From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Anson… …"

"Anson!"

The round-faced man shouted several times in succession, but was drowned in cheers and laughter, unable to convey his message for a long time. He finally managed to catch Anson's attention.

Anson was slightly surprised to see a completely unfamiliar face on set, but he reacted quickly. He stepped forward, using his body as a shield to block a bucket of water for the round-faced man. Turning his head, he shouted, "Hey, be careful not to hurt the flowers and plants."

Having fun is fine, but hurting the innocent is not good.

And right now, that was the case.

Instinctively, the white-haired man took a step forward, squeezed in front of the round-faced man, and interrupted the conversation with an urgency he didn't even realize he possessed, "Do you know Johnny Cash?"

Anson could sense the oncoming aggression. He didn't answer immediately, but sized up the white-haired man, still maintaining his smile, "Sorry, I can't help you. We don't have a Johnny Cash on our crew, at least, I have no idea who that is, but you can ask…"

"No." The white-haired man interrupted Anson, "No, not just any Johnny Cash. In America, there is only one Johnny Cash."

Anson raised his eyebrows slightly, searching his memory.

From the man's words, he could tell that this Johnny Cash must be a celebrity; but unfortunately, Anson's mind was blank—

After all, he wasn't an encyclopedia.

Despite being slightly impolite, Anson gently shook his head and spread his hands, "Sorry, I still can't help you. Are you sure you don't need anyone else's help?"

These words immediately made the white-haired man lose his composure, standing blankly in place, both surprised and bewildered. Inadvertently, one could even see a hint of anger, but he didn't explode. Instead, he laughed in extreme anger, revealing a strange smile.

In a short second, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were all written on his face, undergoing a transformation.

The round-faced man stood aside, scratching his head, looking at Anson, then at the white-haired man, his words becoming incoherent with anxiety, "We came to find you. You, Anson Wood."

Things were moving a bit too fast, and very abruptly.

So, what exactly was going on? Was this some kind of scam? Or some kind of prank show?

If the location were different, Anson might need to leave as soon as possible to ensure his safety. But this was Sony Columbia's studio in Los Angeles. There were at least six film crews working around them, and anyone who could enter the studio should be in the industry, so Anson wasn't in a hurry to leave.

In his mind, Anson's first guess was "prank show."

For viewers ten or twenty years later, they would be overwhelmed by the variety of entertainment programs, and some old-fashioned program formats would have long disappeared. But during this time at the turn of the millennium, prank shows that deliberately created surprises and accidents were very popular.

Pranking actors or singers, pranking passersby, secretly filming reactions to pranks in a documentary style—these kinds of programs had unparalleled popularity. Moreover, to ensure the effect of the prank, the production team would often communicate with the agent, concealing it from the artist.

Given the current situation, Anson had reason to believe that this must be arranged by Edgar. So, what program was it?

Anson remained patient, "So, are you planning to discuss work matters with me? You can contact my agent, he should be on set today…"

The round-faced man also knew that things were a mess right now. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, "Sorry, Anson, please forgive our abruptness."

"I, uh, I'm James Mangold, director. I have a project that I'd like to discuss with you."

"I know, I know, we should contact your agent. Believe me, I know how Hollywood works; but before we start formal discussions with your agent, we'd like to talk to you face-to-face. Maybe you can give us five minutes, we just need the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee."

Wait, it wasn't a prank show?

This was embarrassing.

James Mangold, director.

Director of "Girl, Interrupted" and "Identity." The former earned Angelina Jolie her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress; the latter was released earlier this year. Although its box office performance didn't explode the market, it was very popular in the DVD market and was hailed as a low-budget sci-fi classic.

Of course, James Mangold's most famous film should be "Logan," released in 2017. This film completely subverted the stereotypical superhero movie, vividly portraying the struggle of an aging Wolverine, and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Very, very few people know that James Mangold came from a traditional academic background. Early in his career, he was spotted by Disney, signed with Disney, and created countless animated scripts for Disney. This became the starting point of his career, and he only switched to directing at the age of thirty-two.

Perhaps James Mangold isn't a well-known and successful director. His talent seems to be constrained by his academic background and hasn't been fully unleashed. But without a doubt, he is a traditional director full of passion and enthusiasm for film.

Moreover, this director's greatest characteristic is that, no matter what type of work, he is good at exploring the inner world of characters and relies heavily on the actor's performance.

Anson was particularly familiar with this director's name. "Identity," which was released earlier this year, was a personal favorite independent sci-fi work of Anson's; but James Mangold wasn't high-profile, and Anson couldn't connect the face with the name for a moment.

Until the director introduced himself.

Then, the unexpected came crashing in.

Anson's expression was a little awkward, and he didn't hide his awkwardness. He didn't give up, grasping at the last glimmer of hope, "Sorry, isn't this some kind of prank show?"