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Charlize looked at Henry in surprise. "You can teach me acting? Have you ever taught anyone before?"
With a smug grin, Henry said, "Hey, don't underestimate me, missy. I may not have taught anyone before, but I've got plenty of ways to help. You'll just have to give me some time to prepare."
"So… has anyone ever praised your acting?"
"Everyone who's seen it says I don't look like I'm acting at all," Henry said, hands on hips, chin lifted proudly. "What do you think?"
In truth, that was a piece of dark history best left unmentioned. Back when he helped mutants fight off aliens, who thought Clown Superman was acting? Everyone thought he'd genuinely gone crazy…
Yeah. Best not bring that up.
Charlize, however, looked puzzled. "If that's the case, why didn't you keep developing your career in Hollywood?"
Henry's smugness turned into a helpless sigh. He pointed at his face. "I asked quite a few agents. They all said I don't have a camera-friendly face. If I stayed in Hollywood, I'd have to grind as a supporting extra for twenty years before I might make it.
"As for being a leading man—no production company would dare gamble on me. So tell me, what reason would I have to keep at it? I'm not someone who's madly in love with acting, nor is it my only way to make a living."
"Someone really said that about you?" Charlize was genuinely surprised.
"Oh? You think I'm handsome?" Henry perked up instantly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Nope. They're right," Charlize said bluntly. "Compared to Tom Cruise, you're way behind."
After soaring high, he crashed hard. Henry drooped his head. "Alright, alright, I know. No need to rub it in."
"But," Charlize added with a playful smile, resting her chin on her hands, "in certain shining moments, you're still very handsome. My hero."
That instantly cheered Henry up again. He shrugged and puckered his lips, making an utterly punchable face.
Charlize laughed and smacked his face with her palm, pushing him away.
Grabbing her hand, Henry took a playful bite and brought the conversation back on track.
"Anyway, my method is pretty simple. We'll watch movies with outstanding performances and study the actors' techniques.
"Then I'll get a camera and record your performances. After that, we'll compare what you think you're doing with what actually shows on camera, and adjust the gap between the two. We'll study how to achieve the same effect as those actors on screen.
"Actors, in the end, live and die by what they show in front of the camera. First, you need to look natural on screen—no awkwardness. Then comes actually acting like the character you're playing. What do you think of that kind of training?"
Charlize couldn't find any real flaws in his approach. Starting from imitation and building experience through something close to real combat—wasn't that far better than reading acting manuals and memorizing theory?
Acting was a performance art, not a field where raw knowledge alone determined success.
She nodded seriously. She didn't say a word, but her attitude made her commitment clear.
Henry continued, "But it's not just about acting technique. If you want to be a good actor, there's a lot more you need to work on.
"You should study some psychology—understand what kinds of behaviors appear in what kinds of people. Learn the meaning of micro-expressions and small movements, and what details you need to observe.
"You also need to read more. Understand a character's background and motivations. That way, you can naturally display behavior that fits the role.
"And finally, there's accents. If possible, you should train yourself in more accents to suit characters from different backgrounds and personalities."
He went on, "People say British accents are popular, but what they really mean is the London accent used by the upper class. You don't need to deliberately learn rural British accents. America alone has more than enough variety.
"In the U.S., the Great Lakes accent is widely considered the most pleasant. But most people use either the East Coast New York accent, the West Coast Los Angeles accent, or something like the Texan cowboy drawl from agricultural states.
"That said, I don't think you'll have much trouble there. Your English is fluent and neutral—it's hard to pin down where you're from. If you don't say anything, who'd know your native language is actually Afrikaans?"
Hearing all this only dampened Charlize's confidence. She said hesitantly, "That's… a lot I need to do. Then when will I actually get a chance to perform?"
Henry hurried to clarify, "No, no, no. What I'm talking about are things you need to keep improving as long as you want to be an actor. They're directions for long-term effort. But your acting work should continue at the same time.
"This is about building your résumé, accumulating experience, and—most importantly—building your reputation in the industry. These things have to be done together. There's no such thing as 'being fully prepared' before taking the next step.
"You might go to dozens of auditions and not land a single role. That's normal in Hollywood. So you can't wait. You have to start now. If you wait around, the opportunity will go to someone else."
Studying, auditioning, and still needing to work odd jobs to survive—Charlize had never thought of quitting her temporary work and living off Henry.
Life was about to get busy, but at least now she could see a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel, instead of stumbling around in the dark.
She reached out her hand to Henry. "So from today on, you're my agent. When do we sign the contract?"
Henry gently played with the hand extended toward him and looked at the beauty before him.
"That won't happen so fast. I need to register with the Screen Actors Guild and get authorized before I can legally act as an agent.
"Only then can we sign a contract, find you work, and negotiate with others. By the way—have you registered with the Actors Guild yet?"
Charlize shook her head regretfully. "I heard it costs money."
Henry rubbed his forehead, helpless. "It does cost money, but it's not that much. What the hell was John thinking? I don't think he ever planned to push you onto the acting track from the start."
Looking at the complicated expression on her face, Henry said, "Anyway, come find me tomorrow. We'll go to the Actors Guild together. I'll apply for agent authorization, and you'll register as an actor.
"I'll cover the fees for now—you can owe me. Being registered with the Actors Guild matters a lot to many productions. It protects you and saves them trouble.
"Otherwise, if something goes wrong, you'd have to fight the production on your own for compensation. That's a nightmare. Productions are also afraid of actors making unreasonable demands. So unless a production is shady to begin with, most prefer working with guild members."
"Okay," Charlize said, finally agreeing to Henry's plan.
"You've been through a lot today. Get some rest. Recharge your energy—tomorrow is a new beginning."
This time, Charlize shook her head in refusal. She shifted her body and straddled Henry, wrapping her arms around him. With a sly, fox-like smile, she said, "Round two."
And then she leaned in and kissed him again.
Once you've had a taste, you want more. Women—truly terrifying.
Katy, sprawled on the cat tree, noticed that the female two-legged creature had once again pinned down the Kryptonian two-legged creature. In her internal hierarchy, it became clear: female two-legged > Kryptonian two-legged > herself. Meaning—that female is not to be messed with.
Katy understood. She flicked her tail and closed her eyes, continuing her nap.l
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