บท 575: In the spirit of friendship
Betty remained kneeling on the ground, staring blankly at Renly, then broke into a foolish smile. As the tension in her body relaxed, the weariness washed over her like a tidal wave, as if she had just finished running a marathon.
"Now, don't relax just yet; we haven't finished shooting this scene," Renly reminded her, sensing Betty's relaxation. He saw Betty's bewildered expression and couldn't help but smile. He shrugged lightly and said, "The film industry. The process of making dreams come true isn't that easy. I remember feeling like I'd been fooled the first time I acted."
This was another difference between theater and film. In theater, the entire performance flowed seamlessly, and there was no room for error. If mistakes happened, you had to roll with them because there were no retakes. So, for every minute on stage, there were ten years of practice behind it. But in film, the final product was a packaged commodity. For every minute on screen, hours or even days might have been spent in real life, and there was plenty of room for errors.
Naturally, the requirements for stage actors and film actors were different.
However, Renly's teasing remark was so disdainful that Betty couldn't help but laugh lightly. Her smile hadn't fully blossomed; it lingered on her lips as she recollected her performance a moment ago.
Honestly, she didn't know how she had done it. For her, it wasn't acting; it was reality. She gazed into Henry's eyes as if a tremendous force was pulling her forward, her words and emotions pouring out directly without passing through her brain. That despair, that sadness, had suddenly overwhelmed her without warning, and she completely fell apart.
In that moment, the boundary between reality and illusion ceased to exist.
Betty raised her head again and looked at Renly, who was standing right there. It was Renly, not Henry, that she could feel. "I don't know if I can do it again," Betty admitted, lacking confidence. "Acting is really difficult."
"Even though everyone is an actor. Pretending not to care, pretending not to be hurt, pretending to be fine, pretending to be happy," Renly paused slightly in his speech, thoughts churning in his mind. "Pretending not to be afraid." He wasn't just referring to Betty; he was talking about himself too.
Deep down, Renly had always been afraid. What if he didn't have any acting talent? What if what George and Elizabeth had said was true? What if his terrible performance ruined those classic masterpieces, causing them to be lost to the sands of time?
So, he needed to work harder, to cherish more. In this second chance at life, he didn't want to leave any regrets behind, and he hoped his life would bloom as brilliantly as summer flowers.
"The only difference is that some people hide themselves securely behind masks, some skillfully wear more masks to conceal themselves, and some stay away from the spotlight's gaze in the corner. Anyone brave enough to stand in front of the camera and reveal their vulnerability and authenticity is a performer worthy of respect," Renly's words plunged Betty into contemplation. She bit her lower lip tightly and remained silent. "As for whether one is an excellent performer or a lousy one, that's another matter altogether."
Suddenly, the conversation took a lighthearted turn, and Betty couldn't help but chuckle. Her demeanor also became a bit more relaxed.
Betty hesitated for a moment and cautiously spoke, "Renly, can you help me? Help me perform this scene well; I want to perform it well." Such a simple sentence, yet it consumed all of Betty's strength, just like when Meredith had sought help from Henry, revealing her vulnerability and fragility to him, waiting for a helping hand, waiting for redemption. This made Betty's eyes well up with tears again, filled with unease.
"It would be my pleasure," Renly replied with a smile, causing the smile at the corner of Betty's mouth to bloom freely.
Once they resumed shooting, Renly's performance remained outstanding, and Betty's performance was surprisingly excellent. Not only did the crew notice it, but even Tony, who was immersed in the project, noticed it too. In the following shots, Betty displayed excellent acting, whether in close-ups or extreme close-ups. Even when facing Renly, she showcased her natural emotional handling.
In a trance, Betty became Meredith, and Meredith became Betty, making it difficult to distinguish between them. Or perhaps they had always been the same person.
Although both actors' performances were exceptional, Tony continued to work hard to capture different angles. This scene was shot seven times in total, taking nearly an hour to complete.
