- The Legendary Actor

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The Legendary Actor

"..."

This was likely an accurate portrayal of the expressions on everyone's faces. Seeing Renly and Will laughing as if they were alone, everyone exchanged looks, transmitting the same message: What's going on?

A flock of crows flew overhead Seth, who cleared his throat a couple of times and interjected, "Renly, I haven't had the chance to introduce you to the other members of the crew."

Renly redirected his gaze, looking at Seth, and smiled slightly as he nodded in acknowledgment. It was both an expression of apology and politeness.

In reality, all the actors present were familiar to Renly. These were faces he recognized later, and even now, they weren't unknown individuals. But Renly didn't seize the initiative to join the conversation, speaking familiarly. He waited politely for Seth's introduction.

Anna Kendrick was feeling somewhat amused at this moment, but she knew that laughing out loud in front of Renly would be extremely impolite. So, she kept a smile hidden, but it was a bit of a struggle. The merriment and liveliness leaked from her eyebrows, revealing her youthfulness.

"Welcome to the crew." After Seth finished the introductions, Anna extended her friendliness, "I'm already looking forward to the upcoming shoot." Although these were polite words, Anna's expression was genuinely sincere.

"Of course, I am too." Renly replied with a smile, returning the warmth. "Looking forward to breaking a leg."

Renly's brief response left Anna momentarily stunned. Her eyes burst into surprise that she couldn't conceal. Then she saw Renly give a meaningful tug to the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile. Anna suddenly felt an itch of curiosity but didn't get the chance to continue her inquiry as Seth turned his head to introduce Angelica Houston.

Anna stomped her foot in frustration.

"Break a leg" wasn't a curse, nor did it literally hope for a leg to be broken. It was a form of well-wishing, expressing a desire for good luck. This was a unique slang, especially prevalent among stage actors.

In theatrical performances, most actors were superstitious. They believed that wishing someone "good luck" would actually bring bad luck, and conversely, bestowing a "bad luck" wish would bring unexpected fortune. Hence, "break a leg" became a euphemism for hoping for a highly successful performance. Going back in history, some even believed this saying originated from ancient Greece.

Now, the wish of "breaking a leg" had gradually spread, and it was commonly used in many performing contexts. However, its primary use was in the theater circles of Broadway and London's West End.

Anna, who began her career as a child star, had solidified her presence in Hollywood over the last few years through works like "Twilight", "Up in the Air", and the "Pitch Perfect" musical film series.

Many knew that Anna could sing, and she sang quite well. Though her upper vocal range was ordinary, her musical interpretation skills, pitch, and rhythm were outstanding. However, few knew that Anna had gained fame on Broadway.

At the age of just thirteen, she starred in the Broadway musical "High Society" and garnered a series of awards for her performance. Even now, she was the second-youngest nominee in the history of the Tony Awards. In the early days of her acting career, Anna was purely a musical theater performer.

The wish of "breaking a leg" was something quite familiar to Anna.

But the question remained: Why did Renly say that? Could it be that Renly knew about her past Broadway experience? What connection did Renly have with Broadway? Or was it simply a passing remark from Renly, and she was overthinking it?

Upon closer consideration, Anna realized that she knew nothing about Renly. Besides being aware of the constant news praising his exceptional acting skills, she had no clues. Therefore, she had no way to judge.

When her gaze turned back to Renly, Anna's eyes held a touch of scrutiny and investigation.

Bryce Dallas was in the same boat; her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Renly's unruly, wild curls.

After they entered the room, Renly, still somewhat bedraggled, offered a simple apology to everyone before heading to the bathroom for a shower. At this moment, he had just finished bathing.

He wore a collarless pearl-white shirt paired with light blue suit pants. He looked relaxed and languid, yet exuded an indescribable elegance. His deep brown curls hung loosely, nonchalantly disheveled, giving him an air of casual grace. Even the handsomeness between his brows seemed uninhibited.

This left Bryce filled with bewilderment.

Upon learning that Renly had taken on the responsibility at the last moment, she had specifically looked into the actor, known only by name, but today's situation left her baffled. Whether on the red carpet, magazine spreads, news reports, the big screen, or sitting right in front of her, each Renly seemed distinct. She couldn't fathom how Renly would portray his role in "50/50", making it impossible for her to predict how their collaboration would unfold.

