The Greatest Showman

Chapter 82

“Sorry, Ryan.”

After careful consideration and discussions during auditions, Rodrigo has ultimately decided to give the role of Paul to Renly.

Rodrigo is well aware that this is a risky decision. He is giving up on his initial first choice, and he’s giving up the social advantages that Ryan possesses. All of this will undoubtedly put “Buried” in an awkward position. However, Rodrigo is clear about his goal. This is a film that has the potential to become a classic, and he doesn’t want to sacrifice the quality of the work for the sake of so-called commercial prospects.

Renly’s performance successfully moved him, convinced him, and even brought unexpected inspiration to him. He had no reason to reject him.

It was a difficult decision, but Rodrigo has no regrets. For independent cinema, quality will always be the primary benchmark, not star power or commercial value.

The words were finally spoken, without much hesitation. Rodrigo had thought it would be very difficult, but after saying it, he felt a sense of relief. He could clearly hear the sound of a weight being lifted off his shoulders, making him even more determined. “Thank you very much for coming to New York in person and providing valuable insights. However, the film has already decided to sign with another actor.”

Ryan’s expression visibly froze, and the forced smile on his lips was on the verge of crumbling. He awkwardly chuckled twice and said, “Uh, what does this mean? What do you mean by “decided to sign with another actor”?'”

Rodrigo thought carefully and decided to be honest, “After our conversation just now and my understanding of the role, I believe there is a more suitable candidate for the role of Paul Conroy.”

Ryan’s smile still hung on his lips, but it was fading fast. His face turned darker, and it didn’t look much different from the bottom of a pot. Rodrigo’s words felt like a slap on the face, stinging harshly.

Rodrigo’s words paused slightly, and then he continued to explain, “It is a great honor for me that you came all the way to New York personally. I still can’t believe it. But work is work. The filming of ‘Buried’ will face many challenges, and the complexity and depth of the character Paul exceeds imagination. You are a talented actor, no, a great actor—otherwise, I wouldn’t have personally invited you. However, you’re not the best fit for the role of Paul.”

Ryan felt his cheeks burning with pain. Just a moment ago, he was giving his insights and suggestions on the script and the structure of “Buried,” hoping to make a big impact on the project. Now, he found himself in this situation, feeling like he had been stripped naked and exposed, a sense of shame burning from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

“Sorry,” Rodrigo expressed his apology again, with a sincere and professional attitude. It was evident that his decision was purely based on professional considerations and not influenced by any personal factors.

Ironically, it was this professionalism that deeply humiliated him and left him unable to get angry.

He, Ryan Reynolds, has been in the acting industry for almost a decade, and last year, he rose to fame with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “The Proposal.” Yet, he was rejected by an independent film with a budget of less than three million dollars? He had even rushed from Los Angeles to New York personally to show his commitment, only to be rejected after the audition, and all because of professional reasons?

Ryan clenched his teeth tightly, still unable to resist the urge to clench his fists. The muscles under his suit trembled slightly as he maintained the almost distorted smile. His words were squeezed out one by one from between his teeth, “As you said, work is work. I can understand.”

“Honestly, I still look forward to working with you, so let’s hope we get a chance for the next project,” Rodrigo said sincerely.

“Of course. Of course,” Ryan nodded repeatedly, paused, and then said, “Wait, did you just say I’m not the most suitable actor for Paul?” Ryan was starting to feel a bit dizzy now, all his thoughts focused on being rejected, so he even forgot to ask who was the one more suitable for the role.

Rodrigo hesitated for a moment and chose his words carefully, “There’s no doubt about your excellence. It’s just that, after discussion, we feel that Paul should be a more blue-collar, rough, and unruly character. Clearly, you have a superhero aura about you, which deviates slightly from the character’s profile.”

Ryan knew these were all just excuses, clearly, Rodrigo didn’t want to offend him and wasn’t willing to speak the truth. He took a deep breath, but the boiling in his chest couldn’t be calmed down. He had to take another deep breath, “Heh heh.” While also using a dry laugh to cover up his restlessness and anger, “So… uh… who is the actor you selected? Do I know them?”

Rodrigo hesitated for a moment. Ryan was currently in a bad mood, having just been rejected, and the timing was obviously not appropriate. Moreover, if he tells Ryan that he had ultimately chosen Renly, who had just finished his audition, he couldn’t predict whether Ryan’s anger would affect the upcoming filming of “Buried.”

“Haha.” Rodrigo also exaggeratedly chuckled a few times to hide his emotions. “We’re just an independent film. How could we possibly attract so many famous actors? To be honest, I still have a burning sensation in my stomach from missing out on you.”

