Chapter 78: The protagonist arives
The commotion in the crowd finally subsided. The college-looking girl who had approached earlier walked over again. "It seems you really are an actor, and a remarkable one at that." Her demeanor was poised and confident, her eyes shimmering slightly, "What's your name?" Amidst the earlier chaos, it seemed like everyone was calling out "Eugene "Sledgehammer" Sledge."
So far, Renly had encountered an audience that hardly cared about his actual name, preferring to address him by his name from "The Pacific". This was normal, akin to people encountering Daniel Radcliffe and still calling him "Harry Potter". For a newcomer actor, this was a good thing.
Yet, nobody wished to be typecast by a single role.
"Renly Hall."
The girl playfully blinked her eyes, "Chanelle Laurent." She introduced herself with the same playful tone, "Your performance just now was incredibly impressive. I think I'll look up "The Pacific" and watch it. I hope it won't disappoint."
Renly gave a respectful knightly nod in response, eliciting a light laughter from Chanelle. From her name and accent, one could deduce that she was likely French, and probably a middle-class French person, as family names held significance like they did in Britain.
Chanelle didn't say much more. Pinching the nonexistent hem of her skirt, she took a small step back, slightly bending her knee to respond with a royal princess-like gesture. There was no incongruity in her jeans and t-shirt ensemble; instead, it added a touch of youthful vitality.
With a graceful turn, her golden ponytail swept through a beautiful arc. Chanelle turned around and left, striding lightly towards the direction of the crowd.
"Phew, I can finally catch my breath." Rodrigo wiped the sweat off his forehead, sitting on the couch, panting heavily.
Renly withdrew his gaze and settled back down. He sighed, "Unexpected events like this really catch you off guard." In truth, before the performance started, Renly had some concerns. Public performances weren't an issue for him, but the excerpt from "Buried" required absolute silence. Any interruption would disrupt the rhythm.
Renly's worries had indeed come true, but he hadn't anticipated it would happen like this.
"I wouldn't say it's unexpected," Rodrigo held a different perspective. Sensing Renly's surprised gaze, he explained, "I mean, such sudden situations do leave one unsure how to react. Obviously, it's not what we'd like to see. However, I'm not surprised by their reactions, because your performance was truly stunning."
Having said that, Rodrigo pondered for a moment, then nodded again in affirmation. "Yes, stunning."
The performance had ended about seven or eight minutes ago. As Rodrigo now pondered it again, he felt a different kind of appreciation. Watching Renly's performance was undoubtedly a pleasure. His natural aura seemed unblemished, showing no trace of effort, and it was hard to decipher the rhythm and pattern of his performance. Yet, the spiritual impact was crystal clear, especially in hindsight, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
"Thank you." Renly didn't feign modesty, accepting the praise with candor.
"In fact, what I'm more curious about is how you understood the character of Paul, the entire story," Rodrigo had to admit that Renly, as an actor, had brought a different hue to the interpretation of the story. This was an intriguing thing. Of course, a big part of it was due to the unique nature of "Buried", a script designed for a solo performance.
Renly shrugged, "If we decide to collaborate, we can discuss it thoroughly in the future."
Rodrigo was briefly taken aback and then chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Indeed."
At this moment, Renly was also revisiting his own performance. Strictly speaking, the performance was incomplete, mainly due to the rushed preparation time. Renly's understanding and construction of Paul's character were not fully formed. He often approached the role from a performance perspective. However, during the performance, he could sense a faint ephemeral feeling. Why did Paul make such choices? How did he feel after making them?
Renly felt like he had caught a tiny fragment, but it was still unclear. Given enough time, he would be willing to continue to delve into it slowly. It wasn't just for this particular scene, but for the entire work. This scene was just a microcosm within the larger narrative. While the solidity and precision of method acting often brought surprises, within the context of the whole work, interpreting and portraying the characters in line with method acting would be the real test for Renly.
This lingering feeling left Renly's lips slightly dry, impatient to dive into reading the script thoroughly, building Paul's life from the ground up.
Watching Renly before him, Rodrigo couldn't help but acknowledge that age was the least of his concerns.
Indeed, Renly might seem too young on the surface, but the depth of his performance revealed enough substance, a blend of weariness and complexity. In just a few words, he had vividly outlined the character of Paul Conroy, painting an intricate picture that carried profound implications. In less than two minutes, the power of his acting had truly left Rodrigo in awe. No excessive words were needed; he was thoroughly convinced.
