"Mr. Hall, please get in the car."
Clear and concise, swift and resolute, bearing an authority and determination that left no room for refusal. However, Renly wasn't one to easily obey orders.
"Thank you for the invitation, Mr...." Renly paused momentarily, seeming to have forgotten the name, so he used the general term "Mr." instead. "My mother told me not to get into cars with strangers." With that, Renly offered an apologetic smile, nodded slightly, and continued walking towards the direction of the bus.
Nathan was left dumbfounded, standing still in a state of confusion. Inside the car, Morgan raised an eyebrow slightly. He hadn't anticipated Renly's response, but he remained unruffled. He patted the back of the driver's seat, prompting the driver to release the handbrake. The car started moving slowly along the road and quickly caught up to Renly. Nathan hurriedly caught up as well, trailing a step behind Renly, ready to intervene at any moment.
"I thought we were friends, and hearing you refer to me as a stranger genuinely saddens me," Morgan shifted in his seat, moving closer to the door and speaking to Renly in a deliberate manner. The car continued moving slowly, forcing the vehicles behind it to slow down as well.
Morgan's words carried a subtle hint of amusement. The friendly banter, however, lacked the casual and relaxed atmosphere of friends. Instead, a sense of a calculated approach could be detected. "I came here as a friend, partly to spare you the inconvenience of public transportation, and partly because I hope we can sit down face-to-face and have a conversation. Since our last call, I've been seeking an opportunity. Unfortunately, you've been mostly absent from the United States."
With Morgan's explanation, Renly's refusal to get into the car seemed to imply that over the past three months, their inability to sit down for a conversation had been due to Renly's leisurely stay in Europe.
The corner of Renly's mouth lifted slightly. Morgan's display didn't surprise him; the person who could break through CAA's blockade was clearly not an ordinary individual.
Before Renly could respond, Morgan continued, "Frankly, you're an exceptional actor with an unimaginable future ahead of you. What you lack now is a top-tier agent. I can assure you that I can secure audition opportunities for any project you wish to be a part of." These simple words, uttered with confidence and authority, revealed Morgan's conviction and dominance. They caused Renly's steps to pause briefly.
Renly couldn't help but think of the audition for "Buried". With a top-tier agent managing him, his chances of beating Ryan Reynolds for a role would certainly increase significantly. He had been fortunate enough to secure the role this time, but what about the next time? Perhaps the next challenge wouldn't be limited to just Ryan.
Noticing Renly's momentary hesitation, Morgan seized the opportunity to press on. "If you decline to get into the car, we can go all the way like this."
Behind them, the driver's voice rang out in a string of curses. "Are you fucking kidding me? Are you playing a joke on me?" An airport was undoubtedly the busiest place in a city, and occupying lanes was absolutely prohibited. Even a slight traffic jam would affect hundreds of thousands of people.
Morgan shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "I have a whole day."
Renly stopped in his tracks and looked back at the long line of cars that had already formed a traffic jam. Many drivers were sticking their heads out of the windows, trying to figure out what was happening. He chuckled lightly, "Looks like there will be no shortage of tickets, I wonder if I'll get a court summons." With this remark, Renly was playfully poking fun at Morgan for disrupting societal order. Once the surveillance footage captured this, it would inevitably lead to a fine being issued based on the license plate.
Morgan maintained his smile without a hint of change. He shifted to the side, extending an invitation. This time, Renly didn't decline. He directly got into the car. As he turned to close the car door, he noticed Nathan catching up, relief evident on his face as he offered Renly a big smile. He closed the door and promptly took the front passenger seat.
With everything set, the car started moving again, slowly accelerating, and the congested road gradually returned to normal.
"Go ahead, what's the good news? You can tell me now," since Morgan had emphasized their "friendship", Renly felt no need to stand on ceremony. He took the initiative and struck first.
Morgan's expression turned puzzled, as if he didn't quite grasp the meaning behind Renly's words. Renly chuckled lightly, "I know there must be good news recently. Otherwise, you wouldn't have shown up here, investigating my flight back and waiting on the lane. We both know that your time is far more valuable than mine."
In contrast to Renly's gentlemanly appearance, these words were straightforward and quite rough. They skipped over social niceties and dispensed with the mask of smiles, openly addressing their interests. Morgan chuckled at this directness.
