wave of high energy. By the way, Woojin’s special appearance was scheduled for June.

Exactly one week later, while filming, Woojin received a call from Bill Lautner, the director of Beauty and the Beast. The last time Woojin had heard from him was in January when they had begun editing, aside from the occasional congratulations for the Oscars.

It was, of course, good news.

“The editing for Beauty and the Beast is finished. We’re planning a test screening soon. Can you attend?”

Woojin had already discussed this with Miley Cara.

‘How could I miss the first glimpse of The Beast?’

So the answer was clear.

“Of course.”

That day, Walt Disney Pictures officially announced that editing for Beauty and the Beast was complete.

Though the teaser and trailer hadn’t been released yet, the official poster featuring The Beast and Belle was unveiled the next day.

On the poster, the Joker was gone, and only Kang Woojin as The Beast remained. While the poster featured heavy CGI, the global reaction to it was explosive.

-Whoa!! Disney!!! The quality is way better than I expected!

The consensus was that the live-action adaptation had done a great job without compromising the original work. Of course, part of the hype was due to the real-life couple, Woojin and Cara.

Anticipation for Beauty and the Beast was through the roof.

However, at the end of May, Beauty and the Beast couldn’t quite overshadow The Clown: The Birth of a Villain. From Woojin’s return to filming John Persona, Hollywood and the world were still captivated by The Clown.

?NT/The Clown: The Birth of a Villain’s Global Release is Imminent!?

After Columbia Studios announced the worldwide release date for The Clown: The Birth of a Villain, there wasn’t a single quiet day for the past month. Every day, the film’s release was a hot topic worldwide.

The global release of The Clown was just around the corner.

The film would be released in 40 countries starting on May 31st, with only a day or two of variation. The first country to see the film would be South Korea.

The reason was simple.

Kang Woojin, the Joker, and Director Ahn Gabok were both Korean. Both had dominated the Academy Awards and given Columbia Studios a miracle. With The Clown’s global release set to be the start of a cinematic universe, moving up the release by one day was a small price to pay.

In any case, it was confirmed that The Clown: The Birth of a Villain would be released first in South Korea.

?The Clown: The Birth of a Villain Will Premiere in South Korea First?

Korea had been ablaze for a while now, which wasn’t surprising. Who could resist the allure of The Clown?

?Excitement Builds as the Release of The Clown: The Birth of a Villain Approaches. Will it Break Box Office Records??

?The Premiere of The Clown: The Birth of a Villain is Just Two Days Away. Tickets Are Already Sold Out.?

Kang Woojin’s direct message to the Korean public on YouTube and SNS only added fuel to the fire.

The monster’s influence was causing seismic waves in Korea.

Finally, May 30th came to a close, and the dawn of May 31st arrived, the release date of The Clown. Naturally, cinemas were packed, even for the early morning shows.

“Wow—look at this crowd!”

“This is crazy! This many people for a morning show?!”

“It feels like a weekend in here...”

“I expected it when I saw the early morning show sold out, but... I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Everyone’s rushing to see The Joker.”

As it conquered the Oscars, The Clown: The Birth of a Villain, starring Kang Woojin as the Joker, had finally landed in Korea.

Unsurprisingly, tickets were harder to come by than stars in the sky.

?Finally Released! The Clown: The Birth of a Villain. Has There Ever Been a Movie This Sold Out??

It was a sold-out phenomenon.