Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 703

The first day of filming for [Shadow & Knight].

Seo-jun was excited from the morning, like a child going on a picnic.

He had an amazing career that was approaching its 20th anniversary, but every time he filmed a new work, he felt as if he was filming for the first time.

‘I love that feeling.’

Seo-jun smiled like a young child as he ate his breakfast.

Especially, this movie made him more excited than other works.

It was the starting point of a series of movies that he would work on together, which followed the [Shadowman Series], the work that he started acting with and spent his childhood with.

‘Let’s do our best.’

As Seo-jun filled his stomach with a determined mind, there was someone who was more nervous than him.

It was his manager, Choi Tae Woo.

He was worried if he could really handle such a great filming, and if he would cause any trouble for the filming because of his lack of skills.

That’s why he couldn’t eat properly.

He was absent-mindedly fiddling with his food, and Seo-jun asked him.

“Are you okay, Tae Woo hyung?”

“Huh, huh? Yeah. Sorry… I’m more nervous than you.”

It was ridiculous that the manager was more nervous than the actor who was filming.

He felt like he was only showing his incompetent side, instead of supporting him to act comfortably, and his shoulders drooped.

Seo-jun smiled brightly.

“You don’t have to be nervous, Tae Woo hyung. Just think of it as similar to the filming of Over the Rainbow 2.”

“But back then, there was no Director An…”

“But this time, we have Jonathan and Evan. And other people too.”

At Seo-jun’s words, Choi Tae Woo recalled the people who had been coming and going in this accommodation for a month while Seo-jun was training at the action training center. They became quite close with Choi Tae Woo, as they treated this place like their own home.

“Jonathan is the director, so there won’t be much to worry about.”

At that, he remembered Jonathan Will, who was either laughing and talking with Seo-jun, or tearing his hair out while writing the synopsis. He also remembered the scene where he and Seo-jun got scolded by Director Ryan.

“Hmm.”

He felt a little sorry for Director Jonathan, but somehow, the big stones of worry that had piled up in his heart seemed to shatter and disappear.

Seo-jun smiled brightly at Choi Tae Woo’s improved expression.

***

Seo-jun and Choi Tae Woo parked their car in the parking lot and headed to the studio with the guidance of the staff. 

The first filming of [Shadow & Knight] was scheduled to take place in the indoor studio set.

Seo-jun and Choi Tae Woo passed by the busy staff who were moving to the set, and entered the studio through the entrance used by the actors and the director. 

There were security guards standing everywhere.

“Lee’s waiting room is this way. The other actors are using the next room…”

Choi Tae Woo, who had a serious expression, listened carefully to the staff’s voice, not wanting to miss a word, and asked questions.

“Do we share the bathroom with outsiders? How is the security? How do you prevent outsiders from entering? Are there different types of badges?”

The staff, who was guiding them, sweated nervously and answered diligently at the sight of the manager’s sparkling eyes.

He looked different from the morning, when he was worried with a serious face. 

Seo-jun smiled at Choi Tae Woo’s good performance. 

He thought he should send a message to Da Ho hyung, who was worried in Korea, that Tae Woo hyung was doing very well.

Before entering the waiting room, Seo-jun looked around, wondering if he should greet Director Jonathan. 

At that moment, he saw a familiar face and widened his eyes, then smiled brightly. 

He thought he would meet him today, but he didn’t expect to run into him as soon as he arrived.

“Long time no see. Melissa!”

“Oh! Hi, Jun!”

The other person also recognized Seo-jun and widened her eyes, then greeted him warmly.

Melissa Walton.

She was the actress who played the role of William Lee’s mother in the filming of [Shadowman 1].

Of course, they met occasionally after that. They secretly filmed the last scene of [Shadowman 3] (the scene where the young William Lee appears) along with the filming of [Shadowman 2].

“It was your birthday a while ago, right? Happy birthday. I brought you a gift, but I’ll give it to you later.”

“Thank you.”

Melissa Walton smiled brightly and Seo-jun also replied with a smile.

“Who would have thought that the little kid would become such a great actor…”

Melissa Walton sighed and reminisced as she looked at Seo-jun Lee, who had grown much taller than her.

At that time, no one thought it was important (of course, it was an important scene for Director Ryan.), but it was just a short scene of filming the victims who were attacked by Natra’s strange wormhole. 

The little actor, Seo-jun Lee, who made her immerse herself in the role, still came to her mind vividly.

“Well, he had the acting skills to do that.”

She thought that the filming was the reason why she became such a wonderful actor.

“Hahaha.”

Seo-jun laughed as he nodded and agreed with Melissa Walton.

To Melissa Walton, Seo-jun Lee was a special actor, and to Seo-jun, Melissa Walton was also a special actress. 

And so was Barren Ford, who wore a green jumpsuit and played the role of ‘Strange Wormhole’ in the filming of [Shadowman 1], and who was now working hard as an actor.

That was because they were the first actors who acted with Seo-jun.

How could he forget that dreamlike moment?

The excitement in the car on the way to the filming site, the thrill before the filming, the voice of Director Ryan shouting ‘Ready, action!’ and the shining camera lens, Melissa’s acting and Barren who lifted up the young him.

