Chapter 154: Constant buzzing
"Dear passengers, the plane is still in the taxiing phase. Please refrain from using mobile phones and electronic devices, fasten your seatbelts, and wait for the signal light to turn off…"
The courteous and gentle voice of the flight attendant emanated from the intercom, but it couldn't quell the growing commotion inside the cabin. Andy Rogers immediately took out his phone from his pocket—three phones in total. He switched them on one by one, and as soon as they powered up, text messages and missed calls started flooding in. He had seventeen missed calls on one of his work phones alone.
Each of the three phones served a different purpose—one for personal use, and two for work. The two work phones had different levels of importance. One was for essential contacts and clients, while the other was for less crucial connections. When handing out business cards, he provided different numbers. For strangers, he usually gave out the latter.
Andy deftly picked up his main work phone and checked the missed calls and unread messages. Suddenly, the other work phone began to ring. He glanced at the incoming number—it was unfamiliar—so he ignored it and quickly responded to the text messages. The call persisted for a while but eventually stopped. However, within fifteen seconds, it rang again, this time from the same number. Andy continued to ignore it.
After replying to all the messages on his main work phone, Andy finally picked up the other work phone. The same number had called four times in succession. He decided to call back. The voice on the other end answered promptly, "This is Andy Rogers."
"Andy, this is Gavin Hunter, a full-time journalist from Us Weekly." Gavin introduced himself neatly, then got straight to the point, "Are you Renly Hall's agent?"
"Yes," Andy responded smoothly. "May I ask what this is regarding?"
"I'd like to arrange an exclusive interview with Renly. Can we schedule a time?" Gavin cut right to the chase.
Meanwhile, Andy's important work phone began to ring as well. It was Daisy Lucas from Vanity Fair, an old acquaintance. Andy didn't rush to answer the call. Instead, he spoke into the phone's microphone, "Renly is currently attending the Toronto Film Festival. His schedule is quite tight at the moment. We can discuss it after the festival."
Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly were two of the top five entertainment magazines in the United States. Their content, target audience, and positioning were similar, focusing primarily on publishing gossip news and being popular among housewives. They were indeed significant magazines. However, media interviews had to align with the artist's image. For instance, an interview with an actor like Sean Penn might have limited impact even if it appeared in both magazines.
Renly was currently in the early stages of his career. It was a critical moment for shaping his image and an urgent period for gaining exposure. Andy was cautious in controlling media interviews. He didn't want to open the floodgates all at once. Therefore, he didn't immediately agree, nor did he make a definitive statement.
"I understand. I'm in Toronto right now. I've met Renly, and he asked me to call to arrange a time." Gavin quickly explained, "I genuinely hope to conduct an in-depth interview with Renly. It's not just about the Emmy Awards but also about his personal background and the recent release of 'Buried Alive.' If possible, I'd like to create a special feature that delves deeply into this emerging actor."
Andy, a seasoned agent, was not one to be deceived by mere eloquent words. Nonetheless, this was the twenty-third interview appointment call he had received in the past two days. These weren't ordinary interview calls; they were requests for exclusive interviews. For a newcomer actor, this was indeed far from normal.
Over the past few days, he had been incredibly busy. Considering that Renly was currently at the Toronto Film Festival and that "Buried" was an independent film without any elaborate publicity strategies, Andy hadn't been overly focused on its management. However, he still had a basic understanding of the situation. He had heard about the buzz on the internet and knew the rankings on the Billboard singles chart and the tnes instant download chart. It was just that the impact generated seemed to have exceeded his expectations.
In the recent batch of seventeen missed calls, five of them were interview requests for Renly. The call from Us Weekly was the sixth. Andy was somewhat curious—did the call from Vanity Fair have something to do with Renly as well?
"Renly has only been in two productions so far. If you want to create a feature, the content won't be sufficient—probably only a page's worth." Andy had his own way of dealing with journalists. He knew when to compromise and when to be firm. "We all know that if Us Weekly wants to interview Renly, they surely have more sincerity to show."
Gavin found himself slightly choked up in response.
Andy immediately realized that Gavin was probably a journalist with less experience. Otherwise, how could he be easily stalled with just a few sentences? Truly seasoned journalists were quite skilled, each one sharper than the last.
