Hollywood: The Greatest Showman - Chapter 266: Absolute Strength

Chapter 266: Absolute Strength

Silence, the entire set was silent, even the sound of breathing seemed to have vanished.

No one anticipated that the filming of this scene would unfold like this; no one expected the slender, upright figure of Renly to conceal such immense power; no one thought that Renly’s utterly dominant performance would effortlessly steamroll through; no one expected Vin to lose his temper and injure someone, only to end up in an awkward situation; no one foresaw that the first showdown between Renly and Vin would end like this.

This made the situation instantly more interesting. Vin, in his fury, seemed to have had a bucket of cold water dumped on him, followed by a bucket of ice water. He had come in strong and imposing, only to leave dejected. More importantly, even Vin, the party involved, was now stunned, seemingly at a loss, with no one knowing how things would develop.

The studio was permeated with a strange unrest; no one dared to speak loudly, but they couldn’t help whispering. People’s glances carefully avoided Vin, who was sitting in the makeup area, but this deliberate avoidance only made the atmosphere more awkward. Not to mention the extras watching; even the crew members had peculiar expressions on their faces, hard to put into words.

Alfred was excited, incredibly excited!

As a seasoned extra, Alfred wasn’t an outstanding actor, but he was a shrewd observer and a veteran acting coach. In his spare time, he taught new actors at the academy, sharing his on-set experience. This was a hobby of his.

In the less than a minute of the scene just now, what Alfred saw wasn’t a confrontation between Renly and Vin, but Renly’s solid acting skills, precise emotional expression, sharp body language, straightforward acting style, seamlessly transitioning between strength and playfulness, dominance and mockery. In just thirty seconds, he outlined the image of Hobbs.

While everyone worried that Renly’s build might not form effective opposition, thereby affecting the overall style of the movie, Renly delivered a stunning performance. Not only did Renly match Vin, but he also easily triumphed over him. More importantly, that powerful aura instantly breathed life into Hobbs, making him an even more charming character than Dominic or Brian.

The iron triangle? Clearly, it’s not just a saying.

What made Alfred applaud was Renly’s dialogue skills!

In today’s Hollywood, there are more and more grassroots actors, resulting in even the most praised actors mostly using the Method acting technique. Method acting can be simply understood as getting into the character, immersing oneself and following the emotional pull to perform. This approach emphasizes resonance between the actor and the character but often neglects the importance of dialogue.

It can be said that American actors’ dialogue skills are terribly lacking.

Truly outstanding actors, those with Representational acting skills or traditional academy training, consider dialogue skills to be the most essential basic skill. The same line, with its emotional variations in inflection and tone, can reveal the actor’s internal prowess.

In British acting schools, an interesting fundamental exercise involves having actors read weather forecasts with varying emotions: heartbroken, impassioned, ecstatic, and so on. This is undoubtedly a tough test for actors.

In today’s commercially driven Hollywood, the importance of dialogue has sharply declined, both for actors and scripts. This has resulted in dialogues that lack depth, reflection, or substance. The direct consequence is that scripts increasingly rely on storytelling innovation, and with less innovation, good scripts become scarce. So, there are more adapted scripts, especially comic and game adaptations.

In fact, within a simple script framework, deeply studying dialogue skills can also interpret an excellent story.

In the scene just now, Alfred witnessed Renly’s dialogue skills! With a few simple lines, Renly performed with at least three to four different rhythms and tones. The emotional waves in those shifts effortlessly seized control of the entire scene. This skill is truly astounding.

Alfred couldn’t hold back any longer and finally exclaimed, “Wow.”

Meanwhile, Paul was so excited that he almost jumped up. All he knew was that in the confrontation just now, Vin was flustered and overwhelmed, while Renly was at ease and imposing. In this head-to-head confrontation, Renly undoubtedly had the upper hand. The situation of today’s farce was instantly reversed!

Paul didn’t care about Vin’s embarrassment or the other actors’ shock. He ran straight to Renly and patted his shoulder vigorously. “I knew it, I knew it!” After a few exclamations, Paul beamed with a brilliant smile. “No, I never knew you were such an outstanding actor!”

