Life is Easier If You’re Handsome

"First off, congratulations on the gold medal at the Asian Games!"
"I may have casually mentioned to people that I know you, hope that’s okay?"
"Right now, there’s no one in Broadway who doesn’t know your name."

Evelyn started with some light pleasantries.

"Is that so? It's an honor."

"No need to be humble, it’s only natural."
"Both the Olympics and the Asian Games, everyone was blown away by your performance!"
"You too?"

There was a brief pause.
Had I overdone it with the joke?

As I wondered if I should apologize, Evelyn spoke up again.

"We’ll talk about that later, but let’s discuss Tarzan!"
"I heard it’s going to be a musical, which makes sense since it’s Disney’s live-action adaptation."
"Yes, I’m aware. I’ve already had some discussions with the producer."
"In fact, there’s been a lot of talk about it recently."

Evelyn went on to explain how things were progressing in Hollywood.

To sum it up:

Even with overwhelming performances and captivating looks, the idea of an unproven Asian actor leading the role was still a sticking point. Hollywood was stuck on this concept, with a strong resistance in place.

"But when you meet him, you’ll see, Berrilard is such a perfectionist."
"He’s even shocked by the sudden racism."

"This kind of pushback isn’t surprising."

Honestly, when an actor is as skilled as him, it’s to be expected. But I hadn’t anticipated such resistance from the producer himself.

‘I’ve heard that one influential push in Hollywood can be huge, but this seems to be a much bigger reaction.’

Even with the title of the most-watched film in Korea, am I still treated as a newcomer in Hollywood? It’s clear how high their standards are.

"I didn’t know Berrilard hadn’t said much about it."