Next up was the big scene between Renly and Christina. In this scene, Henry experienced his only emotional breakdown in the entire film. Faced with Meredith's plea for help, Henry couldn't extend his hand, leading to self-blame. But before he could recover, Sarah began to suspect Henry of improper intentions towards Meredith, leading to sharp questioning and condemnation. This completely infuriated Henry, and all of his emotions erupted like a volcano.
This scene was about losing control, unlike the previous scene that had flowed seamlessly from start to finish. Before shooting, Renly and Christina spent nearly twenty minutes discussing and rehearsing their movements. Once they started shooting, their performance flowed effortlessly, and the crew members watching were thoroughly entertained.
Paul, who stood nearby, was also greatly impressed. This was a different Renly from when they shot "Fast 5". He exuded a radiant charm that was different from his usual elegance, restraint, or humor. He was now the center of attention, capturing everyone's gaze.
"If you ever grace the Broadway stage, I'll book a long-term box and invite all our friends to watch," Paul thought to himself, so he approached Renly and said it aloud.
Another two hours passed, and they had finally finished shooting this scene. Paul had spent three and a half hours on set waiting for the break before finally meeting the day's star.
Renly looked up and saw Paul's sunny smile, showing a surprised expression. "How did you come over here?" Without waiting for the script to be put aside, Paul had already walked up and given Renly a warm hug. It seemed to have become Paul's habit, and although Renly wasn't entirely used to it, he had no choice.
"Visiting the set," Paul replied as he sat down next to Renly, then handed him the coffee he was holding. "Black. I think you've expended too much energy in the last two scenes. You need to wake up properly. Or do you prefer a bit of milk?"
"This is fine," Renly took the coffee, "This role also requires maintaining a certain physique, preferably a bit lean."
"You always choose these self-tormenting projects," Paul teased jokingly.
"That's not true," Renly reflexively countered, opening the coffee and holding it near his mouth. Without taking a sip, he thought seriously for a moment. "The Pacific"? "Buried"? "50/50"? "Detachment"? After some consideration, "Well, "Fast 5" doesn't count as self-torment!"
Paul didn't argue but chuckled with an expression that seemed to say, "Whatever you say," earning him an eye-roll from Renly. "Okay, "Like Crazy" probably doesn't count either. Actually, the filming process for "Like Crazy" was quite enjoyable." Except for the awful weather in London.
"Don't get me wrong. I mean it as a compliment. Although I have some concerns, I genuinely admire your dedication," Paul said sincerely.
Renly brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a sip. The bitter and aromatic taste spread on his tongue. In reality, for the nobility, coffee must be consumed in a ceramic cup; plastic, metal, and glass cups are not allowed, let alone paper cups. That's also why they dislike Starbucks. However, today's coffee, although in a paper cup, had an authentic taste and aroma. Renly could tell it was freshly ground. It seemed that Paul had shown genuine effort during his set visit today.
"You sound like an entertainment journalist," Renly half-jokingly teased after savoring the coffee.
Paul didn't mind and chuckled lightly, "I'm serious. When do you plan to grace the Broadway stage? Regardless of the play, I'll be sure to attend."
"I'll tell my agent. Though, I don't think he'll agree." Renly spoke the truth.
Despite the preference for actors with West End or Broadway backgrounds at the Academy Awards parties in London, the overall trend in Hollywood was different. No agent would want their actor to return to Broadway for further polishing. Nowadays, Broadway had lost much of its former glory in terms of attention, popularity, and economic impact.
However, actors with training from British academies still upheld this tradition. They would return to London's West End for a period of time every year or every two years, ranging from a month to a year, to refine their skills.
Of the three main stars of "Harry Potter", Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint chose this path to rework their fundamental acting skills, while Emma Watson pursued a different route. She earned a degree from Brown University and embarked on public relations activities as a feminist. Their divergent choices reflected their different approaches to their acting careers.
Renly took another sip of coffee and faintly noticed a contemplative look between Paul's eyebrows. He made a playful remark, "What's going on? Do you have something special to say? You look awfully preoccupied." What started as a casual joke unexpectedly revealed a hint of awkwardness in Paul's expression, as if his thoughts had been read. This surprised Renly, who raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there really something going on? What's on your mind?"
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