章節 132: Knock on the door

"Darn, did I miss something just now? Why isn't Al Pacino the winner of Best Actor? Who is this person who won the award?"

"Renly Hall, who is that? I didn't see him in "The Pacific"."

"I thought it would be Jeff Bridges. What's going on?"

"Is there something fishy going on? How did this newcomer suddenly win? I don't like him, he even mocked Pacino in his acceptance speech, it's so disgusting."

"Well-deserved! Absolutely well-deserved! His performance in "The Pacific" was incredibly captivating. The only reason I watched the whole series a second time was because of him. He overshadowed all the other actors!"

"Ah, ah, ah! Renly Hall! Ah, ah, ah! He finally won, I knew it! I knew it!"

"You fools upstairs, he's the guy who played the rich young master in "The Pacific", his acting is really remarkable. Although it's a bit unexpected that he defeated Al Pacino, this result is well-deserved."

"That idiot, did you even watch "The Pacific"? He's the rich young master, don't come out talking nonsense if you haven't watched."

"Oh my, "The Pacific" actually got Best Actor. I hadn't watched it before, looks like I need to catch up now. Hey, are the DVDs out yet?"

"I haven't had a chance to watch it either, wasn't interested before, but it seems good now. Is this newcomer the male lead?"

"Renly Hall's performance was indeed fantastic. When the series was airing, I was in the forum posts exclaiming with everyone that his performance truly deserved an Emmy trophy. I didn't expect him to actually win, thumbs up!"

"Does anyone know who Renly Hall is? He's so charming, I'm about to explode. I searched on Facebook, but he's not there. Does anyone know how to find his page?"

"Partner upstairs, I'm the same, I'm the same, he's really handsome! What should we do? I want to scream!"

"We're discussing acting, can you guys stop being infatuated? I think Hall truly deserved it."

...

"Huh, Al Pacino was actually nominated, I didn't even know!"

Amidst the ongoing debates, the out-of-context response was quickly bombarded by everyone. A group of people exclaimed, "Are you an alien?" and the innocent person promptly vanished, only for the discussion to shift back on track after this slight derailment.

The discussions on the Yahoo community were heating up, with netizens stepping forward to share their opinions. Some were furious, clearly finding it unimaginable for a newcomer to triumph over Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges. Some were full of praise; even if they weren't fans of Renly, they admitted that after watching "The Pacific", they were impressed. Some were confused about the situation, unsure whether to agree or disagree, and ended up veering off-topic in the thread, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Following that, someone on the Yahoo community started a thread titled "The 62nd Emmy Awards, Outstanding Leading Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, Renly Hall - An Informative Post".

The post provided detailed information about Renly's performance in "The Pacific", even including excerpts of media reviews. It also referenced the lively discussions that had taken place on the Yahoo community during that time, highlighting that while those high-rise discussions had subsided, they still existed, maintaining the record for the most active discussions in 2010.

Additionally, the post contained links to YouTube videos and information about Renly's previous involvement in Off-Broadway productions.

The post concluded with, "He's a pure newcomer, a British lad of twenty. Beyond this, there's not much information. One can clearly sense his embodiment of the classic British school of acting, dedicatedly immersed in the exploration of his craft, not keen on social network activities or self-promotion. Tonight, the Emmy Awards undeniably provide the best affirmation for him. Sincerely hoping that actors who invest themselves wholeheartedly in their performances can gain more appreciation from the audience.

Postscript: His single is really wonderful, been playing it on repeat lately."

The author of this post was none other than the once-active Brandomania from the Yahoo community. It seemed he was also tuning into the live broadcast of the Emmy Awards.

After the post was made, the click rate soared, surpassing thirty thousand in less than thirty minutes, and the number of replies exceeded two thousand in one go. It was evident that the focus was intensifying during the live broadcast.

For the netizens, they were outsiders enjoying the spectacle. Whether it was "The Pacific" winning acting awards, or Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges losing, these were explosive points that were hard to imagine. Even if they weren't TV series enthusiasts, even if they hadn't been following the trajectory of the Emmy Awards, many netizens joined the discussions.

