1novels 23, signed with CJ
23, signed with CJ
On the 12th floor of the CJ E&M headquarters building in Imapo-gu, the rest area outside the actors' audition area was neat and orderly. Following the receptionist's instructions, Lee Kyung-sung calmly waited in his assigned seat. The receptionist had already collected his resume and handed it to the three managers in the interview room. He no longer needed to hold his resume; he only needed to wait for the interview notification.
A short while later, the door to the interview room was gently pushed open, and a staff member leaned out to signal, "Mr. Li Jingcheng, the interview has begun."
Li Jingcheng slowly stood up. He had indeed felt some pressure during the interview.
Inside the interview room, there were three cameras and staff members.
Behind the long table sat three people, each with a corresponding nameplate. In the center was Lee Kyung-mi; to her left was Kim Min-joo, head of the actor management team; and to her right was Park Jung-ho, head of the new talent development team. All three looked up, their gazes falling simultaneously on Lee Kyung-sung. With just one glance, they nodded slightly in unison, their eyes filled with undisguised satisfaction. Lee Kyung-sung had completely exceeded their expectations.
Li Jingcheng wore a bespoke charcoal gray tailored suit, the precise cut perfectly fitting his tall and upright figure, with clean and defined shoulder lines and a subtly accentuated waistline.
He went to a beauty salon for a meticulous styling session, his hair neatly combed, exuding a refined and understated energy. His face was adorned with light men's makeup, which accentuated his already handsome features, making his sharp jawline and sculpted features appear even more defined. He had shed his youthful naiveté and gained a more mature and sophisticated air. Unlike the typical soft features of Korean male celebrities, his face possesses a refined blend of Eastern and Western beauty. His features are well-defined yet not harsh, his eyes clear yet resilient. He combines the gentleness of the East with the straightforwardness of the West, making him incredibly photogenic. Even just standing still, he possesses an undeniable allure for the camera.
Park Jung-ho, the head of the new talent development team, spoke first, his gaze falling on Lee Kyung-sung's posture, and gestured, "Mr. Lee Kyung-sung, don't be shy, take a few steps and let us see. Pay attention to your posture, we also want to see how you look on camera."
Li Jingcheng nodded slightly. He slowly took a step, his steps steady and even, his back always straight, his shoulders naturally relaxed. It was just a normal gait. As he turned and took a step, his body lines flowed, showing off his upright posture.
Once Lee Kyung-sung had stopped, Park Jung-ho spoke again, his tone gentle, "Very good, your posture and on-camera presence are excellent. Next, could you please give a brief self-introduction, focusing on your age, name, nationality, education, relevant experience, languages you speak, and your strengths?"
Lee Kyung-sung bowed slightly, thinking that interviews in South Korea and mainland China seemed similar. He slowly began to introduce himself, "Hello everyone, my name is Lee Kyung-sung, I am 20 years old, and I hold dual citizenship in South Korea and the United States. I graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, majoring in film and television performance. I graduated recently and am currently a freelancer without a contract with any agency. During my time at school, I systematically studied the theoretical knowledge related to film and television performance, accumulating a solid professional foundation. In terms of languages, I am fluent in Korean, Chinese, and English, and can use these three languages fluently for communication and dialogue delivery, which is a major advantage of mine."
He specifically added that he reiterated the core self-introduction in Korean, Chinese, and English, switching between the three languages smoothly and naturally without any awkwardness or pauses.
Watching Li Jingcheng's performance, Li Jingmei's satisfaction deepened, and a subtle smile appeared on her lips. It was precisely because she recognized Li Jingcheng's potential that she specifically asked the new talent development team to send him an audition invitation. She usually didn't have much time to pay attention to actor auditions.
Lee Kyung-sung, however, caught her eye: his atypical Korean male face was highly recognizable and photogenic; his dual US-Korean citizenship, coupled with his fluent English, perfectly matched CJ's global K-pop strategy. His background as a graduate of the University of Southern California's Film and Television Performance program demonstrated solid professional skills, and he wasn't signed with any agency—a promising talent that could be carefully nurtured and cultivated over the long term.
She believes Lee Kyung-sung has the potential to become a leading figure in CJ co-productions and the globalization strategy of the Korean Wave. In her view, Lee Kyung-sung's only current weakness might be his acting skills, but these can be gradually improved through systematic training and are not insurmountable. Naturally, her expectations and demands for Lee Kyung-sung are higher than those for ordinary newcomers.