"Last week, the Emmy nominations were announced. You've been nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series. You'll be competing against Al Pacino, Jeff Bridges, Ian McKellen, and Michael Sheen," Morgan wasted no time and concisely revealed the answer.
This was undoubtedly an unexpected surprise. While Renly had expected that Morgan's willingness to come to the airport and investigate his flight's details signified good news, the revelation of an Emmy nomination far exceeded his expectations.
In the realm of American arts, there were four top-tier awards: the Tony Awards for theater, the Grammy Awards for music, the Oscars for film, and the Emmy Awards for television. These four awards were considered the pinnacle of their respective fields, and winning any of them was an unparalleled honor. They were regarded as the utmost achievement within the industry, the ultimate goal for every artist's relentless pursuit.
As these four awards were presented by four major academies, they were also referred to as the Academy Awards.
Among them, the Emmy Awards were presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, jointly organized by associations from both coasts, New York and Los Angeles. Every year, the Emmy Awards specifically recognized achievements in television programming aired on the small screen. They were divided into several categories, including drama series, comedy series, TV movies and miniseries, reality and variety shows. The awards were presented based on the principle of "quality first, ratings second". This approach propelled cable networks like HBO, AMC, and Showtime to stand out at award ceremonies, effectively driving the development of the television industry.
Compared to the increasingly commercialized Grammys and Oscars, the Emmy Awards were consistently praised by professionals for their professionalism. In contrast to the more obscure and niche Tony Awards, the Emmy Awards enjoyed a far greater level of popularity, affirmation, discussion, and attention among the general audience.
This year marked the sixty-second edition of the Emmy Awards, and the event was still highly anticipated. In the drama category, series like "Breaking Bad", "True Blood", and "Mad Men" were acclaimed and widely followed. In the comedy category, shows like "The Big Bang Theory", "Modern Family", and "30 Rock" were also popular and acclaimed.
However, in the mini-series and TV movie categories, this year was a convergence of stars, a dazzling constellation. In the Best Lead Actor category alone, four Oscar-level actors were nominated.
Among them, Al Pacino had won an Oscar for "Scent of a Woman", Jeff Bridges had recently secured an Oscar with "Crazy Heart", Ian McKellen had earned two Oscar nominations through "Gods and Monsters" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", and Michael Sheen had received three British Academy Award nominations for works like "The Queen". Each of them was a seasoned veteran in the film industry, and even the youngest among them, Michael Sheen, was already forty-one years old this year.
The list of nominees for Best Lead Actor in a mini-series or TV movie had five positions in total. Besides the four mentioned above, there was one more... Renly Hall, a fledgling actor not yet twenty-one, and "The Pacific" was his debut work.
What's more worth mentioning is that the acclaimed "Band of Brothers", often dubbed a masterpiece, swept the Emmy Awards during its time, amassing nineteen nominations and winning six awards, yet it failed to secure any acting nominations. But now, Renly had achieved it.
Renly would be competing against four other top-tier actors, including Al Pacino, the actor who had starred in numerous classic films. This... was truly inconceivable!
This wasn't to say there were no more talents to come, but it was certainly unprecedented. No wonder Morgan had traveled so far to New York and personally come to the airport, extending an olive branch.
It could be said that after the premiere of "The Pacific", which had gone through tumultuous ups and downs in terms of its reception and controversies, no one could have predicted this outcome. Though Renly had received considerable acclaim for his performance, and though there had been endless praise for him online, even from the production team "The Pacific" themselves, this was still beyond the realm of possibility, almost unbelievable.
Renly had almost shattered all impossibilities by earning his first-ever Academy Award nomination in his acting career.
A surge of excitement and exhilaration surged within him. Beyond the nomination itself, the recognition concealed behind the nomination was the most significant. Regardless of whether he was truly, as George and Elizabeth had put it, a talentless mediocrity, he had proven that his efforts, his struggles, his dedication had been acknowledged. Perhaps he wasn't a genius, but he still had the potential to become an outstanding actor.
His emotions swelled uncontrollably for a moment. Renly couldn't hide his astonishment in his eyes, but soon, it transformed into a smile. He humorously remarked, "Wow, I didn't foresee an answer like this." Renly looked at Morgan and casually lifted his lower jaw, "Seems like I did a good job, don't you think?"
Facing Renly's confident yet not mocking words, Morgan returned a smile, "Indeed, you did well."