These words of praise didn’t calm Ryan down at all. He had lost, and no matter how he tried to chalked it up, he had still lost.

“Scarlett.” Ryan’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Scarlett’s figure, and as if he had seen a savior, he quickly called out to her, “Sorry for keep you waiting for so long.”

Scarlett was surrounded by several young people, excitedly talking about something. She held a notebook with freshly signed autographs in her hand. Scarlett smiled at them and then walked over. “Have you young men finished with your work?” Scarlett put her hands on Ryan’s shoulders only to notice that his shoulders were frighteningly tense. However, she didn’t mention anything about it and calmly said, “So, can we go see the exhibition now? Remember? We have an exhibition to attend today.”

Finally, this sentence helped Ryan regain some composure. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten.” Ryan also stood up and hugged Scarlett by the waist. “Rodrigo, our conversation today was enjoyable. I hope we can stay in touch in the future.”

With a simple sentence, Scarlett could sense an underlying message—did they not close the deal for “Buried”? Otherwise, why would it be “can” stay in touch instead of “will” stay in touch?

Three people exchanged polite greetings and then Ryan left the lobby of the youth hostel with Scarlett. Ryan quickly regained his usual demeanor, even greeting others in the lobby, not forgetting about fan service, even in such moments.

Walking into the courtyard, Ryan immediately saw the actor whose name he didn’t even know from earlier. There was a faint smile on his face, as refreshing as a spring breeze, but Ryan disliked him and only wanted to give that face a good punch.

“Hey, is the audition over?” the other person greeted him proactively, but Ryan had no intention of responding. He just nodded with a forced smile and didn’t speak. The other person didn’t seem to mind and tilted his head slightly to indicate understanding.

Suddenly, an incredible thought flashed through Ryan’s mind: Could this be the actor that Rodrigo ultimately had chosen?

As soon as this thought arose, Ryan immediately dismissed it. “No, no, absolutely impossible.” He chuckled to himself, feeling like he was getting paranoid.

How could it be this annoying guy in front of him? He seems like an empty-headed pretty face, with nothing but appearance. He is probably just one of the millions of ordinary people in New York who wanted to become actors. He is likely staying here because of his slim hopes, so he is persistent. This is the most reasonable explanation.

Ryan sighed in relief and tugged at the corner of his mouth. It seems that he had been too worked up today, even starting to have wild thoughts. He needs some peace and quiet.

With these thoughts, Ryan couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic toward this nameless actor in front of him. He reminded him of when he was just starting his acting career, aimlessly wandering around, hoping for a chance to perform, even if it was just an audition. But reality is often cruel.

So, Ryan nodded towards that guy, expressing his sympathy.

Scarlett’s gaze fell on Renly’s figure, and her eyes gradually became deeper. For some reason, she felt that it must be this guy who has gotten the role. There was no other reason, but just her intuition.

Scarlett felt that things were starting to get interesting. Although Ryan doesn’t have absolute strength, he had already made a name for himself, and he had flown from Los Angeles to New York in person for the interview, showing enough sincerity. There were almost no reasons for him to fail. But unexpectedly, the result ended up being surprising. So, what had this guy in front of her done?

Scarlett’s gaze deeply settled on that guy. She suddenly became curious about what the final product of the “Buried” will look like.

Renly stood in place, politely smiling at Ryan and Scarlett, as he watched them leave the youth hostel.

When the two of them reached the door, they suddenly stopped without warning and began to passionately kiss each other. For those who understood the context, it was definitely confusing. Why did they suddenly start kissing? But for those who didn’t know what was going on, Ryan and Scarlett, who had just come out of the youth hostel, couldn’t help but embrace passionately. Did they need an explanation?

Sure enough, two paparazzi appeared across the street, quickly pressing the shutter button to capture this moment. Renly recalled Scarlett’s teasing worlds earlier, “Haven’t you heard of something called – setting up a scene?”

Taking his eyes away, Renly saw Rodrigo standing at the entrance of the lobby, who then raised his voice and said, “Renly, can we continue the conversation we didn’t finish earlier?”

“Of course.”

T/N – Last week I got sick and a couple of days ago a problem appeared in my private life, so there were no chapters. I mean with that said, my schedule is all over the place, so you got used to that hehe.

T/N – Btw, he got the role, our boy Renly did it, lets see if this movie is going to be better that the original. Though I didn’t watch the Buried with Ryan Reynolds, for all of you that did please tell me what did you think of it.

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