Righteous, upright, honorable, just! Renly’s absolutely powerful performance not only responded to Vin’s provocation but also seized the advantage in the confrontation. This victory was exhilarating! Paul believed no one could have anything to say! As for Vin’s embarrassment and wretchedness, it could only be said that he brought it upon himself.

Looking at Paul’s undisguised excitement, Renly chuckled, “I thought you had seen ‘Buried’ at Telluride.”

What Paul didn’t notice was Renly gently twisting his neck, his tense shoulder lines slightly relaxing, but his muscles still felt a bit stiff. Despite his composed demeanor, Renly was inwardly relieved.

He lacked fighting experience; when Vin attacked from behind, he should have sidestepped instead of turning to face the threat. Before his brain could make the correct judgment, his muscles had already reflexively responded, showing his lack of experience.

Luckily, the momentum built from previous performances still intimidated Vin, catching him off guard. Otherwise, the positions might have been reversed. Perhaps he would be the one lying on the ground, gasping for air.

Renly was now pondering whether he should seriously learn Chinese martial arts.

“I have seen it, but the circumstances are different…” Paul replied cheerfully, his animated gestures resembling those of a child, making one smile.

On the other side, Justin was somewhat dazed. He wasn’t a director adept at coaching acting skills; his strengths lay in camera coordination and scene control. However, he could still sense that powerful acting aura enveloping the entire studio, captivating everyone. Now, he finally understood why Renly could beat Dwayne and secure the role of Hobbs!

Although Dwayne’s excessive demands for remuneration were the initial reason, Renly’s outstanding performance was the ultimate winning factor. Otherwise, how could a newcomer who hadn’t been in the industry for a year surpass his competitors and stand out?

Justin couldn’t suppress his inner excitement and thrill. His mind was already reconstructing the scenes, overturning all previous ideas.

Initially, he worried whether Renly’s acting presence could compare to Vin’s, let alone add Paul to the mix. The so-called iron triangle confrontation actually presented a two-versus-one situation in the film. This was why they initially chose Dwayne. His physique and innate charisma made it impossible for Vin and Paul to gain the upper hand even together. Thus, the whole story could reach a balance.

But now, Justin’s mind was brimming with ideas. For instance, in the scene just now, he could make the sparks between the two even more intense, heighten the tension, and amplify the sensation of imminent conflict. This could further enhance the film’s thrill.

What was once just a backup option now seemed far more impressive.

Dwayne’s style was relatively singular, primarily focused on physical confrontation. This made the script’s emphasis on Hobbs and Dominic’s rivalry, failing to be a strict iron triangle. But now, with Renly dominating both physically and psychologically, he could potentially face off against both characters.

However, Justin was now somewhat regretful. Modifying the script at this stage would be a massive undertaking, with at least a quarter of the scenes needing a rewrite. Moreover, increasing Renly’s screen time might spark objections from Vin and Paul. More importantly, rewriting the script would require additional fees for the writers, something the producers would likely oppose.

Perhaps in the next installment, if Renly continued to reprise his role in the sixth movie, Justin’s mind was filled with countless ideas to explore.

Even if the script couldn’t be changed, Justin could make adjustments in camera coordination and atmosphere building to portray the iron triangle’s conflict more intensely.

Justin couldn’t help but worry: could Vin withstand this? Should Paul be sent in as well for a two-man team?

Vin was in a terrible state, utterly disastrous! His rationality had completely lost control. He picked up a chair and violently smashed it beside him, then destroyed half of the makeup table. Only after seeing everyone retreat did he feel a bit better. Breathing heavily, he looked at the mess in front of him, clenching his teeth.

Renly, damn Renly!

It was just because he was unprepared that Renly gained the upper hand. Next time, he would be fully prepared and wouldn’t let it go easily. From the start, he would seize the upper hand. He didn’t care about maintaining a balance or looking good on set. He was determined to teach Renly a lesson and reclaim his dignity!

“Ahhh!” His anger was uncontainable.