บท 149: ### Chapter 147: Richard's Next Goal
"Cut!"
"That's a wrap for this take, take a break!"
On the set of "Girl, Interrupted," after finishing a take, Richard walked out and touched his beard.
This scene took place much later in the story. To show the time span, makeup had put a beard on his face. It was his first time wearing a beard, and it felt dirty.
"Richard, I heard you almost got kicked out of the crew?"
Angelina Jolie walked over with her hands in her pockets. Today's shoot was set in the psychiatric hospital, so she also had scenes to film.
"Yes, I wasn't prepared yesterday. My emotional performance was off, so the director postponed my scenes. Today, I gave it my all and nailed it in one take."
Richard said with a grin.
"Just one take, and you're that happy?"
Angelina grabbed a chair, tossed it nearby, and sat down casually.
Richard shrugged, "My goal used to be to become a commercial movie star with high box office returns and hefty paychecks. Now, it seems I can also aim for awards. What do you think about an Oscar?"
"Uh... you want to win an Oscar?"
Angelina pulled out a cigarette and asked in surprise.
"Why not? Is it not possible?"
Richard asked, sitting up straighter.
"Hahaha!"
Angelina laughed out loud, slapping her thigh, drawing curious looks from the crew.
"Hey, can you not laugh so exaggeratedly?"
Richard felt a bit embarrassed.
"Haha, everyone, let me tell you a joke. Boxer Richard Brad's next goal is to win an Oscar for Best Actor. Let's give him a round of applause for encouragement, shall we?"
Angelina laughed and clapped her hands.
Clap clap clap~
Following her lead, about forty or fifty people from the crew clapped along.
"Richard, I believe in you!"
Winona, who was getting her makeup done, laughed.
Richard sweated in embarrassment. If it weren't for the crowd, he would have taken this loud-mouthed woman to a room to spank her.
"Hey, Richard, everyone's applauding you. Don't you have something to say?"
Angelina blinked and smiled.
"Thank you~ Thank you, everyone. I will work hard."
Richard stood tall, pumping his fists.
"Richard, everyone heard it. You can't deny it now."
Angelina smiled with curled lips.
Richard shook his head slightly, "There's no need to deny it. I became a world champion before 21. After 21, I can become an Oscar-winning actor. I have that confidence."
Angelina blinked. This guy won two gold belts before 21. He still had decades ahead. It wasn't impossible for him to win an Oscar.
If he did win, wouldn't she be slapped in the face?
"I'm talking about the Best Actor Oscar."
"Yes, if I want it, I will get it. I don't think winning an Oscar is harder than winning a gold belt."
Richard said calmly.
"That confident?"
Angelina squinted, leaning closer, "How about a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"Ten years. The newspapers say you trained for ten years to become a world champion. We'll take ten years. If you win the Oscar for Best Actor within this period, I'll sleep with you. If you don't, you'll sleep with me, and I'll do whatever I want with you. Deal?"
Angelina blinked provocatively.
Richard frowned, "Seems like I lose either way."
"Fuck, just say if you dare!"
Angelina punched him lightly in annoyance.
Richard stroked his beard, "What if we accidentally sleep together before then?"
Angelina curled her lips, blinking for a moment,
"I'll have your baby."
"What?!"
Richard raised an eyebrow, staring at her quietly, "So you're not just after my body but my genes too? You sly woman."
"Fuck!"
Angelina punched him in frustration,
"So, do you accept or not? If not, forget it."
"OK, it's a deal. If you get pregnant, I won't pay for child support."
Richard joked.
"Despise you!"
Angelina snorted and turned away disdainfully.
"Hey, Angelina, why are you here so early today?"
A girl with a backpack walked into the set, Clea DuVall, the third female lead, 22 years old, playing a pathological liar.
"No plans today, thought I'd come early."
Angelina high-fived her.
"Hey, Angelina, who did you come to see?"
Winona laughed from a distance.
"You!"
Angelina glared at her.
"Why do I feel like there's a story here?"
Clea DuVall asked curiously.
"No story. Let me introduce you. Do you know this guy?"
"Of course, champion Richard. Mr. Brad, hello. I'm Clea DuVall, you can call me Clea."
Clea DuVall greeted warmly.
"Hello, Clea. You can call me Richard."
Richard smiled gently.
"Richard, I'm a fan of yours. So are my brother and dad. Can I get an autograph?"
Clea DuVall pulled out a pen and two posters of Richard, plus a notebook.
"Hey, Clea, is the set a place for fan meets now?"
Angelina laughed.
"Yes, Richard is my idol."
Clea DuVall laughed.
"Your idol? What's worth learning from him?"
Angelina asked curiously.
"Of course, a lot. Richard is handsome and a great boxer. He became a world champion at 21, a millionaire, all from scratch. The papers say he had no money for food in high school, worked three jobs a day while studying and training."
The girl blinked, looking a bit emotional.
Richard touched his forehead, "I wasn't that poor. I like spending the money I earn. Clea, here's your autograph."
"Richard, thank you!"
Clea DuVall happily put away the posters and notebook.
"Hey, Angelina!"
More cast members arrived: Brittany Murphy, Elisabeth Moss, and Joanna Kerns, respectively the fourth, fifth, and eighth female leads.
"Wow, Richard?!"
"Richard, I'm a fan too. Can I get an autograph?"
"Richard, can I take a photo with you?"
The three young actresses surrounded him with pens, notebooks, and cameras.
"Alright, this place has turned into a fan meet."
Angelina curled her lips.
Richard smiled gently, greeting the girls. Since becoming a champion, he often encountered such situations: autographs, photos, hugs. He was used to it.
"Angelina, can you take a picture of us?"
Brittany Murphy asked, holding a camera.
