King of Hollywood

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"How should I put it? This is actually my problem." Dennis took a sip of mineral water. He didn't look good right now, with a sallow complexion, scruffy stubble, gaunt cheeks, and a thin body… The makeup artist might have done his face up like that, but his almost wind-toppling physique was something he had strived to achieve on his own.

"Your problem?" Joe looked curious.

"Yes, before filming, Ed had told me that although my experiences could help me understand this role, my acting skills were still somewhat lacking. The previous 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' had received decent reviews, but there were so many roles, each one important, so any issues weren't obvious. But now, I'm the lead, so... the requirements are very strict." Dennis explained, then sighed, "The reason it went smoothly the last couple of days was because it was relatively simple, mostly long shots. Also, didn't you notice? Most were just test shots."

Joe stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then nodded, "That's true, it seems like your relationship is pretty good."

"It's okay, I'm very grateful to him," Dennis didn't hide this, "I apologize for taking up your time, Joe."

"No worries, no worries," Joe waved his hand with a smile, "Everyone goes through this sort of thing. When I first acted in a movie, I didn't have much fewer NGs than you. I'm sure Ed has his reasons; he's a good director."

"I didn't know you could suck up, Joe." Adrian's voice chimed in at this moment.

"You're the director and the producer; of course I should suck up to you, shouldn't I?" Joe turned his head and said with a playful grin.

Adrian shrugged as he walked up to the two and then looked at Dennis, "How are you feeling, Dan?"

"Not bad..." Dennis answered with a bitter smile, somewhat uncertainly, "I pretty much understand the emotional state you need the character to be in, but to perfectly exhibit that at any moment is probably... rather difficult."

"No problem; if it doesn't work on the first try, we can just shoot it several times," Adrian said nonchalantly, waving his hand.

"But..." Dennis's bitter smile deepened, but he was interrupted by Adrian before he could finish speaking, "Rest assured, we won't have dozens of continuous NGs without a break like before. I did that to show you your importance in this movie. This is your first time as the absolute lead, so don't disappoint me."

Seeing that Dennis seemed nervous due to this remark, Adrian paused and then continued, "Right now, we're shooting repetitively so that we will not have to shoot repetitively later. Once you've grasped that feeling firmly and can express it freely, the repetition will naturally reduce. I believe you can do it, Dan! Besides, there's a great actor here who can guide you—won't you offer some advice, Joe?"

"Oh, sure, no problem!" Joe raised his hands immediately, looking somewhat nonchalant yet sincere in his tone, "Though I've always been a supporting role, I have no experience guiding a lead."

"No problem, acting techniques are consistent in some aspects at least," Dennis said quickly.

"Great, now you guys can discuss a bit, and when we start shooting later, I hope you can at least maintain your previous state, Dan. You did very well the last two times." Adrian gave a few instructions before leaving.

After walking to the side of the camera, he turned his head to glance over there, where Joe and Dennis had already started a detailed discussion. Adrian nodded slightly, apparently, inviting Joe Pantoliano was a correct decision. He originally wanted to find a seasoned actor who could give Dennis some guidance since Dennis was still a bit green, and he was worried that the current Joe might not be as experienced as he would be ten years later—indeed, in the original 'Memento,' it was him who played the detective Teddy, and in fact, he had an even more well-known role as Cypher in 'The Matrix!'

However, after test shooting, Adrian now tossed that worry out the window. Joe, who entered showbiz as early as 1978, though he had played supporting roles for over a decade, had quite a rich experience, and he was pretty much on par with Steve Buscemi as a golden supporting actor in Hollywood. An actor like that performing as detective Teddy would not need to wait until ten years later, especially since he got along well with all members of the crew and was willing to offer Dennis advice.

In fact, Adrian did not need Dennis to truly meet the standards he had previously demanded. That would be doing more harm than good. Moreover, the key to this movie was in the editing, which meant that the acting could afford to be a bit lenient. He just wanted Dennis to understand that starring in any movie—even if it's a flop—should be taken seriously and done with full concentration!

After several observations, Adrian decided to promote him, advising him not to find an agent for now, as this aligned with his plan in some respects.