If it was decided that Renly would take on the role, then Paul's age could be slightly altered, from around thirty-five to twenty-seven. If there were children involved, that could be adjusted to one child. This way, with some makeup expertise, the character setting would be seamless.
Now, what Rodrigo was even more eager for was to see what kind of sparks their collaboration could produce. "I've been forgetting to ask, how old are you this year?"
"Haha." Renly burst into laughter without reservation, "I thought we had already covered this topic." However, this time, Renly didn't beat around the bush. His recent performance had already proven his skill, and he candidly replied, "Twenty years old."
"...," Rodrigo could almost hear his jaw dislocating, staring at Renly with a bewildered expression, unsure of how to react.
"Rodrigo, someone's here for an audition." The front desk's voice interrupted Rodrigo's thoughts once again. He looked up dazedly, his thoughts still scattered, scanning the lobby for the source of the voice.
At this point, the lobby of the youth hostel had begun to stir again. Whispers and murmurs filled the air, the restlessness growing like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Then, two figures appeared intimately intertwined, walking towards the lobby with an air of nonchalance.
The man on the left was tall and imposing, seemingly even taller than Renly. Broad shoulders and well-defined muscles made him stand out effortlessly, drawing the attention of those around. With a handsome face adorned by a sunny smile, he resembled a natural luminary.
The woman on the right appeared delicate and lovely. Her arm was around the man's waist, and a white shirt couldn't hide her shapely and alluring figure. Her dark red curly hair exuded a seductive charm, and her every move was akin to a languid cat.
Standing side by side, the two needed no words to become the center of attention. Clearly, they were accustomed to this treatment, their calm and collected demeanor radiating an indescribable aura. The young people in the lobby whispered softly, but none approached, as if an invisible barrier existed around that radiant halo.
Renly turned his head and immediately saw the newcomers—none other than Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson. The two had married at the end of 2008 and were considered a relatively low-profile couple in Hollywood's fame and fortune scene. Prior to this, Scarlett's career had been flourishing, constantly on the rise, while Ryan was relatively unknown. However, the success of two of his works last year had brought Ryan into the public eye. Conversely, after Scarlett's role in "Midnight in Barcelona," her career had temporarily hit a plateau.
Unexpectedly, Ryan had shown up in person. Renly wasn't entirely sure what extent Ryan and Rodrigo had conversed, but this was clearly not a positive sign. After all, compared to Ryan, Renly's fame and popularity were far inferior, and on top of that, Ryan was Rodrigo's first choice.
What was even more unforeseen was that Scarlett was accompanying Ryan. With no journalists present, this meant that Scarlett was here to support and cheer for her husband. This undoubtedly increased Ryan's bargaining power. Who could refuse Scarlett?
Compared to the novice like Renly, the influence of Ryan and Scarlett was much more substantial and direct. Everyone in the lobby could accurately identify the two figures, especially Scarlett, who was regarded as the modern-day "Marilyn Monroe". Her influence had spread worldwide. The mixture of excitement and fervor in the lobby was a vivid portrayal of this.
The situation wasn't looking good.
Ryan's timing of appearance was indeed too delicate. It happened to be just as Renly and Rodrigo were about to delve deeper into their conversation, causing Renly to miss the chance to decisively secure the role. Now, everything needed to be re-planned.
Renly adjusted his breathing, steadying his emotional fluctuations, and then stood up proactively, smiling at Ryan and Scarlett, preparing to greet them. Since his competition had directly confronted him, he was ready for a fair and open showdown. The ultimate victor would earn the role in "Buried". Even though Renly knew he didn't hold many chips, he still faced his opponents with his head held high.
On this path of performance, he would not fear any challenge.
However, Ryan walked straight toward Rodrigo without a second glance at Renly. It was as though Renly, standing to the side, was just like any other audience member in the lobby—a regular traveler at the youth hostel. "Rodrigo? Finally meeting you," Ryan extended his right hand towards Rodrigo, warmly greeting him. "Sorry it took this long to get in touch. Please believe me, I'm even more anxious than you are. Look, I rushed here all the way from Los Angeles, hoping to have a face-to-face conversation. That's my sincerity."
Finally, Rodrigo regained his senses at this point, his eyes gleaming with an incredulous excitement.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shallowman
Shallowman Rodrigo, don't you dare to two-time our Renly. After everything you've been through? How heartless are you?
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