The Best Director-Chapter 472 - : The Miraculous Yang Battles the Pink Group

Chapter 472: Chapter 472: The Miraculous Yang Battles the Pink Group

“Annie, what energy do you think you can bring to the film?”

As seagulls soared against the blue sky, the audition at the Flame headquarters continued, but Wang Yang was facing a somewhat thorny situation. Anne Hathaway, undoubtedly one of the most outstanding and confident young actresses of her era, had not been cowed by his intimidation tactics. The methods that previously knocked out Alexis and Emily had failed.

“Positive energy.” Sitting in the chair in front of him, Hathaway’s smile was radiant. Her lips spread wide, showcasing dazzling white teeth as she laughed and said, “I will shape my character according to the role’s description in the script, the director’s requirements, and the film’s tone. If the movie needs a warm and sunny psychologist, then that’s what I’ll be; if it needs someone deep and cold, then I’ll be just that. I believe I’m up to the role.”

Seeing Wang Yang’s calm face, Hathaway’s smile grew even brighter. She couldn’t help but recall the time when she was 17, auditioning for “Leah” in “Juno”, when she accidentally tripped over a chair and fell to the ground. Wang Yang had smiled and comforted her. Although he was very serious today, with a stern face and tricky questions, she still found the experience warm and fun. Regardless, she was determined to win the role today!

Hathaway certainly was full of confidence. She had taken leave from her current filming schedule to come early—how could she not be serious and assured? Since her screen debut with “Juno,” Juno had become a national icon, and Leah was not far behind. The title of “Juno’s friend” hadn’t lasted long before she became a “Princess”.

Over the years, Hathaway had starred in “The Princess Diaries”, “Beyond Paradise”, “Young Master Returns”, “The Cat Returns” (voice acting), “Magic Cinderella”, “The Princess Diaries 2”, “Damsels in Distress”, “Red Hat” (voice acting), “Brokeback Mountain”, and was currently shooting “Becoming Jane Austen”. She was already a global sensation, with no shortage of offers for various types of roles, let alone a minor supporting role. What she wanted was to return to the magical set of Yang’s films.

As one of the core members of the “Wang Yang Gang”, Hathaway didn’t want to become a peripheral member. On one hand, the “Wang Yang Gang” was in the limelight, but more importantly, having transformed from an ordinary girl to a big star, her admiration for the magical director hadn’t changed; acting under his direction was an exhilarating experience.

“OK.” Wang Yang spoke lightly, nodding his head. Regardless of the role, confidence was key, and actors needed such an unstoppable will. Of course, ability was another matter, but he knew that Hathaway could really deliver on her promise—as “The Princess Diaries” and the upcoming “Rachel Getting Married” fully proved.

Was he going to make his move? Nancy understood that if tough questions weren’t asked, Hathaway might leave with her characteristic wide smile. Just as expected, Wang Yang immediately went for a powerful probing question. He suddenly asked, “What do you think about the nature of good and evil in humanity?”

“Uhm…” Hathaway was taken aback, her large eyes fixed. Was pondering these issues necessary for this role? Wang Yang continued, “Pretend I’m Chan Wing Yan, Dr. Hathaway, I’m asking you.” Hathaway was still puzzled; she had no lines for this, so did she have to improvise? How should she respond? Thinking it over, Hathaway spoke, “I think this topic is too broad… like my brother is gay, but the church thinks that’s bad… but I know him, what has he done wrong? He’s kind, personable, and they are truly in love, so… good and evil in humanity are complex, it depends on how we view it.”

Great! The interviewers, including Cally, couldn’t help but smile, despite their confusion about why Yang would ask such a question. However, Hathaway responded fluently. Oh no! Nancy couldn’t help but twist the loose hair at her forehead—it had backfired! The sharp-tongued Hathaway had broken through Yang’s challenging question!

