"Nervous?" Rami nudged Renly's shoulder, his face brimming with anxiety. It seemed he was more excited than the actual nominee.
Renly chuckled softly. "Nervous," he admitted, spreading his hands. "But there's not much I can do."
His candid and inexperienced demeanor caught Rami off guard, and he burst into laughter. Even Merritt on the other side couldn't help but smile warmly.
Renly wouldn't deny that he was indeed nervous. His emotions were stretched taut, like a slowly drawn bow, growing increasingly tense and full, yet the arrow had not been released.
Surprisingly, compared to watching the presentation of other awards earlier, the nervousness had somewhat diminished. Having observed others all along and suddenly finding himself in the spotlight, he felt a sudden relaxation in his state of mind. Regardless of who the winner would be, the results were finally going to be revealed. The weight that had been resting heavily in his heart was finally about to lift. It was like Hugh Laurie, even in defeat, the torment would at least come to an end.
However, even with this, the intermittent unease and the brief gap before the announcement still made his palms sweaty.
In reality, Renly knew his chances tonight were slim, to be precise, extremely remote.
Among the five nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, Michael Sheen from "The Special Relationship" and Ian McKellen from"The Prisoner" could be considered the first to be eliminated. The projects they appeared in were generally lacking in overall strength. They lacked the necessary attention and spotlight. Even in Ian's case, people were content with his fifth nomination, a commendation for being nominated for the second consecutive year. His performance in Prisoner was not seen as award-worthy.
Jeff Bridges from "A Dog Year" was unique because the quality of the project itself was rather ordinary. However, Jeff's profile had surged over the past year. "Crazy Heart" had almost swept the entire awards season that had just concluded. It was as if three decades of reputation and guilt had surged forth. People seemed to vote for him without even needing to watch his work. This was his biggest card in the race for the Emmy.
Purely in terms of performance, Renly from "The Pacific" and Al from "You Don't Know Jack" were indeed in a league of their own.
Since the premiere of "The Pacific", controversies about the show had never subsided. Praise for Renly's performance was unceasing. Although it couldn't be said that Renly single-handedly saved the entire show, his performance truly brought the director's and writer's intentions to life. He filled in the missing piece of the puzzle, elevating the series. This was beyond doubt. His delicate, profound, and seemingly effortless performance was truly remarkable.
Earning an Emmy nomination for "The Pacific", a war drama centered around an ensemble cast and spectacular scenes, itself spoke volumes about industry professionals' recognition and praise for Renly.
However, every coin has two sides. Despite the strong reputation, outstanding quality, brilliant ensemble cast, and solid performance, the constraints of "The Pacific" itself, along with Renly's status as a 20-year-old newcomer, were like insurmountable barriers. These were shackles preventing him from winning his first Emmy award. Moreover, competing mini-series against TV movies was akin to measuring TV acting against movie acting, which inherently favored the latter.
Given these circumstances, Al Pacino, with his strong reputation, exceptional quality, and remarkable ensemble, was the undisputed frontrunner for the award. This was not surprising. The only question was whether Jeff Bridges could capitalize on his recent success, securing the Emmy after the Oscars.
Renly was acutely aware of this fact. This was his first nomination, and that in itself was a significant accolade. Attending the awards ceremony was mainly about participation, yet the nerves still managed to cause his muscles to tense, as if a dozen tiny people were causing chaos in his stomach. When the presenter, Tina Fey, stepped onto the stage, Renly let out a long breath, doing his best to calm his state of mind. Although his heart continued to pound fiercely against his chest, so intense that it caused a slight ache, he finally managed to regain his breathing rhythm.
With Tina's brief introduction, the big screen displayed images of the five nominees. Renly noticed a suspended camera descending from the ceiling. Far away, it aimed at him among the other four nominees. Not only was Renly's position towards the rear, but he was also in the middle, which seemed quite awkward. This small detail seemed to imply that NBC, responsible for broadcasting and seating arrangements, wasn't optimistic about Renly's chances of winning.
Renly restrained the corners of his mouth, attempting to form a serious and handsome expression, showcasing his elegance and composure. It was like how he had seen Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise do at the Oscars. However, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his own slightly stiff face on the big screen. It looked quite ridiculous and unfamiliar, and he couldn't hold back a chuckle. His lips curved upwards, and the brilliance of his youth slowly sank from his mouth to his eyes, creating ripples.
