Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 50: Digging for Info

Those who know the inside story watch the doorway, while those who don't just watch the excitement.

Under the gaze of thousands, "The Pacific" made a dazzling debut, not only attracting tens of thousands of viewers to watch the live broadcast for the first time but also drawing attention from critics, journalists, actors, directors, and other industry insiders, making it the hottest topic on the evening of March 21, including agents, of course.

During the period leading up to this, news of "The Pacific" casting a newcomer with no acting experience as one of the three main characters had already spread throughout Hollywood. Especially after last night's premiere, "Renly Hall" quickly caught people's attention.

However, this ultimately did not trigger a chain reaction. The media were reluctant to focus too much on Renly's performance mainly because "The Pacific" as a mini-series didn't carry enough weight. In the eyes of industry insiders, the hype surrounding Tom at the premiere was clearly aimed at creating news and shifting pressure.

A newcomer in a mini-series, no matter how sensational, still has limited influence.

However, tonight, after the debut of "The Pacific," the situation subtly changed. This newcomer showed delicate acting and remarkable screen presence, truly shining. Yet, if that were all, it wouldn't be enough to prompt further action. However, at last night's premiere, his witty humor, graceful manner, and composed demeanor in responding to journalists were rare talents. Coupled with his handsome appearance, his potential skyrocketed.

Francis Parker dialed Tom Hanks's phone. "Tom, tell me honestly, where did you find such a gem? His acting is natural, and there's a rare quality in every move he makes. With time, he'll surely rise to the top ranks."

Tom chuckled, "I thought you were well-versed; encountering newcomers like this should be nothing new to you." Francis was a senior agent at the Progressive Elite Agency, one of the top five agencies in Hollywood. Their mainstay was television dramas, with clients like "Heroes," "Prison Break," and "30 Rock" under their belt.

Despite Tom's diversion, Francis seemed eager. "You know I don't like jokes. Although he's a newcomer, he's already shown the potential of a superstar." Tom's laughter came from the other end of the phone. " 'The Pacific' has only aired its first episode, and Renly has only three minutes of screen time. Describing him as having 'superstar potential' already is a bit exaggerated on your part, Francis."

However, Francis didn't mind. "You and Steven were praising him endlessly, weren't you? Give me five years, no, three years, and he'll definitely have the ability to join the A-list. Does he have an agent now? Did he really have no other work before this? What else can you tell me about him? Give me his contact information now, and I'll sign him immediately. Who knows, he might appear in one of your productions again soon. By the way, how old is he this year?"

"If I'm not mistaken, he should be under twenty-one," Tom's answer almost dislocated Francis's jaw.

Meanwhile, not just Francis, at least four other agents were trying to contact the "The Pacific" crew through different channels, attempting to dig up more information about Renly. As for those who were using other connections and methods, the count was incalculable.

Expectation, curiosity, excitement, exploration... the attention on this newcomer was indeed extraordinary. It's not an exaggeration to say that the name "Renly Hall" was causing quite a stir within Hollywood. On the night of the premiere of "The Pacific," Renly stole the limelight. But they were bound to be disappointed.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing?" William searched through IMDB's actor database and Wikipedia, but found nothing. No information whatsoever, not even a trace. Renly didn't even have an IMDB actor page, as if... as if he jumped out of nowhere.

William was baffled. Even for a newcomer, this was absurd. Even basic personal information like date of birth was nonexistent. Currently, on the IMDB page for "The Pacific," the role of "Eugene Sleigh" was credited to "Renly Hall," but clicking on it led to nothing.

Renly Hall. List of works: "The Pacific."

That was all the information they could find so far. Clean as a blank sheet of paper.

William felt somewhat deflated. His impression of Renly was profound, starting from the fact that he was the only unfortunate character in the first episode who couldn't make it to the battlefield. But what truly captivated him was the stunning performance. The seemingly effortless acting became clearer as time passed. Thirty minutes after the premiere ended, the image of that rich young man became more vivid in his mind. This was truly remarkable.

Even "Band of Brothers" couldn't achieve such a feat.

"Billy, why don't we try Google? Or... Facebook?" Graham suggested.

William's eyes lit up. "Yes, Facebook!"

In 2010, Google undisputedly became the largest website in the United States, covering over 80% of users. Following it were Yahoo, Microsoft, and Facebook. Facebook had covered 53% of the American population. Moreover, Facebook's traffic had surpassed Google's, ranking first in website visits in the United States, followed closely by Google, Yahoo, and YouTube.

However, upon opening Facebook, William tried different name combinations to search but found no information, which was disappointing.

"Impossible, right? Renly is a young person. Why wouldn't he be on Facebook?" William found it increasingly intriguing, and his curiosity about this new actor kept growing. He then searched on Google and finally found something. Most of the results were news from last night's premiere. Apart from that, there was only one additional piece of information, from an actor's Facebook.

This actor was relatively unknown, mainly active in off-Broadway productions in New York, also holding down a regular job. Clearly, this person had compromised with life after struggling in the acting industry. He mentioned on Facebook that they were currently rehearsing for an original off-Broadway play, and one of the actors involved caught everyone's attention:

"From London's West End, has appeared in at least three plays, solid foundational skills, performances full of spirituality. Jesus Christ, we've hit the jackpot! Renly Hall, having this guy, our play is bound to be sensational."

"He's British!" William widened his eyes. In "The Pacific," there was no hint of a Texas accent. "He's also trained in theater acting! My God, if we search through those professional drama schools in the UK, can we find his name?"

Unlike the U.S., Britain still adhered to strict actor training procedures. Actors had to graduate from professional schools, polish their skills in London's West End, and challenge unconventional roles to earn recognition from peers. In recent years, with the dominance of Hollywood, such traditions had loosened, and there had been grassroots actors who shot to fame overnight. However, fundamentally, the traditional pride of British actors remained unchanged.

So, most British actors could be found in those drama schools.

"Billy, Billy, look!" Graham nudged William's shoulder and pointed at the computer screen. It was a link from YouTube, titled "'Cleopatra,' Performer, Renly Hall."

"... Isn't that a namesake?" William questioned.

But Graham had a different idea. "We just searched 'Renly Hall,' and found nothing. Moreover, why can't actors sing? Everyone can sing; the only difference is whether they're in tune or not. Maybe he just casually recorded a video while playing guitar at home and uploaded it to YouTube?"

William couldn't argue with that. He suddenly became excited and clicked the link. Due to excessive excitement, he clicked three times before finally succeeding. After entering the familiar YouTube page, William and Graham examined the video. It turned out to be recorded in a bar, not just any bedroom performance, with quite a few audience members present. The recording seemed to be from behind the bar.

When the strings started to play the first note, William's attention was immediately drawn in. The cheerful melody overflowed with sadness, touching the heart. As the song progressed, the emotions didn't stop, they just settled slowly, as if the whole world had quieted down.

"My God!" That was the only reaction William could muster.

...

A/N:

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