Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 544, Section 542: Audition

2 p.m.

New headquarters of Taewon Entertainment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Jung Tae-won arranged for this informal meeting not to be a formal audition room, but rather a spacious, bright, and warmly decorated "acting practice room" inside the company.

The room is covered with hardwood floors, one wall is a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror, and the other is a glass curtain wall that overlooks the city view.

Several beanbag chairs and cushions were casually placed in the corner, and a faint fragrance filled the air, aiming to create an environment where the young actors could relax.

Accompanied by Zheng Taiyuan and several assistants, Wang Sheng quietly entered through a side door and sat down in a semi-partitioned observation area at the back of the practice room.

From here, he could clearly see the entire practice room, while the people on the other side would hardly notice his presence.

At this moment, more than ten girls aged between 6 and 15 years old are gathered in the practice room, some sitting and some standing.

They were like budding flowers, each carrying their own naivety, nervousness, and anticipation.

A few of them are child stars who have already made a name for themselves in film, television or advertising. Their attire is slightly more mature, and their eyes show more experience in front of the camera.

But more often, they are newcomers who are still honing their skills within the trainee system or have just been discovered by talent scouts, and whose faces still carry a sense of naivety and innocence.

Wang Sheng glanced at the list in his hand—

Besides Park Shin-hye, Moon Geun-young, and Kim Yoo-jung, whom Jung Tae-won recommended yesterday, there are also...

Lee Se-young (born in 1992, a child star who has already gained some fame).

He will continue to be active in the film and television industry in the future, showcasing his mature acting skills in dramas such as "The Man Who Became King" and "The Rising Moon," thus completing his transformation from a child star to a powerful actor.

Chen Zhixi (born in 1999, a child star who gained fame for his role in "Yellow Handkerchief").

In the future, he will leave a distinct mark on variety shows and film and television dramas with his unique personality and comedic talent.

Park Eun-bin (born in 1992, has appeared in many works).

In the future, he will demonstrate his strong ability to embody different characters in dramas such as "Major League Baseball" and "Love and Longing," and become a recognized acting talent.

Kim Bo-min (born in 1993, trainee).

Although he may not become a huge star in the future, he will leave an impression as a supporting actor in many films and television dramas.

Jung Chae-yeon (born in 1997, trainee, later became a member of DIA and worked as an actress).

She will debut through "Produce 101" and showcase her pure charm in dramas such as "Because It's the First Time".

Go Ara (born in 1990, 14 years old.)
She debuted in 2003 through the SM Youth Best Selection Contest and was about to film her debut work, "Yulin's Growth Diary 1" (broadcast in 2005).

She rose to fame with "Yulin's Growth Diary" and later starred in "Reply 1994" and "The Priests".

Lim Yoon-a (born in 1990, 14 years old).

Discovered by SM Entertainment in 2002, she has been training for two years and is already a publicly announced trainee for Girls' Generation. She has a beautiful appearance, a sweet smile, and natural idol qualities.

She will become the face of Girls' Generation and sweep across Asia, and will successfully enter the film and television industry, honing her acting skills with works such as "You Are My Destiny" and "THE K2".

Before her debut, Lim Yoon-a had already made cameo appearances in several film and television works.

Jung Tae-won whispered to Wang Sheng about the niche of child stars in South Korea: "Chairman Wang, in South Korea, child stars are generally divided into two categories."

One type is like Park Shin-hye and Moon Geun-young, who grew up in front of the camera and have rich acting experience, but they are also prone to being typecast too early or facing pressure to transform their image.

Another type is trainees carefully cultivated by entertainment agencies. They receive systematic training in vocal music, dance, and acting. The company plans their career path based on their characteristics and waits for a suitable debut opportunity.

Regardless of the type, balancing academics and performing arts careers is a major challenge; many children shuttle between their vans and film sets to complete their assignments.

Wang Sheng nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the group of girls.

He didn't ask them to do a formal script reading or performance. Instead, he had the staff arranged by Jung Tae-won guide them through some simple interactive games, pantomime practice, or just have them chat in small groups, observing their natural expressions, eye contact, body language, and the subtle atmosphere between them.

The character of Kim Seo-hyun, transplanted from Teme in the original "A Separation", is defined by the core characteristics of "a pure observer, a forced judge, and a hope for the future".

Casting actors of different ages will result in drastically different focuses in the presentation.

Choosing actors aged 6-9 would emphasize their "innocence" and vulnerability of being "forced into involvement."

Her confusion stemmed more from instinct, a lack of understanding of the complexities of the adult world. Her eventual choice of silence carried a childlike, heartbreaking bewilderment, more like a symbol caught in a storm.

If actors aged 10-12 are chosen, this age is at the cusp of childhood and adolescence, when they begin to vaguely understand right and wrong, lies and consequences.

Her observations will be marked by initial reflection, the struggle in her eyes will be more obvious, and her final silence will be both a sign of helplessness under pressure and a silent protest against the rules of the adult world.

If a teenage actress aged 13-15 is chosen, she can almost completely understand the root cause of the parents' argument, the father's motive for lying, and the moral dilemma of the whole incident.

Her observations were calm and sharp; her silence contained not only bewilderment, but also a sense of disillusionment and the pressure of making choices about the future.

She was forced to reach adulthood early, and her innocence was completely lost, making the impact even more profound and cruel.

Wang Sheng observed quietly for nearly an hour. He noticed the expressive eyes of Lin Yoona when she listened to others, the unique, slightly aloof stubbornness of Park Shin-hye, Go Ara's immersion in the game and the natural emotions she displayed, and the unrefined instinctive reactions of the youngest, Kim Yoo-jung.