Hope Bates, sitting at the square entrance, accurately captured this moment. Unable to contain her excitement, she screamed outright, pointing at Renly's smile blooming on the big screen. She couldn't utter a single word, just screamed incessantly.
William and Graham next to her missed this scene. Following Hope's line of sight to the big screen, they realized that the director had already switched the camera angle. They were puzzled and asked Hope what was going on, but Hope couldn't form any words. She just screamed, "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Her feet continued to jump in place, releasing her inner excitement and exhilaration. Tears welled up in her eyes, but even so, the shouts didn't stop.
Rami also noticed Renly's change. He couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Lowering his voice, he said, "Did you just break into laughter?"
Renly pressed his lips together, finding it even funnier the more he thought about it. Laughter overflowed from his eyes. Rami was even more delighted. "Now the whole of America has seen it, you're in trouble." His schadenfreude couldn't be concealed.
Renly, however, shook his head with conviction. "The director quickly switched the camera angle. Nobody will pay attention." Even if he was seen, he was just an unknown figure. No one would care.
Outside the door, Hope was still screaming, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
The introduction of the five nominees had ended. Tina didn't pause; she opened the envelope directly. Facing the microphone, she announced, "The 62nd Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie goes to..." She drew the card from inside the envelope. There was a momentary silence in the room. All eyes focused on Al and Jeff, the two veteran actors. Tina scanned the writing on the card, then raised her head, revealing a meaningful smile. "Renly Hall, "The Pacific"."
Wait, who's the winner again?
Renly Hall—yes, that was his name. So, he had won? Renly was momentarily stunned. How did he suddenly win? Before various emotions could surge within him, Rami leaped up and shouted, "Renly! Renly! Renly!" The frenzied shouts reached him, and then Rami gave Renly a big hug. "Buddy, you won, buddy!" Rami was incredibly excited, even more excited than Renly. Tears of excitement shimmered in his eyes, like a calf's eyes brimming with tears.
At that moment, Renly finally comprehended. He had won.
Emotions surged forth suddenly. All of this felt too unreal, like a beautiful dream. Everything wonderful had happened. He had earned his chance in "The Pacific", embarked on the path of his acting dream, received the validation of his nomination... And now, he had secured his first award in his acting career, an Emmy Award, one of the top four awards in the United States.
He had proved himself as an outstanding actor through his talent, effort, and struggle. He had demonstrated that he could become an excellent actor, despite the cruel and cold words of George still echoing in his ears. But now, all of it was in the past, vanished like smoke.
More than being moved, excited, or exhilarated, he felt incredulous. Happiness had come too swiftly, catching him off guard. Renly didn't know how to react. Then, his vision was filled with people rushing towards him—James, Moriette, and others, both familiar and unfamiliar faces blurred into a halo.
Renly felt somewhat breathless.
"Ah! Ah!" William jumped up and down, shouting like a madman. He didn't know what to say, unable to form any words. He just screamed, releasing his inner joy and exhilaration. He faced Graham and clenched his fist, shouting crazily, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
Standing nearby, Hope was practically like a madwoman, running around the vicinity. "Ah! Ah! Ah!" She shouted excitedly towards the gathering of "The Big Bang Theory" and "Glee" fans not far away. She let out her excitement joyously, "Ah! Ah! Ah!" She didn't say anything, but her actions were clear enough.
Thinking about the situation where no one cared about her on the internet, thinking about the anger of being excluded on the red carpet, Hope's heart surged with delight and jubilation. She shouted at the top of her lungs without restraint, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
Others watched her exaggerated movements as if she were crazy, looking at Hope with puzzlement. But she didn't care. She just shouted and screamed freely. This was Renly's moment, their moment!
"Congratulations!" Tina's voice sounded out, and she led the applause. At this moment, the audience at the venue finally reacted. Everyone began to applaud enthusiastically.
Tonight, every person bore witness to the birth of a new star. He had triumphed over Al Pacino, bested Jeff Bridges. With his outstanding performance in "The Pacific", he had secured an Emmy Award trophy as a debutant, substantial and spectacular! From astonishment to surprise, then to joy, and finally blessings, the applause thundered throughout the room.
Al Pacino shook his head with a faint smile. There was a trace of helplessness, a hint of regret, and a touch of contentment at the corners of his mouth. Then he raised both hands and added his applause to the chorus.