The movie began shooting amidst a few hiccups. The progress was quite poor in the first few days, nearly every shot required over double-digit NGs to pass. At first, some staff members complained in private, but after several days, they got used to it. This was largely due to the workers who had been collaborating with Adrian from London setting an example, and it had a lot to do with Dennis consistently adhering to a meticulous work ethic—you should know that to maintain his gaunt body, his daily food intake was specially arranged, sometimes even a single apple suffice as a meal, and he never complained. Plus, Joe sometimes eased the atmosphere during breaks, so the overall vibe on the set was pretty good.

"You said that I need to make my gaze twinkle with malice. So, Ed, may I ask how can I make my twinkling gaze penetrate these thin lenses and project onto your camera?" Joe moved his hand as he spoke, and his joking manner brought a burst of laughter. Thus, his relationship with the crew was exceptionally good.

"That depends on your acting skills. Who says a gaze can't penetrate glasses?" Adrian spread his hands.

"Alright, alright, you're the director." Joe showed a helpless expression, making quotation marks with his hands on both sides of his head, and his slightly comical gesture drew another round of laughter.

Adrian shook his head without saying more; he knew Pantoliano was giving him a reminder, so he approached Dennis and spoke softly, "Listen, Dan, if it really doesn't work, then let your expression appear a bit numb. It's better than your awkward appearance when you can't express it properly. Persistence is a good thing, but adapting is also necessary."

Dennis thought for a moment before nodding, "I understand."

"Good, let's go again," Adrian clapped his hands, calling everyone back to work.

Dennis proved to be quite malleable, and because of his past setbacks, he was willing to diligently study. With this dual effort, although he might still have a bit of a pretty-boy vibe sometimes, the progress was clearly visible. Adrian couldn't help but recall a joke he saw once, which teased three Hollywood actors known for their looks: Tom Cruise plays every role as himself and feels proud of it, Brad Pitt believes he is the role he plays, and as for Leonardo DiCaprio, "What the hell is this character supposed to be?!"

Slightly cutting, but it also illustrated from another perspective that being too handsome as a male actor could be a disadvantage; at least in critics' eyes, even if their acting was good, they would be docked points because of their appearance. It's very unfair, but life itself is unfair.

It's best if he can find a balance between the two. Adrian thought about this. But that was not easy, so it'd be better to let him become an actor with substantive skills first. During this period, he had gained quite a lot.

In fact, Adrian himself also had no small harvests. He was filming strictly according to the original 'Memento,' without considering making changes, except maybe fixing obvious loopholes. Although he had decent experience in his past life, it wasn't enough to support him making alterations to these classic works, not to mention that his past and present lives were in two different countries, with entirely different cultures and environments. Even if he wanted to leave his mark on these works, he first had to learn and fully understand them.

Replicating these works was undoubtedly a quick and convenient approach. At least when replicating 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,' Adrian gained lots of insights as he compared it against his previous analyses.

Besides, thanks to Joe, he recalled quite a few outstanding films from the mid-90s. Although Adrian remembered a lot and quite clearly, his mind did not have a search engine, and he could only recall those big hit movies instantly. As for those equally excellent yet moderately known films, he had to spend a lot of time thinking them over slowly. Of course, there were other ways, like suddenly remembering them due to certain people or events—much like how Joe is doing now.

Alright then, those are matters for the future. As Dennis gradually got into the swing of things, filming progress started speeding up steadily, and even when Joe finished his part and left, there wasn't any regression. Originally, Adrian planned to finish shooting all the scenes within at least eight weeks, but now it seemed that he could wrap it up in six.

Of course, to complete it in six weeks truly, apart from Dennis maintaining his status, there was still a need for cooperation from one individual.

In the bright and spacious terminal of the Los Angeles airport, crowds flowed ceaselessly. Every few minutes, you could see an anxious greeter embracing their family member, friend, or lover with excitement, laughter, or tears.

Adrian stood silently near the exit with arms folded, observing it all like an emotionless bystander. But that state was broken after a few minutes. Following a shriek, a fiery figure suddenly plunged into his arms, seizing his lips with hers immediately.

Adrian responded without reservation. Only after a bout of passionate kissing did they part.

"You're nothing like an English lady, Kate." Adrian said half-jokingly.

"I don't care about being a lady... I missed you, Ed!" Kate, her cheeks slightly flushed, looked at Adrian, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fervently again.

(Thank you all for your support. If possible, make the comment section livelier, please.)

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