Behind The Spotlight Chapter 154
Collin witnessed the production crew singing "Happy Birthday," and even the cast sang along. Their voices echoed awkwardly inside the studio, some smiling stiffly while others checked the clock every few seconds. Collin was not good at reading people's expressions, but he could see that most of them were just forced to play along.
'... The more I learn how this industry works, the more I understand that actors slowly lose their sense of reality once they become famous.'
No wonder many actors were out of touch with reality.
Collin had heard of an actor who requested a small golf course on the set because he wanted to play in between filming. The absurdity of it made Collin shake his head.
He also heard of an actress who demanded that her dressing room should always be all-white… Did she want to stay in a hospital-like room or something?
And there was an actor who didn't like M&Ms and stated in his clause that there shouldn't be any M&Ms around while he was filming. He would lash out hysterically if he saw even a single M&M. As for the reason… Perhaps he was allergic to chocolate, specifically M&Ms?
Collin also heard of the no-lose contract, and many famous actors followed this type of doctrine. To maintain their image, they didn't like their roles getting defeated. Either they wanted to protect their image or they simply had an ego too big to accept losing.
He sighed quietly, watching the birthday candles flicker.
'At least Lawrence's conditions are not that destructive. He's also sharing the cake with the crew members.' He watched Lawrence enthusiastically hand out slices.
Collin saw Director Summerbelt watching from afar. The director sighed for some reason. He then looked at Collin and greeted him with a nod. Collin returned the greeting with a nod of his own.
"..."
He felt awkward because the director seemed disappointed. This small birthday party probably affected their schedule for today. Collin was ashamed of it, but he knew he couldn't stop Lawrence from doing what he wanted, especially when Lawrence was not doing anything destructive to the project.
An hour later, after having a nice cake, Collin watched their filming. Lawrence and his leading lady performed the scene, and Collin was satisfied with Lawrence's performance. His talent was undeniable. Despite having unique behavior, Lawrence was still the best at his job.
Even Director Summerbelt was satisfied. As unusual as Lawrence could be, his performance always impressed him. That was the reason why the production crew tolerated Lawrence, because he was worth it.
'This is much better than working with that Dickhead Harper. At least Lawrence delivered his promise, unlike Harper, who just fucked women at the tropical island.' Director Summerbelt thought.
In a week or two, the production of The Boss Proposal would end.
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"So these are the movies you want me to star in?" Lawrence asked while reading the titles of the scripts. He flipped through the pages.
"I kept my promise."
"Collin, you're the best." The actor smiled happily and patted Collin's shoulder.
Collin found three suitable projects for Lawrence for next year. One was a heavy Drama Romance, the second was a Romantic Comedy, and the last was pure Comedy.
Lawrence had expressed before that he was interested in starring in other genres such as Comedy or Action. At that time, Collin convinced him that action movies wouldn't be ideal for him, especially since he would need months of physical training. Lawrence found his reasoning logical, so he said he wanted to star in Horror or Comedy instead.
After years of gathering information, Collin knew which directors had yellow talents in the industry. As of now, the three scripts in front of Lawrence were from directors who passed Collin's criteria.
"I'll choose this comedy movie." Lawrence dropped the other scripts.
"Alright."
'Although Lawrence only has Yellow Talent in Comedy, if we combine it with a director who also has Yellow Talent, the result will probably not be that bad.'
Genre fatigue was real, and Lawrence wanted to try something different. It wasn't surprising that he chose the comedy film.
"I feel that if I continue acting in romance movies, I will never break through as an actor. Collin, please find some heavy-themed scripts for me next time. I want to star in a drama movie." Lawrence stated firmly. His fans would eventually get tired of his romance roles, so he wanted to explore something new. Drama films were probably the best option.
"Consider it done."
'Fortunately, I know a dozen directors and scriptwriters who specialize in Drama films. I can find a project for him.' Collin mentally scanned his list of contacts.
Since Lawrence was nearly done with The Boss Proposal, he could now focus on his next project.
"Instead of calling me the Box Office King, people prefer to call me the Romance Box Office King. I want to prove that I'm more than a romance actor." Lawrence clenched his fists.
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June 30, 1999.
The premiere of The Born Identity took place. Red carpet, flashing cameras, reporters, fans, blah blah blah, you know the rules and so do I.
The Born Identity was based on a novel of the same name. It was a famous novel series in the 80s and had gained a large fanbase. However, time slowly eroded its popularity, and now only a few from the younger generation knew about it.
This time, a production studio decided to adapt the novel into a film. They bought the rights from the author and promised not to destroy his creation.
Axel Gunner was invited to audition for the role, and he fortunately got it. Being an actor who had once experienced a downfall, he hoped The Born Identity would be his comeback movie. He worked hard and attended countless training sessions and rehearsals. His work ethic was impressive.
Once production finished, the studio sold the film to Metro Gold Mayer for $60 million and washed their hands after that. The studio only spent $30 million to make the movie, which meant they earned about $30 million after selling it. They doubled their investment, a win for the production studio.
Metro Gold Mayer now owned the copyrights to The Born Identity and all of its potential sequels.
Metro Gold Mayer was on the brink of destruction after losing their status as one of the Big Six. Since then, they had relied heavily on 008: Jamie Bond to stay afloat. They hoped that The Born Identity, which they bought from a mid-sized studio, would save them. But of course, they had to promote the movie well for it to succeed.
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