He had been careless! Hearing her composed response, Wang Yang immediately smiled, uncertain whether to be happy or frustrated. He truly had been careless, as he should not have started with standard questions for her; after all, Hathaway was eloquent! Not having gone with enough tough questions, the smooth sailing with Alexis and Emily had made him complacent, yet Hathaway was SSS tier! Wang Yang thought for a moment and then smiled, “Well said, even though you didn’t quite grasp the root of Chan’s agony. Hm! Annie, try acting now.” Now that Hathaway was unstoppable, his only chance to regain ground was during the acting portion.

The audition room’s door opened, and Hewitt, Scarlett, Natalie, and Natalie Portman all looked over as Hathaway emerged with a faint smile on her face—not like someone who had messed up—which made everyone start to wonder, how did Hathaway perform?

Not very well, but not too poorly either. That was Hathaway’s own assessment. She had performed well during the Q&A portion; she believed that Wang Yang and the others could see her understanding and confidence in the role, the story, and the film. However, when it came to the acting, her emotional investment had been lacking, just like Yang had commented, “You’re acting like Anne Hathaway.” It was probably just an average portrayal. Recalling the reason she messed up, Hathaway felt helpless—Yang kept looking at her with a sunny smile while she was supposed to be imagining a patient suffering from pain and hardship. She had been affected by this! It was frustrating.

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Is this what they call being rigorous? After so many auditions, it was the first time she encountered a chief interviewer who would smile so brightly. Braidel and Bronte had conveyed the wrong message! Hathaway pursed her lips, whom could she blame? Her own performance was lacking, and Wang Yang’s words still echoed in her ears, “As can be anticipated, the shoot will be very tense, you must be able to quickly enter into the emotion while staying minimally affected.” She hadn’t handled it well.

“Wang Yang is not as serious as I imagined, but… dangerous!” Looking at these women, Hathaway didn’t mind offering a small hint after all, since Yang was too “terrifying” today. She would wait for the results, and was looking forward to watching everyone’s audition tapes to see who could satisfy Wang Yang. With a grin, Hathaway said, “Good luck to you all.”

After Hathaway left, Hewitt rose and walked into the audition room. The three sitting stars had their own thoughts, yet seemed to share the same one. If Alexis and Emily were just “minor roles,” then themselves, together with Hathaway, Rachel, Dunst, and Jessica, represented the highest level of actresses in Hollywood for their generation, both in terms of popularity and acting—although strictly speaking, Jessica could be excluded from the acting proficiency list. Now, even Hathaway couldn’t secure a minor role? What exactly was Wang Yang looking for?

Seeing the sweet-smiling Jennifer Love Hewitt, visions of the 1998 “High School Musical” auditions flashed before Wang Yang’s eyes. Everyone was so young back then, and many years had passed. But now was not the time for nostalgia!

Dealing with Hewitt was not as challenging as overcoming Hathaway had been; her ambition wasn’t as strong, but her agent had recommended that “Li Xin’er” was a character very suited for her, in all aspects. So, she signed up for the audition, and as more competitors joined, the situation evolved beyond her expectations.

In recent years, Hewitt’s silver screen career had been unspectacular; her main job was starring in the CBS series “Ghost Whisperer” and she was also one of its producers. Being cast in a Wang Yang film would not only fulfill a long-standing regret but also give her much exposure. The American version of “Infernal Affairs” might even be an Oscar contender! That would paint a brilliant stroke for her future film career.

However, it seemed that the regret would continue. Although Hewitt left the audition room with a smile, she was actually feeling terrible and dejected—she had messed up! Her laughable performance was like that of a newbie at her first audition, completely swayed by the magical Yang, and then not knowing what she had responded with—gracious and proper, yet as ordinary as a passerby. And then, there was the acting segment… To her surprise, Yang still remembered the song she sang years ago when auditioning for “Gabriella” and even complimented a few words about “Ghost Whisperer.” Perhaps that was the only thing to be happy about.

“What energy do you think you can bring to this film?”

Sitting in the interview chair inside the audition room at this moment was Scarlett Johansson. After several off-topic questions, Wang Yang suddenly asked this critical one, prompting Scarlett to start pondering immediately.

