When Rogers first received the offer to appear in Rampage, he accepted it right away without a moment’s hesitation.
He was someone who loved cars second only to acting.
Just like acting, he loved driving, and he was the kind of person who went speeding around in a sports car two or three times a day.
For someone like him, Rampage was an offer he could not refuse.
Because Rampage shared its universe with Instinctive Rush.
‘If you like cars, there’s no way you wouldn’t like Instinctive Rush.’
Instinctive Rush was a film that fiercely stirred the hearts of people who loved cars.
And he had been cast as the lead in a film like that.
There was not a single reason for Rogers to refuse.
He signed the contract and waited for filming.
“I wonder what kind of car they’ll use this time.”
What Rogers was looking forward to most in filming Rampage this time was the car the production company would bring in.
He was the kind of man whose heart had raced wildly at the sight of the sports cars that appeared in Instinctive Rush.
What kind of car he would get to act with, that was the part he was most curious about.
Because he was someone interested only in cars, he had no particular thoughts when he first saw Han Seongtae.
‘He is handsome, but aside from that he just seems like an ordinary person.’
Rogers had never gone out of his way to look up the works Han Seongtae had appeared in.
Everything he knew about Han Seongtae was only what Britton Lee had told him.
That he was an actor who acted fairly well and possessed something other people did not.
Britton Lee had strong favor and high expectations toward Han Seongtae.
But even hearing that, Rogers did not think much of it.
‘There are plenty of people who are good at acting.’
Rogers was a Hollywood actor.
And what kind of place was Hollywood?
It was a place where monsters from all over the world, people acclaimed for being good at acting, gathered.
Rogers had seen countless actors, and because he had watched their acting right in front of him, his standards had become endlessly high.
How many actors could satisfy his expectations?
Unless they were top-tier actors, it was only natural that satisfying him would be difficult.
‘Still… if Director Lee is praising him this much, then he must have something.’
Britton Lee did not hesitate in the slightest when praising Han Seongtae.
He was even telling Rogers that once he saw Han Seongtae’s acting, he would have no choice but to admire it.
Britton Lee was one of the top directors, so if Han Seongtae had caught the eye of someone like him, then he really must be good at acting.
Because of the director’s continued praise, Rogers naturally became interested too.
A little curiosity. That was all Rogers had toward Han Seongtae.
And that curiosity grew once he met Han Seongtae in person.
‘That script is filthy.’
The script in Han Seongtae’s hand.
It was so worn out and altered that it was hard to even call it a script.
For it to get to that point, casually looking it over would not be nearly enough.
Just how much would someone have to go through a script for it to get that dirty?
“Han seems like someone who works hard.”
“Right? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone work as hard as Han in my life.”
At Rogers’s words, Britton Lee, who was standing beside him, nodded as if to say that was true.
At the sight of the director acting that way, a spark of interest appeared in Rogers’s eyes.
Britton Lee was someone who had met a great many actors.
Among them were top-tier actors recognized by the world.
Their amount of practice must have been tremendous too.
And yet the man who had seen all of that was looking at Han Seongtae and saying that he had a level of practice no one could match.
Just how much practice would it take to earn words like that?
‘Then again… looking at that script, it would be stranger to think he doesn’t work hard.’
While looking at Han Seongtae’s script, Rogers turned his head and looked at his own.
It had turned yellow, but it was nothing compared to Han Seongtae’s.
His only showed signs of being handled a lot.
He had always been confident that he would lose to no one when it came to practice.
“This is interesting.”
Watching Han Seongtae head to his seat, Rogers muttered quietly.
He became curious what the acting of someone who had practiced until his script got that bad would be like.
“Let’s begin the script reading.”
With Britton Lee’s words, the script reading began.
It was the first time he would be acting opposite Han Seongtae.
Rogers stared straight at him.
Within Rogers’s gaze, Han Seongtae let out a deep breath.
The atmosphere changed.
‘Huh?’
The moment he faced Han Seongtae’s acting, Rogers’s eyes widened slightly as well.
“Damn, what a dog’s life. Don’t you think so, Daniel?”
‘Ha.’
“I hate the way you swagger around, trusting in nothing but your money.”
At the sight of Han Seongtae speaking in such a savage way, Rogers unknowingly clenched his fist tight.
Han Seongtae was not there in Han Seongtae’s seat.
There was only Yu.
‘This is surprising.’
Rogers was not surprised simply because Han Seongtae’s acting was impressive.
The acting, of course, was good.
From the emotions to the changes in his expressions.
It was enough to make admiration spill out.
But rather than the acting, Rogers focused on Han Seongtae’s pronunciation.
‘Just how much did he practice?’
Han Seongtae’s pronunciation was smooth.
It was at the level of a native speaker.
Clearly, until just before he started acting, he was not someone whose pronunciation could be called especially good.
But the moment he began acting, he became a different person.
“I’ll crush that proud nose of yours.”
Han Seongtae’s eyebrow twitched for an instant.
One corner of his mouth lifted as he sneered at Rogers.
The breath with which he delivered his lines was long.