As the Emmy Awards ceremony was about to conclude, Brandomania edited the post once more, "Additional note, based on the response from Sir Slade in the 314th comment, I found the latest updates on Renly Hall. He appeared in a low-budget independent Spanish film, "Buried", and relevant director and actor information can now be found on IMDb. Looking forward!"

According to incomplete statistics, within twenty-four hours after the Emmy Awards ended, "Buried" had received over sixty-three thousand views on its IMDb page and surprisingly entered the top fifty in the twenty-four-hour popularity ranking. This was truly unbelievable. A work that no one had heard of before suddenly garnered such attention, and more astonishingly, even its poster hadn't been updated.

After the Emmy Awards, the Yahoo community disclosed the discussion heat during the ceremony. "Glee" undoubtedly secured the championship, while unexpectedly "The Pacific" claimed second place, sparking extensive discussions among community users. Third place went to Jim Parsons, who won his first Comedy Lead Actor award, even surpassing the popularity of "The Big Bang Theory".

Just from this detail alone, it was clear that the chain reaction brought about by an award was immeasurable. And this was merely the initial forty-eight hours. The situation was expected to ferment and evolve further, which was the true emergence on the scene.

However, the Emmy Awards remained just that - the Emmy Awards. The attention and allure of the Miniseries or Movie department paled in comparison to drama and comedy categories. Even with the boost from "The Pacific", Renly's name became a hot topic in major media outlets, but Hollywood was never short of talent, was it?

For Renly, this was a significant breakthrough in his career. The Emmy Awards not only affirmed his performance but also spread his name, making industry insiders truly aware of a newcomer named "Renly Hall".

But for Hollywood, this was just the beginning. An Emmy Award opened the door to Hollywood, but the road ahead was incredibly long, riddled with obstacles, thorns, and steep unpredictabilities.

Hollywood lacked many things, except for talent.

Entering the dazzling world of fame and fortune in Hollywood, making a name overnight, and achieving meteoric success wasn't a challenge for geniuses. They seemed to effortlessly capture the public's attention; it appeared simple. However, most geniuses were drowned by their era. The torrential waves of history eroded their edges, their spirituality, their gifts. In the blink of an eye, they were forgotten. Orson Welles was a typical example.

So, what about Renly?

Would he continue to climb to new heights, producing one outstanding work after another, becoming an actor etched in history like Al Pacino? Or would he gradually fade away, his energy depleted, his spirituality and insight lost, becoming a shooting star that flashed briefly like Rosanne Sorrentino? What potential did this genius truly possess, and what heights could he achieve? These were the real concerns.

The glory of an Emmy Award, even the title of Emperor of Emmy Awards, was merely a single star among countless in the sky. After the brilliance, the astonishment, and the praise, everything would return to calm.

Including The New York Times and Vanity Fair, after their heated coverage, they elevated Renly to the peak. Yet, once the dust settled, they returned to tranquility, waiting for Renly's next work to come.

If his next work turned out to be terrible, they would readily start throwing stones, as if today's praises and affirmations had never happened. Even more frightening was the prospect that, after "The Pacific", if Renly couldn't produce new work for a year, two years, or three years, or if he did release new work and the media couldn't even be bothered to criticize it, then Renly would quickly be swallowed by the bustling glamour of Hollywood, lost forever amidst the fleeting brightness of fame and fortune.

Now, thanks to the formidable power of Yahoo community users, information about "Buried" began to surface. Unexpectedly, it was within reason. Unexpected because Renly, with the blessing of two top producers, didn't secure a better acting opportunity; reasonable because, before winning the Emmy Award, Renly was just an ordinary newcomer. Appearing in an independent film was a logical result.

Regarding this, Hollywood was hardly concerned. Independent films appeared in droves every year, and there were hundreds of them, and this one was even financed by Spain? It was even further from the center of the film industry. If it wanted attention, it should first make an appearance at the Sundance Film Festival. Before that, no one would pay attention to such an independent film, even if it was by the newly crowned Emmy King.

To be more precise, no one believed that this film could amount to anything. Some even regretted it, thinking Renly had made a career-ending decision. Of course, it was too early to say that now. More people were focused on Renly's "next work", produced by Hollywood.

This was the true rule of Hollywood's operation. Glittering media attention? Enthusiastic online discussions? The scorching heat of the spotlight? These were merely the first bricks to knock on Hollywood's door.