Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 3: Fierce Compeitition

"Please stop at the theater entrance."

Recovering from his scattered thoughts, Renly said to the taxi driver. After the car came to a stop, he paid the fare and quickly walked away.

Looking at the bustling queue in front of the theater lobby, Renly's steps involuntarily slowed down. Just as George had said, there were countless people in the world aspiring to become actors, but only a few could truly succeed. It was a thorny path, an uncertain future, a path where even risking one's life might not guarantee success.

Looking up, the cloudless sky was clear, and the golden sunlight poured down through the baby blue sky without hindrance. The towering steel forest on Manhattan Island could not stop the restless heat from flourishing on the solid ground, making one dizzy.

With the restless thoughts gradually calming down along with a long exhale, he vowed to seize this second chance at life. Taking a deep breath, Renly cast aside all thoughts, left his skateboard with the guard, and then strode into the lobby, standing at the end of the line, joining the queue.

Rami Malek adjusted his collar, trying to catch more fresh air to ease the nervousness and restlessness in his chest, but he quickly realized it was futile.

The roar of engines from the street, the noisy shouts of passersby, and faintly, the deafening sound of street performances at the intersection... Restlessness, countless restlessness, rushed in like a flood from the vent, as if the dancing dust under the sunlight was engulfed in a hurricane, rioting fiercely.

All of this sharply contrasted with the silent quietness in the lobby, which is suffocating.

Rami couldn't help but start tapping his leg, knowing it was a bad habit, but he couldn't suppress himself. This unconscious movement helped distract his attention, at least preventing himself from suffocating.

Today is the fifth and final day of the cast audition for the TV series "The Pacific".

Although "The Pacific" is just a set of TV series, it can be said to be an opportunity that every newcomer actor dreams of - produced by HBO TV, the sister series of "Band of Brothers", the most expensive television miniseries in history, by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, both teamed up as producers... Every factor highlights the importance of this series. It can almost be said that it is "destined to be successful" works.

Similar to "Band of Brothers", "The Pacific" abandoned actors who had been famous for a long time, and instead selected a large number of newcomers, third- or fourth-tier actors to star. Taking "Band of Brothers" as a reference, at least more than 100 characters in the play have lines to perform, and the core actors are as many as double digits, which not only means that this is a godsend, but every actor will win a fair chance; At the same time, it also means more fierce competition, perhaps one in a hundred, or even one in a thousand.

On the entire North American continent, there are more than 400,000 actors registered in unions, and less than 10 percent of them can find permanent employment. What's more, "The Pacific" is such a great opportunity that no one wants to miss it. Rami is no exception.

He's twenty-eight years old, he's been in Hollywood for nine years, and he's even starred in commercial hits like "Night at the Museum," but his career hasn't improved much. Now, what he needs is a breakthrough, a breakthrough to make progress in his career. He hoped that the "The Pacific" could become this step.

"Pat," a light tapping on his shoulder made Rami's muscles tense, and he turned around abruptly, stepping back half a step, like a startled rabbit.

Then Rami realized that he had reacted too much due to nervousness. Seeing the embarrassed smile on the other person's face, his cheeks flushed slightly. The young man standing behind him looked like a college student, and the sparse sunlight gently sprinkled down, highlighting his features.

"Ahem." Rami coughed lightly twice, hiding his embarrassment, "Uh... Excuse me, what's the matter? "

"... I'm sorry." The young man smiled apologetically, "Please forgive my faux pas."

His languid voice was like a cat, carrying a hint of hoarseness. His standard London accent exuded charming elegance, revealing a trace of childlike innocence between gentlemanly manners, making the sunny afternoon even brighter.

Rami waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no, it's my overreaction." Remembering his nervous emotional state a moment ago, Rami felt embarrassed and scratched the back of his head, unsure how to handle the situation.

The young man shrugged casually, and the smile on his lips widened. "I just wanted to ask, how long does each group take approximately?" He gestured to the queue ahead, indicating that Rami should move forward.

Rami hurriedly took a few steps forward, catching up with the queue. Then he turned around again. The young man seemed relaxed, even a bit carefree. His white collarless shirt paired with lake blue trousers gave him the air of a French bohemian artist, which made Rami somewhat envious. "Five people per group. Each group takes about ten minutes on average. But the previous group took about fifteen minutes, probably because someone caught their attention, so the audition took longer." The worry in his words leaked out unavoidably, and nervousness once again gripped his heart.

The young man flashed a bright smile and patted Rami's shoulder. "Don't worry, everyone has their chance, and only you can decide the outcome." The natural confidence and calmness in his words calmed Rami's restless heart a little.

"Next group ready." The voice of the staff at the door came, rambling on, "Wait at the door, and when I open the door later, hand me your information, then enter in order, walk to the center of the stage. Next, the casting director will give instructions, and you just need to follow them. Attention, please do not make loud noises! Do not make loud noises!"

"There should be three more groups before us." The young man nodded at Rami and walked up the last steps, glancing ahead casually. He casually rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows, ran his hand through the stray hair falling in front of his forehead, and that unintentional movement carried a hint of casual elegance.

Rami realized for the first time that the young man was really tall. He himself was 5 feet 9 inches tall, but he was still half a head shorter than the other, who seemed to be at least 6 feet 2 inches tall. When they stood on the same level, Rami couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by his imposing presence.

Sensing Rami's change in mood, the young man turned his head and looked over, flashing a friendly smile. This made Rami look into his eyes for the first time. His narrow eyes were hidden under his slender brows, and his dark pupils were like the sea after a storm, deep and vast.

The young man extended his right hand, politely greeting, "Renly Hall, pleased to officially meet you."

"Rami Malek." Rami found himself a bit clumsy and shook the other's right hand. He wasn't a rookie actor, but standing in front of this young man, his calm elegance made him feel as if he were an inexperienced newcomer.

In this nervous moment, the concept of time seemed meaningless. After what felt like ten minutes, or maybe thirty minutes, the door opened again, and it was finally their turn. Rami's brain seemed to have frozen, unable to react, and then he saw the young man blink gently, raise his right hand to shake the empty air, as if saying: the opportunity is always in our own hands.

The smile on Rami's lips rose before he even realized it. He turned his head and followed his pace, hurriedly handing his personal information to the door staff, and with the other actors in the same group, entered the door, with the young man following closely behind.

Following the queue onto the stage, the entire spacious theater came into view, the solemnity of the red and navy blue decoration intermingled with solemnity, and the intricate carvings and luxurious chandeliers hinted at the past glory.

In the third and fourth rows in front of the stage, there was a small group of about a dozen people, of various heights and sizes. They were the backstage decision-makers who held the fate of the actors; the lights in the audience seats were not turned on, only the halo of a desk lamp supported a small window of view. At the edge of the light circle, a square-faced man was whispering to the man with a beard beside him, none other than Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg!

Never did anyone imagine that the two top Hollywood figures would personally appear at today's audition, which was definitely a huge unexpected surprise.

Usually, during auditions, there would be casting directors, assistant directors, and executive producers, which would be enough. The real big-name producers would have other tasks to attend to, especially Tom and Steven, who were at the top of the Hollywood pyramid with a full schedule of work for the year. Sometimes, even after the entire film was finished, actors might not even get to see those top producers.

This also meant that today's audition was not just for "The Pacific". If they could leave a lasting impression on Tom and Steven, then anything was possible in the future!