Having been famous from a young age, Scarlett certainly wasn’t someone Wang Yang had discovered. Her breakthrough role was in Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation,” but the work that marked her departure from a child star image was “Sweetheart,” crafted by Wang Yang. Afterwards, her commercial films like “Out of This World” and “Escape from Clone Island” were all flops. When Scarlett first met Wang Yang, she was only 17 years old. Over the years, their friendship had been good, and just earlier that year, Wang Yang had “saved the damsel in distress” on the Golden Globe red carpet, so she considered herself part of “Wang Yang’s Gang.”

But are there any perks for being a member of Wang Yang’s team? No. How many people today are not members of Wang Yang’s group, even more core and deeply connected?

She had already answered the previous questions poorly, looking like a fool with no deep understanding of the story of “Infernal Affairs.” Scarlett wouldn’t allow herself to mess up further. The moment this thought arose, she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. Without any pretense, she admired Wang Yang the most. Even though he wore a wedding ring on his ring finger, no one attracted her like he did—his talent, maturity, humor… She would punch that boring guy right onto the red carpet!

Of course, Scarlett knew that surpassing friendship was impossible, at least for now. It wasn’t that she couldn’t live without the magical Wang Yang; sometimes, she was just jealous of Jessie’s happiness. But she truly wanted to collaborate with him once! To hear his direction on set, to witness his talent and elegance.

Who knew where the next opportunity would be if she lost this one? Even though Wang Yang made films quickly, it didn’t mean there would always be a suitable role for her, especially after Jessica’s comeback; after a few big productions, everyone was middle-aged. How could she never really have collaborated with him in her youth? It would be a lifelong regret!

“What’s the matter?” Wang Yang prompted, unaware of the many thoughts that had flashed through her mind in just a few seconds. Seeing Scarlett struggling to find words, he encouraged her with a hint of confusion, “Just speak your mind.”

“I think I need to bring out my own charm and the charm of the character, who will be a beautiful psychologist,” Scarlett replied with a smile, her sexy and captivating demeanor in front of the camera being the charm itself. She felt there was no need to explain her acting skills. Four Golden Globe nominations said it all.

However, Wang Yang furrowed his brows and asked calmly, “So this is your greatest understanding of a psychologist? And you think your greatest strength is beauty?” Regardless of their awareness, Nancy and the other interviewers had already gotten used to his aggressive tone today. But Scarlett was caught off guard by his probing, and she hesitated, “Oh… Psychologists are always beautiful. What I mean is… They have a special glow about them.”

“OK.” Wang Yang nodded ambiguously, giving a talk, “Scarlett, I hope you’re not referring to the beauty in terms of appearance and temperament. Those are about makeup, photography, directing… other people’s jobs, not the actor’s. If when you’re acting, you’re always thinking about ‘my charm,’ and the whole crew is thinking, ‘how can we make Scarlett look better?’ then all you’ll impress people with is sexiness and beauty. Next question…”

Not minding being reprimanded in public, Scarlett felt her heart hammered. Her thoughts became jumbled, and though she tried to grasp at something, it eluded her. She still complained about not having an Oscar nomination after four attempts. Why do you have to play ugly or evil characters to get an Oscar nomination, an Oscar for Best Actress? But now… Was she really lacking something? As a Jewish woman, she couldn’t find excuses elsewhere. Look at Natalie!

Scarlett could hardly hear what Wang Yang was saying as she suddenly plunged into a quandary. Was she showing too much of herself on the screen? Everyone praised her for being “sexy, glamorous, beautiful, a Monroe…” and then she’d become complacent and exploit that further?

Taking advantage of Scarlett’s distraction, Wang Yang pressed on, stirring her into a state of turmoil. By the time they reached the performance stage, even Scarlett’s smile seemed unnatural. After Wang Yang said several times, “Don’t be nervous, just be natural,” she gradually got into the groove. But how did she perform overall? Just from seeing Scarlett’s expressionless face the moment she turned to leave the audition room, it was clear—she had botched it!

