From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

In the summer of 2003, the summer movie season arrived as scheduled. “Pirates of the Caribbean,” starring Johnny Depp, unexpectedly ignited a heatwave, becoming a hot topic inside and outside the industry with its sudden emergence.

However, no one expected that the popularity of another work could rival “Pirates of the Caribbean,” permeating the industry inside and out in a different way. “Spider-Man 2” once again proved its appeal.

Not only the general public, but even Hollywood insiders were no exception.

Two-thirds of Hollywood was closely watching the crew's every move: directors, producers, public relations, publicity, planning, and so on.

Of course, there were also actors.

Regardless of the size of the role, as long as they could participate in the “Spider-Man” crew, they would immediately become the envy of everyone in their circle of friends.

Then, they would say with a regretful expression, "Sorry, I signed a confidentiality agreement." This one sentence would hang expectations and curiosity in the air. What if they then added, "I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone"?

As one can imagine, all sorts of rumors flew around Hollywood.

But how much is credible and how much is exaggerated is a matter of opinion. Anyway, “everyone joining the Spider-Man crew” was becoming a trend.

Even if they didn't join the crew themselves, it would be, “I have a friend in the Spider-Man crew…” Otherwise, they would be completely behind the times—

No one wants to be out of touch.

On one side, the true and false rumors surrounding the “Spider-Man 2” crew dominated Hollywood's attention.

On the other side, the “Spider-Man 2” crew remained focused, completely isolating themselves from the outside world's noise and dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to filming.

Work progressed smoothly, even beyond imagination, like a torrent.

Originally, during the first scene of filming, Asif had repeated NGs, causing everyone to worry that this might be a bad omen, foreshadowing difficulties in the filming process. An invisible gloom quietly loomed over the crew.

However!

Reality was not like that.

After two years, the actors had grown; coupled with the tacit understanding and experience accumulated from the previous film, everyone quickly got into their roles, ensuring smooth filming without encountering any special obstacles.

Especially the core trio of the entire film, Anson, James Franco, and Kirsten Dunst, their absolute chemistry was reassuring.

Outside of the camera's view, the three people went everywhere together, talking and laughing. Anson's trailer even became the actors' daily entertainment venue. Their chemistry was full, but it wasn't just about playing around. They also often discussed the plot and the film together, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere that people yearned for.

It wasn't just the three actors themselves; they also opened their arms to other actors and staff, regardless of the size of the role or the number of scenes, purely as a small community, allowing everyone to express their views freely.

The only prerequisite was not to delay work.

Then, a small film club appeared in the “Spider-Man 2” crew.

With Anson at the center, this film club always maintained a cheerful atmosphere. During the long standby periods, they went to Anson's trailer to watch movies. The large space was packed with people.

Perhaps they participated in the discussions, perhaps they chose to listen shyly, or perhaps they were just driven by curiosity. In any case, that pure and simple enthusiasm was the greatest attraction.

Anson said, “I finally understand the joy of film festival organizers now.”

This caused a burst of laughter.

Even Sam Raimi marveled at it.

Imperceptibly, the pressure and attention that had been hanging over the crew gradually faded away, and the crew was able to focus 100% on the film's shooting. This was something Sam Raimi hadn't anticipated, and it was also the fundamental reason for the smooth progress of the filming.

Alfred Molina admitted that before joining the crew, he was full of worries and was still regretting it until the very last moment—

Should he not have taken on the role of Doctor Octopus?

Alfred Molina is a typical British actor, trained in drama school, honing his skills through stage plays, and winning attention for himself with stage play awards.

In 1978, he got a small role in an independent film and officially entered the film industry, but none of these films were officially released. It wasn't until 1981's “Raiders of the Lost Ark” that he saw his face in a movie theater for the first time.

After that, Alfred Molina had been diligently completing his work:

As a golden supporting actor.

He could be seen in films such as “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “Boogie Nights,” and “Chocolat,” but this ordinary middle-aged man, who was neither handsome nor tall, had never received the spotlight that belonged to him—

No leading roles, no supporting actor awards.

But Alfred Molina didn't complain, because he always had role invitations. He knew how many talented but unappreciated actors were buried in the entertainment industry. He was grateful that he still had work.

However, occasionally, Alfred Molina also hoped to be appreciated.

After all, acting is a job that relies on the applause of the audience. Without applause, he would just be an ordinary blue-collar worker.

Alfred Molina agreed. He needed such an opportunity.

However, Alfred Molina soon regretted it. When the attention overwhelmed him, he realized that he had clearly underestimated the topicality of “Spider-Man 2” and also underestimated the attention brought by Anson.

Facing such pressure for the first time, Alfred Molina wavered.

Moreover, aside from other things, Alfred Molina was worried about the scenes with Anson. He had been in Hollywood for more than twenty years, and he knew those spoiled vase actors—

They appear humble and low-key in front of the media, but behind the scenes, they have a different face in the crew.

That young man who couldn't legally drink alcohol was probably already spoiled, which meant that working together would be a complete disaster.

Alfred Molina began to wonder, was it worth selling himself to the devil for the sake of salary, fame, and attention?

However, Alfred Molina never expected that he would be conquered by Anson.

The charm displayed by this young man made liking him a very simple thing; at the same time, it also turned the crew's work into something to look forward to. Those annoying media reporters became insignificant, and both the on-screen and off-screen were full of challenges and fun.

Alfred Molina thought that perhaps taking on “Spider-Man 2” was the most correct decision in his career.

Originally, the “Spider-Man 2” crew had planned to spend two full weeks on the first phase of filming in New York, but in the end, it was all completed in ten days.

Everything went smoothly.

Then, the crew set off for New Jersey, preparing to begin the second phase of filming there, after which they would return to New York.