Chapter 170: Ad-libbing Off Scrpipt
The production continued with Lucas and Bryce filming scenes together in the bedroom. In character as Adam, Lucas stood before the mirror, meticulously grooming himself with a lint brush, his attention focused on every detail of his appearance.
As Bryce, portraying Rachael, entered the scene while brushing her teeth, Adam turned to her with a question. "Are you staying over tonight?"
Rachael, still brushing, replied casually, "Uh...Not sure. There are a couple of gallery openings I want to check out." She then wandered over to Adam's drawers, her voice muffled by the toothbrush. "I'm so nervous about my show. I still have so much work to do."
Adam watched as Rachael searched through his belongings and offered a helpful suggestion. "It's in your drawer."
Surprised, Rachael looked up. "I have a drawer?" her voice filled with astonishment.
Adam nodded sheepishly and admitted, "Yeah, I just thought I'd make some space for your things... There wasn't much in the drawer to begin with. Well, a few things, but I moved them to a different one because... It just made more sense that way."
"Aww, honey. We're getting so domestic," Rachael remarked, her tone filled with warmth and affection.
The sound of a car horn interrupted their moment, prompting Adam to say, "Good luck with the paintings," to Rachael as she continued to brush. Despite her mouth being full of toothpaste, Rachael noticed Adam leaning in for a kiss and chuckled, "Oops, I've got toothpaste in my mouth." She quickly wiped her mouth and returned Adam's affection with a small kiss.
After their brief exchange, Adam bid Rachael a fond farewell and made his way out of the room.
As the director called "Cut!", signaling the end of the scene, the crew hurried to prepare for the next shot. Meanwhile, Bryce glanced at Lucas. Having just acted alongside him, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was nothing particularly remarkable about him. While she had seen snippets of Lucas's work, such as his viral clip as Dylan singing "Perfect" on YouTube, she hadn't watched his films like "127 Hours" or "Inception." It puzzled her how a young actor like Lucas, who seemingly hadn't attended acting school, could rise to fame in Hollywood so quickly.
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The next shot featured Lucas alongside Seth Rogen, with Seth in character as Kyle and the camera poised to roll. As Adam entered the car, Kyle greeted him with a casual "Yo!"
"Well, as you can see, I'm late," Adam quipped as he settled into his seat.
Seth couldn't help but be a bit surprised by Lucas's improvisation. The line Lucas delivered wasn't part of the script; Adam was supposed to apologize for being late. However, Lucas's ad-lib hinted at a closer relationship between Adam and Seth's character than initially scripted.
Observing that the director didn't intervene, Seth realized that the improvisation was allowed. He seamlessly continued with his role as Kyle, sniffing in Adam's direction and teasing, "What's that smell?" Pausing for effect, he continued, "Did you sit in jam or something?"
Adam, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the close inspection, distanced himself from Kyle, retorting, "Don't sniff too much. If you think I'm into guys, you're wrong, Kyle."
"Again, not in the script. Didn't think this young actor would make it tough for me," Seth thought to himself, slightly caught off guard by Lucas's improvisation. Nevertheless, he decided to play along, knowing that as long as the director didn't intervene, they could keep rolling. "You're hurting your friend's feelings, Adam. I just think you smell too fruity," Seth quipped, staying in character as Kyle.
Adam adjusted his attire with a deadpan expression. "I ran out of shampoo. With no choice left, I used Rachael's shampoo," he explained matter-of-factly.
Trying to get closer, Kyle sniffed and remarked, "No wonder, you smell like you fucked with the cast of 'The View.'"
Adam didn't miss a beat, firing back with a slight grin. "Well, if I smell like that, you smell like you went for a swim in a pool of your grandma's perfume."
The crew and cast watching the scene on the monitor chuckled and exchanged amused glances at Lucas's quick wit. Even director Jonathan seemed pleased with the spontaneity of the scene.
However, Seth, feeling challenged by Lucas's playful banter, continued to tease him in character as Kyle. "No joke, you smell like you used my grandma's feminine wash," he quipped, playfully clinging to Adam in mock indignation.
Seth's comeback joke also prompted soft laughs from the crew and cast who were watching.
They continued to watch as the scene unfolded.
Adam distanced himself and gently pushed Kyle away. "You think I smell like that, but you keep clinging to me? Stop being so clingy, Kyle. I've only used a woman's shampoo; I didn't turn into a woman."
"Well, I kind of wish you were," Kyle retorted, causing the scene to fall into an awkward silence.
Adam stared back at Kyle, their eyes locked in a tense moment. Sensing the discomfort, Seth, in character as Kyle, interjected to break the silence with the line intended for Adam. "Umm... We're kind of late," he said, attempting to steer the scene back on track.
"You're the one driving, so you better start driving," Adam replied calmly.
Seth, momentarily forgetting his role, chuckled at his mistake. "Oh, right. Silly me. Let's go," he said, before starting to drive the car as directed by Jonathan.
With that, the scene came to an end.
As the scene wrapped up, Lucas and Seth exited the car and made their way over to where the crew and cast were gathered, watching the replay on the monitor. Seth glanced at Lucas, a hint of disbelief in his voice as he spoke. "I don't know if I can work with you, man. You're throwing in improvised lines left and right. I don't know if I can keep up."
Lucas grinned in response. "Definitely not what you were expecting, huh?"
Seth chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, no. I didn't expect that from you."
As they walked over to watch the replay and conversed with the director and crew, Lucas couldn't help but reflect on his preparation for the role. He had dedicated countless hours to practicing in the "Mind Workshop," immersing himself in Adam's character. The original lines for Adam's conversations with Kyle felt distant and unfamiliar to him; Adam and Kyle were supposed to be close friends, and Lucas believed that Adam should be able to handle his friend's silly and quirky personality quite well.
As Lucas showcased his improvisational skills and delivered Adam's lines with flair, the initial doubts from the other cast members began to dissipate. They were impressed by Lucas's performance, especially during the scene with Seth that had everyone on set laughing. Bryce, who observed the exchange, couldn't help but feel a twinge of reluctance.
Meanwhile, Will, who also watched the replay, nodded approvingly. He saw nothing wrong with Lucas's interpretation; in fact, he believed it perfectly complemented his vision for the film. Despite its serious subject matter, Will envisioned the movie incorporating comedic elements, and Lucas's improvisation only served to enhance that vision.
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