Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 69: Searching Far and Wide

"Good morning, Renly. The weather is really nice today, isn't it?"

"Hey, Renly, if you happen to run into Tom next time, say hello for me."

"Renly, you're here again today? So, still no news?"

"Hey, buddy! Excellent work, excellent!"

"Have you picked the next project? A lot of eyes have been on you lately."

...

As people brushed past, they greeted Renly actively, with various expressions, continuously ringing in his ears. Some were familiar, some flattering, some friendly, some enthusiastic, some fawning, some polite, each with different purposes and meanings. In the small office of the New York branch of the Screen Actors Guild, life's myriad expressions were being played out.

Renly currently found himself in a very delicate position.

"The Pacific" had earned him considerable attention, but it was just a TV series, and a mini-series at that, so its influence was ultimately limited. The producers of the series were the famous Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, but these two giants weren't easy to get close to. Even though there had been plenty of discussions after the series ended, making him somewhat recognizable, two months had passed in the blink of an eye, and Renly still hadn't directly benefited from it — the news about "Thor" was secretive and little-known, at least in everyone else's eyes...

This Renly, while not achieving great fame, possessed potential; without overnight success, he had still made a name for himself; without soaring to the top, he excelled in youth and potential. For actors in the third or fourth tier, he was just the right person to befriend — perhaps it was a matter of face, perhaps there were ulterior motives, perhaps it was shrewd calculation, or perhaps it was fishing with a long line for big fish, but whatever the purpose, they were happy to deal with such fresh blood.

Just like Chris Hemsworth before.

"Back for the union report again?" The middle-aged woman sitting at the front desk flashed a big smile, her chubby cheeks showing a Santa-like warmth, her eyes narrowed into a slit, shining with a pleasing light. "You should get an agent; it's much better than fishing in the union all the time." She added with a slightly exaggerated laugh, "I believe there's already a long line of agents waiting to sign you up!"

The blatant flattery couldn't have been more obvious, but Renly naturally didn't miss it. He just gave a warm smile and slightly lowered his chin, "I'm waiting for the day Fifth Avenue is packed." His self-deprecating humor elicited a smile, "So, any updates on news this week?"

"The news that just came out today is going to cause a stir by this afternoon!" The middle-aged woman lowered her voice conspiratorially, a mysterious expression on her face. After checking that no one else was paying attention, she continued, "It's a top-notch commercial blockbuster, beyond imagination."

With a self-satisfied look, she winked at Renly and pointed to the notice board nearby. "The announcement was updated just fifteen minutes ago, and the news hasn't spread yet. You should check it out quickly." She sighed lightly, "If you had an agent, things would be much simpler, but..." Her regretful tone couldn't have been clearer.

Renly didn't respond as if he hadn't caught the implication behind her words at all. He simply nodded with a warm smile, "Thank you." After exchanging pleasantries, he quickly made his way to where the notice board was located.

Lisa Mears peeked out slightly, watching Renly's composed and unhurried pace, and sighed softly. She was somewhat surprised by Renly's generosity and tolerance, even more so by his composure and magnanimity.

She hadn't been particularly friendly towards Renly when he came to the union with Chris before. Dealing with hundreds or even thousands of unknown actors every day, it was impossible for her to be pleasant to everyone, she had to make choices. Compared to Chris, who was in "Star Trek", Renly didn't show any brilliance; her choices didn't require any effort.

But people like Renly, who unexpectedly achieved temporary success after being looked down upon, were not uncommon. Many of them would come back flaunting their success, settling scores or grievances. Even if it wasn't so obvious, there was often a sense of superiority in their words. After all, this was Hollywood, a place where the spotlight of the world gathered fame and fortune, giving people a sense of being "God".

Lisa had some concerns before. Renly had been doing well lately, and if he decided to show her some attitude, she could do nothing but accept it. However, Renly didn't show any signs of arrogance. Not only that, he actively showed kindness, and she didn't receive any ridicule from him. His magnanimity was something not everyone could possess. Moreover, he was only twenty years old this year, which was truly incredible!

"Too bad," Lisa muttered, unable to conceal her regret.

Despite her admiration, Lisa's thoughts were clear. Someone like Renly, who hid his pride, would rather seek job opportunities at the union without the shortcut of an agent, than take the easy way out. This wouldn't work in Hollywood. She still had higher hopes for Chris's future.

Renly didn't know about Lisa's intense inner turmoil, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

He knew what he wanted and what he didn't want. Some opportunities, even if seized, might not be a good thing; likewise, missing out on some opportunities might not necessarily be a bad thing either.

As for Lisa's praise and criticism, Renly didn't pay it any mind.

This was not only the norm in Hollywood but also in society as a whole. There was no need to feel unfairly treated. The best solution was not sarcasm or condescension but to continue succeeding, to go further and higher. Soon, he would leave these small-minded people behind and ascend to a new level. Meanwhile, those who were petty and resentful would remain stuck in their small world for life.

So, all he needed to do was to keep moving forward. Just like now.

Hollywood was a vast operating machine, establishing at least two thousand projects every year, with three to six hundred projects directly going into production. This meant that new job opportunities appeared every week on average, not including TV projects. Therefore, without the help of an agent, the union was the best platform for actors to find work.

After "The Pacific" ended, he would find spare time every week to come to the Screen Actors Guild in search of job information. Renly wasn't in a hurry after giving up on "Thor" because he was sure he could find the next "The Pacific" at the union.

Although it was already 2010, the announcement board at the New York branch of the actors' union was still an old-fashioned blackboard, with the latest information on various projects written in colorful chalk. Different colors represented different meanings, such as red indicating projects that needed actors within seventy-two hours, and green indicating newly updated projects, and so on, making it easy to understand.

The hasty chalk handwriting, the swirling dust, and the uneven colors of the blackboard, under the slightly yellowish light on the ceiling, outlined a retro atmosphere from the 1930s and 1940s. Just this alone made it clear that New York was different from Los Angeles — the latter had long replaced blackboards with electronic ones.

Standing in front of the notice board, Renly skillfully searched for the information he needed amidst the colorful board. Many of the notices were eye-catching, such as the project produced by Steven Spielberg and written/directed by J.J. Abrams called "Super 8," which was gathering a group of young actors, both male and female, under the age of fifteen. Or "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," which was recruiting supporting actors willing to learn motion capture technology to join Andy Serkis in playing apes through computer technology. The cast already included names like James Franco and Tom Felton...

Every project had its allure, open to competition for every actor.

This was one of the most distinctive features of Hollywood. Unlike the professionalism and aloofness of the European film industry, in North America, while the resources for top productions were controlled by a small group, rare opportunities appeared now and then, offering everyone a chance. Hollywood always opened its arms, welcoming people from different backgrounds, different classes, and different levels. This was also the fertile ground for "overnight fame." If European cinema represented professionalism, then the American film industry represented diversity.

Even a nobody could have a chance to shine. Although this "chance" was extremely slim, it was enough to drive countless people forward.

After scanning the notice board carefully, Renly quickly found the top project Lisa had hinted at earlier. When he read the content represented by the chalk words, his pupils couldn't help but slightly contract — "The Amazing Spider-Man"!

Never would he have expected it to be "The Amazing Spider-Man"!