He did not make any decision on the spot, nor did he speak to any of the girls.

After the observation was completed, he whispered a few instructions to Zheng Taiyuan.

Jung Tae-won nodded immediately, announced the end of the meeting through his staff, thanked everyone for coming, and politely saw off the girls who had dreams.

After the practice room was empty, Wang Shengcai informed Zheng Taiyuan: "President Zheng, please inform Kim Yoo-jung, Park Eun-bin, Lim Yoon-ah, as well as Ryu Seung-ryong, Shin Young-kyun, and Hwang Jung-min, the actor who plays the nanny's husband, that they will have a formal audition here at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Understood! Chairman Wang, I'll arrange it right away!" Zheng Taiyuan perked up and quickly bowed in agreement.

The three girls Wang Sheng pointed out covered the lower, middle, and upper age groups, which was clearly a well-thought-out decision.

……

The atmosphere in the acting practice room at Taiwon Entertainment was already different by 9 a.m. the next day.

The relaxed and casual setup from yesterday has been slightly adjusted. The center of the venue has been cleared out and a few simple chairs have been placed there, creating a temporary performance area.

Wang Sheng sat directly in front, looking focused, with Zheng Taiyuan, the production manager, and members of Shengying's casting and script team beside him.

A solemn atmosphere, a mixture of tension and anticipation, filled the air.

The adult actors—Ryu Seung-ryong, Shin Young-kyun, Hwang Jung-min, and actress Son Ye-jin, who came to audition for the role of "Seo-min" (Park Min-hee) alongside Ryu Seung-ryong—had all arrived early and were sitting quietly to one side, preparing.

Son Ye-jin is an artist under Tae Won Entertainment. Last year, the original version of "The Classic" was a hit because of her performance, so Jung Tae Won decided to make another co-production version. However, the script for the co-production version was drastically altered into a different story, but the title of the film is "The Classic".

Zheng Taiyuan wanted her to have more exposure in front of Wang Sheng, so he arranged for her to participate in this audition.

Their faces were solemn as they flipped through the audition scripts they had just received.

Hwang Jung-min sat alone in a slightly distant corner, his brows furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knees, as if he was already preparing for the anxiety and repression of a lower-class person inherent in the role of a nanny's husband.

On the other side, three young actresses, Kim Yoo-jung (6 years old), Park Eun-bin (12 years old), and Lim Yoon-ah (14 years old), were also seated, accompanied by their respective managers or mothers.

The audition officially began, with an assistant director from Shengying Film Studio coordinating the process.

The first step was to conduct auditions for the adult actors:
Husband (Yoo Seung-ryong audition) vs. Wife (Son Ye-jin audition).

A heated debate ensued over whether to "immigrate to the United States" or "stay and care for the sick father."

The confrontation between Ryu Seung-ryong and Son Ye-jin instantly drew the audience into that oppressive and conflicted family atmosphere.

The husband's one-man show, in a simulated courtroom setting, is met with the question of whether he knew his nanny, Ritz, was pregnant.

Ryu Seung-ryong demonstrated astonishing control over his micro-expressions, vividly portraying Nader's struggle between morality and self-preservation.

The nanny's husband (Hwang Jung-min) erupts in the mediation room. Facing the employer (Ryu Seung-ryong) who is "shirking responsibility," Hojat, played by Hwang Jung-min, does not immediately roar. Instead, he stares at the other party with an almost substantial, suppressed silence, his eyes filled with the anger of being insulted, the pain of losing a child, and the helplessness of the lower class in the face of injustice.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse, with a grainy quality as if crushed by life, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from his chest.

His anger wasn't just a superficial roar, but a restrained volcano that had been accumulating for a long time and finally found a crack to erupt. His imposing aura even made Ryu Seung-ryong, who was acting opposite him, subconsciously tense up.

Hwang Jung-min perfectly portrayed the nanny's husband as not only a "symbol of anger" but also a "trapped beast driven to the brink of despair."

The father (Shin Young-kyun) is presented statically, without any lines, simply sitting in a wheelchair... Shin Young-kyun's almost "no-acting" performance vividly portrays the vulnerability and dependence of an elderly person who has lost cognitive abilities.

Wang Sheng watched intently the entire time.

He occasionally jotted down a few keywords in his notebook.

To be honest, the acting skills of this group of South Korean actors are indeed quite good.

After the adult actors' segment ended, there was a short break for adjustment, and the atmosphere became even more somber.

Next, it was time to decide on the crucial role of "Kim Seo-hyun".

The entire audition process lasted for a whole morning, and the atmosphere remained highly tense throughout.

After the last young actress, Lim Yoon-a, finished her performance and bowed to the judges, the practice room fell into an almost frozen silence.

All the actors who participated in the audition, whether adults or children, held their breath and focused their attention on Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng slowly closed his notebook, still not making an immediate statement.

His deep gaze swept over each actor present again, lingering briefly on Hwang Jung-min and the three child actors, as if trying to imprint their current state deeply into his mind.

After a long pause, he stood up and, in a calm and composed tone, addressed Zheng Taiyuan, who was filled with anticipation and trepidation:

"President Zheng, thank you for your hard work. We will take the audition materials back for careful evaluation. We will inform you of the final result within three days."

After speaking, he nodded slightly to the actors present, and then, surrounded by his entourage, turned and left the rehearsal room.

The door was gently closed, leaving behind a room full of actors and staff, each with their own thoughts.

(End of this chapter)