Li Jingmei finally spoke, her tone calm, her gaze fixed on Li Jingcheng, and she proposed an impromptu performance: "Li Jingcheng, your self-introduction was very complete, and your language skills and personal qualities are outstanding. But I understand that you were once an extra in the 'The Dark Knight' crew. Since you have relevant experience, why not perform a scene from what you consider to be the most exciting part of Batman? You don't need to deliberately pile on techniques; just show your understanding of the character and your natural acting style."
Upon hearing this, Li Jingcheng glanced at Li Jingmei again. He thought it was unnecessary to mention his minor role and risk being laughed at, but he hadn't expected the company to be able to find out. In both his lives, this was the first time he had encountered a company that would conduct background checks. He nodded slightly.
Recalling the Batman storyline, fortunately, he had indeed read The Dark Knight in his previous life, so it didn't feel unfamiliar.
Li Jingcheng adjusted his breathing slightly, closed his eyes, and confirmed the difficulty level of the scene. His temperament changed instantly. His original calm and gentle expression disappeared, replaced by composure and determination. A cold light shone in his eyes, and he exuded a powerful sense of oppression, perfectly matching the aura of the Batman character.
He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips slightly clenched as if he were holding Batman's batarang. His stance was slightly turned to the side, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, as if he were staring at the Joker in the distance. His voice was low and powerful, carrying a hint of suppressed anger and unwavering conviction. He spoke slowly in English, "You think you can destroy Gotham, destroy the hope in people's hearts?"
"Impossible. I will not let you succeed. I will protect the order of Gotham. You can hurt me, but you can never defeat me, much less defeat the justice of Gotham."
During the performance, Li Jingcheng's emotions were fully expressed without any stiffness. His eyes conveyed a mixture of determination, restraint, and anger, and his body movements were concise and powerful. Every subtle expression matched the character's state of mind. Even without props or special scenes, he made people clearly feel Batman's perseverance and responsibility, bringing the character's core to life.
Li Jingmei watched his performance intently throughout, her satisfaction growing stronger, her expression carrying a hint of approval. Li Jingcheng not only possessed excellent physical attributes but also had a certain talent for acting. Even in improvisation, he could quickly immerse himself in the role, displaying great emotional and physical expressiveness. This potential was definitely worth the company's focused cultivation.
Park Jung-ho and Kim Min-joo nodded repeatedly. Park Jung-ho could see that Director Lee was satisfied, and whispered to Lee Kyung-mi, "Representative Lee, his understanding of the role is spot on, he has great potential, and he completely meets our standards."
Kim Min-joo, needing to make her presence felt, chimed in, "Yes, her emotional control and ability to immerse herself in the role are both excellent. I think Kyung Sung is the best new actor on the entire peninsula."
After his performance, Lee Kyung-sung slowly composed himself, the oppressive aura fading as he regained his calm and gentle demeanor. However, he seemed somewhat unsatisfied, as he recalled the time he spent playing the Seven Heroes with his classmates when he was a child. "Representative Lee, Manager Kim, Manager Park, my performance is over."
Li Jingmei nodded slightly, making no attempt to hide her satisfaction. "Very good. It's clear you have your own understanding of the character and a certain amount of acting talent. Although there's still room for improvement in the details of your acting, these can be made up for through subsequent systematic training. I highly recognize your potential."
After that, Lee Kyung-mi fell silent. Park Jung-ho then added, his tone becoming increasingly gentle, "Mr. Lee Kyung-sung, considering your own qualities, self-introduction, and impromptu performance, we highly recognize your potential. We will develop a targeted and systematic training plan for you, focusing on honing your acting skills, exploring your strengths, and helping you adapt to the company's globalization strategy. We will assign a dedicated person to handle any subsequent related matters."
Li Jingcheng hadn't expected the results to come out so quickly. He was still waiting to try other roles. To be honest, he was a bit of a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur) in his past life, and had once projected himself onto characters from his favorite superheroes or even anime.
"Thank you, Representative Lee, thank you, Manager Kim, thank you, Manager Park! I will certainly live up to your recognition and expectations, cooperate with the company's training arrangements, and strive to become an actor who meets the company's expectations."