Not only that, the outside world had been speculating that Renly had a powerful background, or else why would he have such good resources and develop so rapidly in the industry? Now, Bryce couldn't help but wonder, just what was the connection between Renly and Hollywood?

As Bryce assessed Renly, he was also sizing her up. Why had Andi chosen "50/50"? Apart from the character and Seth's influence, was Bryce one of the factors?

During her journey in Hollywood, Bryce had always kept hidden that her father was Ron Howard. It wasn't until the unimaginable success of "Jurassic World" that her family background was revealed. But the truth was, she managed to keep it from the public; however, it was an open secret within the industry.

One only needed to look at Bryce's resources to understand.

First, she was part of the "Twilight" series, portraying a significant antagonist role. Second, she was the leading lady in films directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who excelled in the supernatural genre, and Kenneth Branagh, known for his skill with Shakespearean themes. Third, she played important roles in "Spider-Man 3" and "Terminator Salvation".

As for collaborations with top-tier directors like Clint Eastwood and Lars von Trier, that went without saying.

Such an array of resources left anyone astonished. In comparison, Renly's resources seemed relatively minor, barely noteworthy.

However, now, many were questioning Renly's background, while no one seemed curious about Bryce's origins. Ultimately, it was because Renly had achieved success while Bryce had not.

Strangely enough, despite Bryce's wealth of resources, she had never managed to rise to prominence. She couldn't even break into the second tier, let alone the first. "Jurassic World" wasn't her first role as the leading lady in a blockbuster, but it was her first successful work.

So, when Andy chose "50/50", did she know that Bryce was also on the cast list?

"I've heard quite a bit about you before, and I'm looking forward to this collaboration," Bryce beamed, extending a friendly greeting.

Renly returned a smile. "I hope the rumors aren't too dreadful. At least from what I've read in the newspapers, I don't like that guy," his gentlemanly and humorous remark evoked a low chuckle from everyone around.

Anna's gaze flickered slightly, noticing that this time Renly didn't say "break a leg". Was she overthinking things? Or was there some truth to it?

"I think after your long flight today, you must be exhausted," Seth cautiously broached, "We can take a rest for now and then read the script later in the evening?"

Seth's voice trembled slightly, revealing his cautiousness. It wasn't that Renly was a big shot or difficult to get along with; in essence, Seth was concerned about Renly leaving. If Renly regretted it now and walked away, the project was doomed, and the ensuing chain reactions would be unimaginable.

This wasn't groundless anxiety. In real life, such situations were abundant.

Once a project officially began filming, there would be multifaceted communication between actors and the crew, including discussions about character positioning, acting methods, script structure, and more. If there were disagreements, either the crew could dismiss an actor or the actor could voluntarily leave the production. The more prominent the actor, the greater their power.

While Renly wasn't exactly an A-lister, "50/50" crew wasn't overflowing with resources either, and they couldn't afford more turmoil.

"Has the shooting schedule been finalized?" Renly inquired curiously, "Are we shooting in chronological order or..."

"Oh," Seth blinked vigorously. It was clear he was quite nervous. After swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he managed to speak, "We're planning to, uh, shoot in chronological order. But considering that you'll be shaving your head, we haven't decided whether to film the parts with hair at the end first or continue sequentially and use a headpiece for the final scenes."

The topic of shaving one's head was a ticking time bomb to Seth. No one knew when it would explode and Renly would walk away.

However, Renly calmly adjusted his jawline and nodded in understanding. "That should be decided by the director." Seth let out a relieved breath, nodding in agreement. "If necessary, I don't mind wearing a headpiece. Anyway, with my upcoming bald look, it's actually simpler to wear a headpiece, isn't it?"

Renly teased, causing Seth to exaggerate a clap and burst into laughter. His reaction was overly theatrical, stunning Renly momentarily. Seth suddenly grew sheepish, his awkward shift in demeanor amusing everyone else.

Renly pondered for a moment. "I don't mind starting to read the script immediately. Honestly, I haven't even looked at it yet, and I'm feeling a bit uncertain." Although Renly's words carried a light, teasing tone, they were sincere. "However, before we formally read the script, if Will has the time, I'd like to have a good conversation. To understand more about the situation."

...

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks.

Renly added, "I mean, just the two of us."