"I'm serious," Gavin said anxiously, explaining urgently, "I genuinely believe that Renly is a remarkable actor. He attended screenings of "The Illusionist", "Biutiful", and "Incendies" at the Toronto Film Festival. He even took part in the documentary showcase. He's very close friends with Ryan Goslin. Not only have they watched many films together, but they also attended the premiere of "Blue Valentine" last night. I think his decision to choose "Buried" is clearly not a random one. I want to know more about "Buried", but I haven't found a reliable source. Through this interview with Renly, I hope to gain a chance for in-depth understanding."
Gavin poured out everything he had gathered over the past three days. If his initial curiosity was piqued by Renly's background, he was now genuinely intrigued by the actor himself.
Andy raised an eyebrow slightly. Renly attended the premiere of "Blue Valentine" last night? That darn guy didn't tell him, and he missed another golden opportunity! Also, when did he become friends with Ryan Goslin? This was utterly unheard of!
Andy felt somewhat stifled. He had no connection to "Blue Valentine", so he naturally didn't inquire about it. As for the coverage of the Toronto Film Festival, since he, as the agent, hadn't personally arranged it, there was no special mention of Renly, the newcomer. Hence, he missed this important news. Now, in retrospect, the morning call seemed to have even more specific intent.
Andy earnestly felt that Renly needed an assistant. Otherwise, he would remain utterly clueless about Renly's actions, and that was truly fatal.
"I need to confirm the exact schedule. Here's the deal: prepare a list of questions and send it to my email. I'll go through it, and if it holds enough value, we'll arrange a time." Andy contemplated for a moment before giving a measured response.
In truth, for Renly, who was striving to make a name for himself in the realm of independent films, the value of an interview with Us Weekly was limited. After all, their audience wasn't particularly interested in artistic works. Nevertheless, Andy thought that perhaps giving this journalist named Gavin a chance might not be a bad idea. Who knew, it might become an opportunity for Renly to enter the commercial market.
After ending the call with Gavin, Andy's important work phone rang again. Glancing at the caller ID, he was surprised to see Frances Parker, the senior agent of Endeavor Talent Agency. Initially, Frances had been among the first agents to attempt to sign Renly. He had even managed to reach out through connections to Tom Hanks. However, in the end, he couldn't make up his mind.
Andy and Frances knew of each other, exchanging polite words at social gatherings. However, their work paths rarely intersected. The fact that Frances was calling him was somewhat unusual.
The plane finally stabilized, and Andy quickly disembarked, making call after call. The calls wouldn't stop. By the time he arrived at Renly's hotel, both of his work phones were running low on battery. He put the phone in his pocket and took out his personal phone as a backup. After checking into his own room, he found Renly's room. This time, he cleverly presented his identification. The room had been booked under Andy's name, and he had already requested a key card from the front desk, making entry into the room effortless.
Inside the room, Renly's space was still in a state of chaos. Suits and shirts were carelessly thrown over the back of chairs, socks and shoes were strewn at the kitchen entrance—only Renly knew why he'd left his shoes there. A bathrobe lay on the living room couch, while a towel was spread out on the bedroom floor. Even though Andy wasn't a clean freak or obsessed with order, this sight was giving him a headache.
"I told you, this is a terrible film."
"It's a shame. I used to really like "Infernal Affairs". Later, Martin's "The Departed" catered more to American tastes, but I still prefer Andrew Lau's version."
"After "The Departed" in 2006, his works have lacked that sharpness and depth, and this time is no different."
...
The passionate voices of the two discussing floated out from the room. Then, Andy met them face-to-face. "Good morning, gentlemen."
"Oh, Andy, you've arrived. Was the journey smooth?" Renly greeted amiably.
Andy smiled, nodding at Renly, then turned to the person standing slightly behind—Ryan. "I'm Andy, Renly's agent. "Blue Valentine" received quite favorable reviews last night. It seems like this year is once again yours."
Ryan also shook Andy's hand with a bright smile. "I'm really looking forward to Renly's works. His selection of roles has been eye-opening for me. Now I'm excited to see his performance."
"Well, "Buried" is his choice too. So, you can trust him." Andy honestly stated. "So, are you attending the premiere?"
"Of course, that's the plan, if Renly's still up for it," Ryan looked towards Renly, only to see him shrug his shoulders, wearing an "I'm not sure" expression. This caught Ryan off guard.
Andy chuckled and said, "Rest assured, there'll be a spot for you on the red carpet. Naturally, you're most welcome." Ryan heaved a sigh of relief and flashed a smile again. "But can you leave now? We still have some matters to attend to. You know, there's not much time left before the premiere tonight."
Ryan looked utterly puzzled.
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Shallowman
Shallowman The song of the chupster is "The Chainsmokers - Don't Say"
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