There Is No 'Correct Answer' in Acting
There is no 'correct answer' in acting. Everyone has different looks, personalities, innate voices, and accents. Even the same lines come out worlds apart depending on who's delivering them. It's impossible for B to perfectly replicate A's performance.
Evaluations of acting are subjective too. No matter how skilled an actor is, someone out there will think it's meh. In other words, there's no such thing as perfect acting in this world. Just excellent acting.
So, what makes acting excellent? Woojin had always believed it was acting without self-consciousness.
The moment you start acting, you can't be aware of anything. No "Am I doing well?" No "Wait, is this the right tone here?" No "What does that person think of my acting?" The instant self-consciousness creeps in, naturalness vanishes. The desperation to do well, the pressure to make it look real—they all bleed into the performance. That's when it turns fake. Not speaking as the character from the script, but just mimicking what they think the character should look like.
Boil excellent acting down to one word, and it's immersion. How deeply you empathize with and immerse yourself in the emotions the character feels in that moment—that decides if the acting succeeds or fails.
But...
"Hm..."
"Good job."
During the audition, neither Woojin nor Director Ra ever felt that real spark. Not even once.
Of course, he understood. Audition rooms are inherently unkind to actors. They're blatant evaluation zones, with pass or fail hanging in the balance. Tension is inevitable.
Sure, there were cases like Woojin at the Wanted audition—a total newbie with ice in their veins—but those were rare exceptions. Just that: occasional.
That's why aspiring actors often say: "In an audition room, eight out of ten do the exact same acting. One out of ten performs like something you've seen in existing works. Only the last one brings a unique interpretation packed with their own charm. To break through, you have to win against those ones."
That last one hadn't shown up yet.
No traces of genuine effort. No desperation so palpable the audience could feel it.
As the boring performances dragged on, Director Ra asked in a slightly weary voice,
"Shall we take a break?"
"Ah, sure."
"We'll resume in 10 minutes."
Stretching as he stood, he suggested to Woojin that they grab a coffee. Woojin followed him down to the first-floor café.
"Whoa, what? That's Baek Woojin..."
"No way! We were acting in front of Baek Woojin?!"
"Crazy, now I'm even more nervous... What do I do?"
The waiting rookies buzzed at Woojin's entrance. He smiled back at their admiring stares and headed to the counter. He wanted to chat with them, but he couldn't steal even a second of their script time before the audition.
"I'll use the restroom quick."
"Sure."
After ordering, Woojin headed to the café's back restroom. As he finished up, washed his hands, and stepped out—
"Huh?!"
Woojin blinked in disbelief.
Right as he opened the restroom door, a man and woman entered through the café entrance. Their faces... looked familiar.
They set their bags at a table and headed straight back out.
"Um, excuse me..."
Woojin almost called out but stopped himself. Luckily, they didn't hear and kept going.
Did I see wrong?
Tilting his head, Woojin rejoined Director Ra. Coffee in hand, they returned to the audition room.
"Let's continue."
The auditions dragged on. Partly because there were so many candidates, but also because after each performance, Woojin gave detailed feedback and advice, stretching the time. Still, no one complained. Everyone left with bright faces after hearing his input.
Sunset was already painting the outside orange.
"Next."
At Director Ra's cue, the staff called the next group.
"Hello. I'm actress Yoon Mal-geum-sae."
"I'm actor Kwon Hyeok-jin. Nice to meet you!"
Woojin nearly spat out his coffee mid-sip.
He hadn't been wrong!
Yoon Mal-geum-sae and Kwon Hyeok-jin. Their faces and voices perfectly matched Won Jong-su and Moon Hee-yeon from the virtual world.
"Yeah. Hee-yeon!"
"Yes, sunbae!"
* * *
"..."
"Woojin?"
Stunned, Woojin just stared. Director Ra nudged his side. Snapping back,
"Yes... Director."
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing."
Seeing faces he'd shared life-and-death camaraderie with in the virtual world—in the flesh—hit him hard. He cleared his throat, forcing calm.
Before they started, Director Ra glanced at Kwon Hyeok-jin and Yoon Mal-geum-sae's profiles and tossed out casual questions. Perfect timing—he'd bought Woojin a moment to compose himself.
"Both K-Arts grads, huh."
"We're close sunbae-hoobae."
"Agencies?"
"Nope, neither of us!"
Director Ra continued,
"You've got a bunch of shorts together. Same school, tight-knit, tons of collab experience—your chemistry must be solid."
