From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

#173 - The finale

The auditions have begun.

One by one, they went in, according to the order they arrived.

The time spent inside varied, some as short as fifteen minutes, others as long as twenty-five minutes.

The differences were obvious, but there was no apparent reason, no pattern, and no clues.

The actors showed different expressions after finishing their auditions.

It was just like taking an exam.

The student who always ranked last in the class felt great after the exam, thinking they had answered exceptionally well, and started planning their vacation as soon as they walked out the door.

The top student in the class, however, felt terrible after the exam, constantly repeating that they hadn't studied and had messed up this time, immediately starting to compare answers with classmates.

It was impossible to judge what was happening inside based solely on their expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

With rustling sounds, Anson and Heath exchanged glances every time an actor came out.

They didn't speak, but they communicated with their eyes, creating a sense of ease like munching on sunflower seeds in the tense, suffocating atmosphere, banishing all the random thoughts in their minds.

The waiting time didn't feel so unbearable.

Then, it was Heath's turn.

Heath took a long breath and gave Anson a salute.

"I'll be right back."

After saying that, he turned around and strode away with a flourish.

This left Joe Manganiello, who had just come out with a beaming face, confused.

He blinked at Anson, the words stuck in his throat.

Creak.

Heath had only been inside for a little over ten minutes when the door opened again, and then they saw Heath's face, full of ease and nonchalance.

What was going on?

Anson lowered his voice, not hiding his surprise.

"So fast?"

Heath raised his right index finger and gently waved it, revealing a serious expression.

"How can you say that to a man so casually? Not good, not good."

Seeing Heath in the mood to joke, Anson also relaxed.

"It's like I care.

I couldn't care less."

Heath's smile fully bloomed, and he grinned silently.

His comfortable appearance made it seem like he had just been chatting with friends instead of auditioning.

Not a single drop of sweat was on his forehead.

He walked lightly, his shoulders relaxed, and he stepped forward to shake hands with Anson, then bumped his shoulder.

Heath patted Anson's shoulder.

"Good luck."

Then, Heath had already started walking away, unhurried, leaving Anson standing in place, a smile creeping onto his lips.

Without further hesitation, Anson picked up his backpack, casually slung it over his shoulder, and pushed open the conference room door, entering this mysterious room.

In fact, the room was very ordinary, a square rehearsal room.

Facing the street was a floor-to-ceiling glass window, directly opposite a wall of mirrors, and four long tables were placed with their backs to the window, with a few figures scattered around.

They were all sitting with their backs to the light, hiding the expressions on their faces in the shadows, ensuring that the auditionees could not see their eyes but were fully exposed to their sight.

A simple arrangement, but it hid a hidden mechanism, exerting pressure from a psychological level.

This was Anson's first time participating in this type of audition, a public audition.

It wasn't that previous auditions were not public, but that multiple interviewers and multiple competitors were all gathered together, conducting auditions one after another at the same time.

For both parties, they could directly see different faces and form a clear comparison, so the entire competitive atmosphere was completely different.

Previously, four actors had already appeared one after another, and now it was Anson's turn, the last one.

Whether the expectations were raised or they were exhausted and lost focus, it was a challenge for Anson, an unexpected challenge.

—Not the finale, but the grand finale.

"The highlight of the finale" is well known, but few people know that after the finale, there is actually a grand finale, which is the closing of the entire day's performance.

These terms all originate from Peking Opera.

In the old days, theaters performed daytime shows, starting at twelve o'clock and continuing until six o'clock in the evening.

There were many programs, generally divided into three sections:

The first three acts were performed by new actors or students;

The middle three acts were slightly more brilliant;

The last three acts were the most popular.

The last act of each three-act section was called the "axis"—

The first axis, the middle axis, the grand axis.

Therefore, the second-to-last act was called the "finale."

So, why do people often say that the most exciting and best-looking performance is the finale and not the grand finale?

This also comes from Peking Opera tradition.

The show organizers always put the best singing performance, that is, the play of the troupe's pillar actors, in the second-to-last of the third section.

The reason is related to tradition.

When the last grand finale appeared, it was basically an all-martial arts play, taking up a quarter of an hour.

Most opera connoisseurs and dignitaries would stand up and leave the theater when they saw the grand finale.

That is to say, when the grand finale appeared, the coachmen would start harnessing the carriages, putting the mules on the shafts, and preparing the sedan chairs to wait for the master to leave the theater.

Many spectators had already left before the end of the show.

Therefore, the grand finale was also called the "farewell play"; while the truly good-looking play was the second to last, which was the finale.

The grand finale is not necessarily a good thing.

Right now?

Heath Ledger was the finale, and Anson was the grand finale.

After experiencing the auditions of four people with four different styles, plus the first batch of auditions that had already ended, these interviewers should have seen countless actors.

Whether they were expecting or disappointed, everyone should have formed their own feelings and opinions, and the following auditions would naturally be different.

So, would Anson, this grand finale, also become a "farewell play"?

The pressure accumulated bit by bit.

However, Anson was not nervous.

To be precise, he was nervous, especially when he saw Heath coming out early, disrupting his expectations and plans, his heart beating even faster; however, the moment his hand grasped the doorknob, all emotions were thrown to the back of his mind, entering a state, regaining calm and reason.

Even, there was a little excitement.

After all, the auditions for "Friends" and "The Princess Diaries" were different from what he had imagined.

Only today did Anson experience the audition in "La La Land."

The entire atmosphere and environment were completely different, and the audition content was naturally different.

Although unknown, the unknown represented difficulty but also represented infinite possibilities.

The stimulation brought by the new challenge caused adrenaline to start spurting.

Open the door, push the door—

Anson went in.

Sam Raimi was observing Anson.

Squinting with sleepy eyes, his face without any expression, he seemed to be wandering in his mind, but those dead fish eyes were completely focused.

Staring, sizing up, observing…

Then.