“Sigh!” Scarlett sighed deeply to herself. She had no thoughts at the moment, just a desire to have a good meal and then ponder the revelation Wang Yang had given her. She didn’t want the only thing she impressed people with to be sexiness and beauty.

Is this the so-called ruthlessness of charming women? As one beautiful woman after another left in disappointment, Nancy was somewhat perplexed. Was she supposed to revel in schadenfreude or feel sympathy? When she turned her head and saw Wang Yang with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, trying to suppress a smile, she couldn’t help but mutter, “This guy is really mean.” But his words weren’t nonsense either; otherwise, how could they have been so affected? It was just too cruel to see people come in happy and leave sad. Fortunately, it seemed she hadn’t participated much…

Because those questions were hardly used by him, Nancy gave Wang Yang a look and whispered softly, “It seems I’m the one who screwed up.” Everyone else was in the dark, Wang Yang just shrugged, and a trace of menace flickered in his eyes, “Not necessarily.” There were still two formidable women this morning who were at each other’s throats, their competitive spirit, strength, confidence, obstinacy… they were not so easy to deal with and were probably the most challenging in this bunch, Keira Knightley & Natalie Portman.

Since Scarlett went in for the audition, the atmosphere in the reception room had become eerily tense to the extreme, so quiet as if no one was present. In fact, on each of the sofas sat a beautiful woman.

Both women were each engrossed in their smartphones, truly having nothing to say to each other, yet forced to stay together. They were not antisocial individuals nor did they have deep hatred for each other; otherwise, they would have been clawing and pulling each other’s hair by now, and those with bald or short hair would have an advantage. Sending off a text message, Natalie raised her head and smiled, “Hmm… Keira, we haven’t seen each other in a long time.” Hearing this, Natalie looked up and chuckled, speaking with a British accent, “Not that long, right? We saw each other at the Oscars and the Golden Globes, didn’t we?”

“Haha, that’s right!” Natalie laughed heartily. Her acting was truly refined and otherworldly, her face beaming with joy, yet inside she snorted in disdain, thinking how bad-tempered and flat-chested Keira was! The thing she could not stand the most about Keira was exactly this. Anyway, she could lose to anyone today, but not to Keira! Of course, she was going to win. Didn’t he just want to seize the initiative in public discourse by holding a stringent audition? It was like playing the expert with Guan Yu or talking psychology to a psychiatrist! Youth might intimidate others, but not her.

“Heh!” Keira only smiled and did not reply. Her acting was equally profound, and she inwardly snorted. When had she ever liked Natalie? Clearly a haughty individual who pretended to be down-to-earth and yet flat-chested! It was as if she was always being made to seem like she was learning from Natalie in every regard. Today, she could lose to anyone else, but not to Natalie! Of course, she would be the ultimate winner. Did she need a reason? She was Keira Knightley, and that was reason enough.

“We haven’t had a proper chat last time,” Natalie added another comment. Keira nodded and said, “Yeah, those kinds of occasions are always so noisy, and everyone behaves so cautiously…” Natalie laughed aloud, clearly intrigued, “I agree, everyone feels that way, yet we still act the same, strange isn’t it?” Was she implying “Aren’t you the same?” Keira chuckled and asked, “Can’t you figure it out? What kind of psychology is that?”

Snap, a whiff of gunpowder suddenly appeared! Natalie clearly understood that the other was joking about her psychology degree. She pursed her lips and laughed, “I’m planning to leave the answer in the audition room, haha.” Keira too jokingly said, “I’m planning to leave it on the film set, hehe.”

The two laughed for a while, then went back to playing with their phones, their heads down, not continuing their subtle jabs at each other, occasionally making offhand remarks.

Until Scarlett walked out expressionlessly and they heard her farewell, her subdued “Good luck to you.” They knew then, another one was done! This meant…

“…” Keira put away her phone and stood up, her footsteps steady as she walked towards the audition room. No matter what, just do your best! “Good luck,” Natalie said with a smile at that moment. Keira turned her head, smiled back, and said, “Thank you.” (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)