His breathing was natural enough that handling long lines posed no problem.
To show an appearance like that, he must have put in bone-grinding effort.
‘I think I understand a little why the director praised him.’
Han Seongtae had analyzed the character properly, and because of that, every single detail was alive.
Rogers matched lines with Han Seongtae.
The more they matched their acting, the more he came to understand Han Seongtae’s acting.
‘I’ve never seen someone like this before.’
Looking at Han Seongtae, Rogers wore a strange expression.
When he looked at actors, he divided them into two types.
One was the analytical type.
Analytical actors calculated all of their acting.
The other was the instinctive type, and these actors performed through instinct.
Unlike analytical actors, they showed their own acting according to the situation.
Usually, actors were divided into the analytical type and the instinctive type.
‘What exactly is he?’
Han Seongtae did not belong to either of those two.
Or rather, it looked as though he possessed both.
Analyzing the character and bringing out the details was analytical, but the way he changed in response to Rogers’s lines looked instinctive.
Because it was his first time seeing an actor like that, Rogers could not help but feel intrigued.
Han Seongtae’s acting was that good.
And because of that, Rogers was looking forward to this shoot.
“Hoo…”
Han Seongtae turned off the microphone and let out a deep sigh.
The script reading had gone on for more than three hours, and during that time Han Seongtae had become exhausted.
The presence each actor carried was too strong.
He had to stay completely alert so he would not get swept up by them, and because of that, the physical drain on him was greater than usual.
He was tired and worn out, even breathing hard.
And yet, a joyful smile lingered all over Han Seongtae’s lips.
‘To think I can act with people like this. Could there be anyone happier than me right now?’
Every moment of acting with them was, for Han Seongtae, both a place of learning and a place of play.
It was a time as joyful as it was difficult.
Now, all he had to do was use the acting he had done today to develop his own acting further.
[‘The One With a Thousand Faces’ looks at you and laughs, saying what would you have done if you had not become an actor.]
[‘The Founder of Jeet Kune Do’ says you look happy.]
He had never even imagined a life where he did not act.
That was how much Han Seongtae loved acting.
Han Seongtae closed the script and looked around.
He could see the actors who had been matching lines with him just moments ago rising from their seats.
Among them were Rogers and Ivy as well.
The leads of Rampage.
Their acting had drawn admiration from him the whole time he watched.
There was so much to learn.
Had not even the gods of acting admired their acting as they watched?
Everyone’s acting in the script reading room had been good.
He had been able to confirm the actors’ performances and, within that, gauge how far his own acting could go.
Still, if there was one disappointing thing,
‘It lacked a sense of being on set.’
What existed here was acting.
There was nothing beyond that.
It was regrettable, but Han Seongtae did not think too much about that part.
The sense of being on set was something that would be resolved once filming started.
“You worked hard. You were really good.”
“Thank you.”
“You really are good at acting. You did not get pushed back by those people either.”
“They were all taking it lightly.”
“You were taking it lightly too. Have some confidence.”
At Jung Dusik’s words, Han Seongtae smiled faintly.
As for confidence, he had already had that from the moment he came to Boston.
[‘The Actor of Eternal Youth’ says your pronunciation was not bad, but your S sound is lacking, so let’s practice it when we get back.]
[‘The One With a Thousand Faces’ says it was decent acting, and advises that it seems like only the parts where you express emotion need to be corrected.]
With the gods of acting helping him at his side, it would be stranger not to have confidence.
“Now that the script reading is over, are they not doing a staff dinner?”
“A staff dinner?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard they are not. It looks like everyone’s going back to the hotel.”
“That’s a little disappointing. It would have been a chance to see Hollywood actors in a private setting.”
At the sight of Jung Dusik smacking his lips in regret, Han Seongtae let out a laugh.
“Han, over here. Let’s go eat.”
When they came out of the script-reading room with Jung Dusik, Emily Lee, who had been waiting outside, came over with a bright smile.
At that sight, Han Seongtae nodded and moved together with her.
“Seongtae, can you ask Emily whether they do staff dinners here or not?”
“Yes.”
Han Seongtae relayed Jung Dusik’s words to Emily just as they were.
At his question, Emily thought for a moment, then opened her mouth.
“If they are not staying in a hotel like now, there are times when actors invite people into their own trailers. But I’m not sure about staff dinners. There might be an after-party.”
“I see.”
At her explanation, Han Seongtae nodded, then immediately relayed it to Jung Dusik.
After hearing the explanation from him, Jung Dusik’s eyes lit up and he spoke.
“Then if you work hard and build up your recognition, that means you could get invited too?”
“Well… who knows.”
At Jung Dusik’s words, Han Seongtae smiled awkwardly.
He had little interest in parties.
If he could act during the time spent partying and become even better, then why would he go to a party?
Han Seongtae was interested only in acting, and he was focused only on acting.
“You really are something else.”
At Jung Dusik’s words, Han Seongtae smiled and shrugged.
He did not know whether he would be invited later or not.
But for now, he wanted to focus on acting.
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