"Alright, alright!"
Angelina reluctantly took the camera. Usually, she was the one fans wanted pictures with, now she was the awkward third party.
Richard, you pig!
She took the camera, looking at the guy surrounded by girls, and clicked the shutter a few times.
Click, click, click~
After the fan meet, Angelina and the others went to the dressing room to change and get ready.
Richard sat on the sidelines, reading the script, waiting for the actresses' scenes to finish. He had an intimate scene coming up.
Half an hour later, the actresses returned to the set.
The set was in a large hall, the recreational area of the psychiatric hospital, with main actors Winona, Angelina, Clea DuVall, and over ten young actors, plus Whoopi Goldberg playing the hospital director.
Whoopi Goldberg, a black actress, gained fame with her supporting role in "Ghost," winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, showcasing her superb acting skills.
Once filming began, several actresses started showcasing their skills. The main plot involved Richard's character, Toby, visiting the protagonist, Susanna. The actresses had various reactions: Winona was surprised and restrained, Julie was playful and mischievous, while the other characters displayed envy and curiosity. Among the young actresses, Winona and Julie performed exceptionally well, with many scenes completed in one take.
Julie, in particular, played a character with antisocial personality disorder. Since she herself was a bit eccentric, she could play the role naturally. Her performance was spontaneous and full of highlights.
Watching her act, Richard understood why she could win an Oscar; the role fit her identity and personality perfectly. Perhaps he could use this as a reference for his own Oscar ambitions.
"Richard, get ready," the stage manager reminded him.
"Got it!"
Richard put down the script and walked into the set.
——
"Scene 136, Take 7, Action!"
The clapperboard snapped, and the filming began. The main cast included Richard, Whoopi Goldberg, Winona, Julie, and other female patients and hospital staff, totaling over twenty actors.
Richard opened the door and saw the girls sitting in the hall. Winona was on the sofa, wearing a gray shirt.
"Susanna, you have a visitor!" Whoopi Goldberg called from the doorway.
"Hi~"
Richard raised his hand and waved.
Winona got up from the sofa, looked at him nervously, and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I'm leaving for abroad next week by ship," Richard said, handing her a purple wildflower.
"Cut!"
"Richard, make sure to maintain eye contact with Winona," Director James reminded.
"Got it!" Richard nodded.
"Hey~ One-take wonder!" Angelina teased, wiggling her finger.
Richard ignored her, stepped back, and waited for the director's cue. As the director called for action, he walked toward Winona.
Winona stared at him quietly, not blinking.
Richard smiled, took a flower from his pocket, handed it to her, and gave a slightly goofy smile.
Winona took the flower and led him towards the room.
"Cut!"
"Next scene!"
The crew moved to the protagonist's bedroom. Richard embraced Winona, and at the signal, they began kissing passionately, although there was a significant height difference between them.
"Cut!"
"Richard, try holding Winona by the waist," the director suggested.
"Okay!" Richard lifted Winona slightly by the waist.
"Richard, a bit gentler, please?" Winona laughed, holding onto his neck.
"Oh, sorry!" Richard eased his grip.
"You're quite strong."
"And you're lighter than I expected!" Richard whispered.
Winona winked at him.
"Scene 137, Take 1, Action!"
At the sound of the clapperboard, they started kissing again. Richard held Winona by her slim waist, leaning against the door, his hands wandering over her waist.
Winona wrapped her arms around his neck, excitedly rubbing his cheeks.
Since the protagonist's mental illness was related to sex and she had been in the hospital for a long time, she needed to appear more excited during the kiss.
"Cut!"
"Winona, be careful with the force, that's a fake mustache!" Director James said.
"Oh, okay!" Winona released him, exhaled, her face flushed.
"Makeup!" the assistant director called, and the makeup artist came in to reattach Richard's mustache.
Director James sat at the monitor, repeatedly watching the previous scenes, discussing with the screenwriter and cinematographer. They decided that Winona needed to be more active during the kiss. If shot standing, Winona had to stretch her arms, which looked unnatural.
Finally, they agreed to try the scene on the bed.
Richard and Winona had no objections and moved to the bed.
"Scene 137, Take 3, Action!"
At the cue, they started kissing again.
Director James checked the footage and found it satisfactory. He signaled the nurse character to enter.
Bang!
While they were kissing, the door opened, and a nurse stood at the doorway with a clipboard.
"Room check!"
Richard immediately let go.
"Sorry for interrupting," the nurse said, closing the door and leaving.
"No worries, she won't be back for another ten minutes," Winona said excitedly, tugging at his belt.
"Cut!"
"Prepare for the next take!"
In the next take, they lay on the bed as the hospital director opened the door.
"Susanna, you have the right to go out. Why not grab a cup of coffee?"
"Alright, we should get going," Winona said, lying on the bed while Richard got dressed.
Richard's scenes were few, and after three days of smooth shooting, he wrapped up his part.
Before leaving the set, Richard bid farewell to the cast and crew he had just met.
"Richard, don't forget our promise!" Winona said, hugging his shoulder and whispering in his ear.
"Got it!" Richard smiled.
"Richard, did you and she really get together?" Angelina approached after Winona left, pointing at her with a playful smile.
"No, we agreed to volunteer at a mental hospital. Want to join us?"
"Really?"
"Of course, unless you think we'd actually date in a mental hospital?"
"Sounds thrilling, you should try it."
"No way, I don't want to get scared out of my mind!" Richard shook his head, hugging her as well.
"Come over for tea sometime!" Angelina said.
"You should practice your acting more. It's pretty bad. How will you ever become an Oscar winner at this rate?"
"Don't worry, I won't be far behind you," Richard chuckled, waving as he got into the car.
(The end of the chapter)
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