He smiled as he recalled the moments he would never forget in his life, and said with sincerity.

“I’m glad to be filming with you again, Melissa.”

“Me too.”

Seo-jun and Melissa Walton smiled brightly at each other.

There were people who were watching them.

They were Jonathan Will, the director, and James Randen, the cinematographer, who came to meet Seo-jun after hearing that he had arrived. 

These two had been working with him since [Shadowman1].

“It’s touching. Two actors who met as extras when they were unknown are now so famous that everyone knows their names.”

“That’s true.”

“And the director too.”

James, who was smiling and talking, made Jonathan blush a bit.

Seo-jun and Melissa Walton, who were having a pleasant conversation, turned around when they heard a new voice.

“Director!”

“Hello, Director Jonathan!”

Jonathan scratched the back of his head when Melissa and Seo-jun called him director. It felt awkward.

“You can call me Jonathan, you know…”

Seo-jun shook his head firmly.

“We’re filming now. We have to call you director.”

“Right.”

“That’s true.”

Unlike Seo-jun and Melissa, who were serious, James’s words seemed to have a hint of teasing. 

Jonathan glared at James, who was his friend and almost like a nephew, for a moment and said.

“But you can call me Jonathan when we’re not filming, Jun. And you too, Melissa.”

“Okay. Jonathan.”

“Sure.”

They laughed and chatted.

While the previous [Shadowman] team was having a good time, two people who had arrived were rolling their eyes.

They were Sung Hwan Jo, the actor who played William Lee’s father, and the assistant director.

They were in awe of the people who were talking: Jonathan Will, the director who had the full authority over [Shadow and Knight], James Randen, the cinematographer who oversaw the filming, Melissa Walton, the Hollywood actress, and Seo-jun Lee, the superstar.

They didn’t have the courage to join in the conversation.

“Hello.”

Seo-jun, who noticed the two people who were hesitating a little away, opened his mouth first. The others also noticed that the two had arrived.

“Oh! Matthew, you’re here? And you too, Jo?”

Jonathan greeted the assistant director and Sung Hwan Jo with a big smile.

“This is Matthew Reichs, the assistant director, and this is Sung Hwan Jo, the actor who will play William’s father.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Matthew Reichs, the assistant director.”

“Hello. I’m Sung Hwan Jo.”

Unlike the assistant director, who looked a bit nervous and tense, Sung Hwan Jo greeted them with a calm expression.

Actor Sung Hwan Jo.

He was not very famous, even in Korea, and he had never won an award at a big event like the Oscars, like Kim Jong Ho, but he was a Korean-American actor who had played a fair amount of Asian roles in Hollywood. He was also a great actor.

“I look forward to working with you, Actor Seo-jun Lee.”

Sung Hwan Jo smiled softly and reached out his hand.

He had been living as an actor in Hollywood for a long time, so he knew very well how amazing this actor named Seo-jun Lee had done. He wanted to greet him properly.

It was thanks to this actor that the roles of Asians, which used to be similar, had become more diverse.

Seo-jun, who widened his eyes at the extended hand, quickly grabbed Sung Hwan Jo’s hand and shook it lightly.

“I look forward to working with you too. And please speak comfortably.”

Seo-jun, who had a high likability as an actor, smiled brightly and said, and the atmosphere became relaxed and lively.

“Director. It’s time to check the set.”

“Ah.”

Jonathan, who had been checking his watch, exclaimed and looked at the time. As the assistant director said, it was time for the filming team to check the set where the filming equipment was installed, and for the actors to start their makeup.

“Then let’s see you at the set later.”

Jonathan, James, and the assistant director left, and the actors also headed to their dressing rooms to change their clothes and do their makeup.

***

“Camera check!”

“Lighting check!”

Jonathan Will, who had checked the set several times, looked at the set with a slightly blank face.

The set in the indoor studio was decorated like a house, but it had a different atmosphere from a typical American house, probably because William Lee’s father was Korean and his mother was American.

There were props that looked like they had been bought from Korea, which caught the eye.

“…We’re really filming.”

He had thought that he was filming every time he received the director’s proposal, sent the synopsis to Jun, wrote the synopsis with Jun in a bickering (?) way, wrote the script without Jun, cast the actors, and checked the sets that had been made.

But he felt it more realistically now than ever before. His heart was beating so fast that he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“…Can I do well?”

“You’ll do well.”

!

Jonathan was surprised by the answer that came to his self-talk and looked to the side. Seo-jun, who had changed into a casual outfit, smiled brightly.

“Filming is not something you do alone.”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

Of course, Jonathan Will had a lot more to do than the others because he was the director, but he felt like he could do well with the hard-working staff and the actors who would show great acting.

‘And Jun is here.’

Jonathan, who knew very well how this actor, who always smiled innocently, changed when he started filming, felt his nerves relax and his strength return.

“Is that a model of Gyeongbokgung, Jonathan?”

“Yeah. I thought it would remind you of the battle in Shadowman3, so I put it in.”

“The Korean audience would love it, don’t you think? And it’s fun to look for the props.”

The actor, who looked interested in the set, and the director, who explained diligently.

There were two people who were watching them.

“They don’t need to worry, do they?”

Ryan, the director, smiled faintly at James’s words.