"Yes! Auditioning together makes it even better!"
They beamed innocently. Even before the acting, Director Ra smiled, clearly liking their vibe.
"Profiles usually don't match real life—or photos miss that in-person charm. But you two? Your natural looks shine right through the pics. Refreshing."
"Thank you."
"You're too kind!"
"Hm... Woojin? Your thoughts?"
Director Ra turned to the silent Woojin. Calming his racing heart, Woojin spoke.
"Same as you, Director. But..."
He paused, voice low.
"Even if everything else is perfect, the acting has to deliver."
It was a new side of Woojin to everyone there. Cold eyes, steady tone. His aura shifted 180 degrees from earlier candidates.
Director Ra gulped. So did Yoon Mal-geum-sae and Kwon Hyeok-jin. Tension gripped the room.
Woojin hoped inwardly. Please, let them nail the acting. Looks and voices alone weren't enough. They needed to blow Director Ra away with top-tier performance.
Director Ra eyed them expectantly too.
"Let's do line 2 from the woman's part."
Yoon Mal-geum-sae started. From the three scripts, pick one you're confident in—designated acting. She chose the explosive emotional scene in crisis.
Director Ra read the stage direction:
"The woman who lost consciousness wakes to flames engulfing everything. Before she can grasp the situation, a massive pillar crashes beside her with a thunderous roar."
"Kyaaah!"
Yoon Mal-geum-sae's piercing scream echoed. Frantic, she scanned around, shouting,
"Is anyone here?! Help! Anyone?!"
Her acting turned the pristine office into an inferno. Her gaze and movements felt utterly real, flames towering nearby.
Whoa...
Woojin marveled inwardly. She used her body masterfully. Every motion natural. A true acting powerhouse.
"Who's inside?!"
Kwon Hyeok-jin nailed the timing, delivering his line while tracking her precisely. Already, their chemistry shone—though barely started.
Profiles often fake short film credits. But these two? Legit. Their actions, timing screamed camera experience and rapport. Not long features yet, but plenty of practice.
"Yes! Someone's here! Over here!"
Yoon Mal-geum-sae bolted toward the sound. Even in motion, details of heat flickered alive. Right now...
No self-consciousness at all. For sure.
Real acting.
As he admired, "...That's it."
Finished, Yoon Mal-geum-sae wiped her tear-streaked face, breathing hard. Her spotless skin looked ash-smeared—not imagination. Proof her power rivaled pros.
"Great job. Really good."
Director Ra clapped. He nodded subtly at Woojin—they're in.
"Woojin?"
"Same. Emotions spot-on, but your physicality? Killer. Jealous."
"Gasp! Thank you!"
Yoon Mal-geum-sae bowed repeatedly, flustered by Woojin's praise.
Next,
"Looking forward to your acting too, Hyeok-jin."
"Ah, yes! I'll do number 1."
Kwon Hyeok-jin, beaming happier than her, took his turn.
He picked everyday lines. Indie films crave acting that doesn't feel like acting. Naturalness rules—but key: express your unique speech and charm through casual dialogue.
Sounds easy: relax, talk normal. But acting hinges on razor-thin margins. Too loose? Just reciting. Too forced? Fake tension.
Especially monologue like line 1—your natural speech gets exposed fast. How would Kwon Hyeok-jin handle it? Sustain the hype from Yoon Mal-geum-sae?
Curiosity peaked.
"Firefighters? We seem invincible, heroes who conquer any mission."
Kwon Hyeok-jin spoke flatly.
"But I've felt it hard—I'm just human."
His tone and expression pulled Woojin and Director Ra into a dingy old tavern. Not exactly Director Ra's original intent—but better. When actor's vision sways the director? Audition gold.
"On scenes where fire's about to swallow you, dangling from a 20th-floor balcony by a rope—fear crashes unavoidable."
His voice quivered faintly, eyes reddening.
"Still, my orange uniform gives courage. I'll wear the firefighter title till I die."
Silence fell post-lines. Part of the acting—he held breath steady. Not over till it's over.
"Whew, that's it. Thanks."
As Kwon Hyeok-jin reset, "Hahaha!"
Director Ra burst laughing. That laugh evoked last year for Woojin—the Wanted audition.
If he were Yoon Mal-geum-sae or Kwon Hyeok-jin now, instinct would scream: you're in. Like when he donned Choi Kyu-bo.