From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“I might look like an idiot for believing in myself, but trust me, I know I have eyes.”

“But… I’m trying, trying to be myself.”

Lowering his voice, he muttered a little self-deprecating remark, then lightly shrugged his shoulders, exhaled a long breath, and his brow and expression gradually relaxed.

Anson was still Anson, but the vivid micro-expressions firmly grabbed attention; this was an Anson Reese had never seen before.

People are always subjective—

All along, Reese felt her efforts were never seen; she diligently and practically prepared for roles, but was always ignored, smeared, and criticized, her entire effort dismissed with a simple phrase like “blonde bombshell,” ultimately relying on her looks to gain attention.

Outsiders often speak without knowing the pain, “With looks, why bother with talent?”

The problem is, if all you have is looks and nothing else, how long can you last? What should the soul beneath this skin do?

And now, Reese was treating Anson the same way.

Realizing this, Reese felt slightly embarrassed, her gaze flickering away.

Anson, however, seemed oblivious, naturally filling the silent void Reese had left, “Earlier this year, I went to Europe with a group of friends to perform on the streets.”

“That’s when I realized that hitting the road with a guitar on your back isn't easy; life is always a hustle, even more so.”

“But now, those experiences can help, which is a real surprise.”

“One key takeaway from the first half of the year is: don’t be shy.”

“We always worry about other people’s opinions, subconsciously tying our hands because of what others think; but in fact, we’re not that important. Others might not even notice, and even if they do, they're just passersby and have nothing to do with our lives.”

“So, even though I might look like a madman right now, I don’t mind.”

Reese looked slightly stunned—

In Anson’s words, the experience with the August 31st band was glossed over so lightly?

Those who didn't know might actually think Anson just casually performed a few shows on the streets of Europe; but who doesn't know August 31st?

Looking at Anson’s sincere face, Reese couldn’t control herself, and the corners of her mouth gently curved upwards.

Anson noticed, so he didn’t continue to dwell on himself, looking at Reese, “I heard you visited the Carter family.”

Although Reese's collaboration with the production team was still in the negotiation stage, she had been very proactive, showing a strong interest.

After reading the script, Reese contacted June Carter’s children through her agent and sat down with them to seriously discuss June Carter, hoping to find some inspiration for her performance from June Carter's closest family members.

The biggest difference from other biopics is that “Walk the Line” was actively promoted by both parties, and the script was mainly based on Johnny Cash’s own memoirs, so the film crew received full cooperation from both families.

She heard that Reese had a wonderful time with the Carter family.

Anson’s words were not an inquiry or a question, but a form of conversation, a form of exchange, and Reese naturally entered the state.

“No, not the Carter family. To be precise, it should be June's children. Her three marriages produced three children, all of whom are musicians.”

“It’s very, very sad, Rosie passed away last week in a traffic accident. I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to visit them at this time, but they still warmly welcomed me.”

“Especially John—John is June and Johnny’s son. He said they’ve suffered too many blows this year and desperately need something to change the mood, and maybe this movie finally getting made is the best gift to commemorate their parents.”

April, June Carter.

September, Johnny Cash.

October, June Carter's daughter from her second marriage.

As John Carter Cash said, their family had already had enough bad news this year.

Anson also seemed a little wistful, although he hadn't met any of the three people above, and they were complete strangers, he still couldn't help but sigh, “We never know which will come first, accidents or tomorrow, so the only thing we can grasp is this moment, right?”

Reese paused slightly, giving Anson another look.

Clearly, Anson had already brought enough surprises today.

A beat later, Reese realized that discussing this matter in front of a stranger seemed inappropriate; moreover, they had just been at odds with each other.

Wait, had they had a tense confrontation? Why couldn't she remember it at all now?

And…

Reese looked slightly embarrassed.

She and June Carter’s children met, and the main point they came up with was that the size of her upper body should be larger—

Still the appearance, the superficial, the shallow, the obvious, an explicit feature.

And Anson?

Skipping the simple superficial study of appearance, starting from the music, truly understanding the soul and depth of the character, even trying to grasp the atmosphere and context of the era, looking for the root of the character's state, glimpsing the character's situation and position in the context of the era.

Her efforts, her research, her pride, all paled in comparison to Anson.

As a result, she had excitedly run over to condemn Anson as a pretty face, a collaboration between pretty faces that might distract the audience and critics?

Standing in front of Anson, Reese felt her own insignificance like never before.

Her smile slowly froze on her lips, her eyes slightly averted.

However, Anson didn't.

Anson still looked at Reese generously, “Just like makeup and styling, only when the appearance is in the right state can the performance enter the right state.”

“Nicole Kidman’s fake nose in ‘The Hours’ is like that, right?”

Reese nodded blankly, those anxieties, those embarrassments, those disappointments, quietly dissipated, and her mood brightened up again.

“Yes.” Reese nodded, “I think so too. Although these are small details, they are important for actors to get into character.”

“So, after the meeting, the first thing I did when I got back was to find my stylist and carefully study June Carter’s look when she was young, her style of dress and her lifestyle habits.”

“Can you believe it? In many of June’s looks, although she wouldn't deliberately hide it, she also didn't deliberately show it off. I think she probably didn't care much for the showy culture of the past.”