Sami was almost choking with disbelief. So far, she couldn't fathom that all of this was real. She had genuinely become a part of the crew, and she was about to work alongside those A-list actors.
Golden supporting actor Tim Blake Nelson, who had been in the industry for over fifteen years, had appeared in works like "The Good Girl", "The Thin Red Line", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Minority Report", "The Hulk", "Sin City", and many more. A true veteran in the industry, Marcia Gay Harden, who had received two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress and won one in 2001. And there was Christina Hendricks, known for her powerful performances in "Firefly" and "Mad Men".
Every actor in the crew was a solid industry stalwart. Sami wasn't sure how many newcomers were in the cast, but she could be sure that the pressure in front of the camera was enormous. Just imagining herself acting opposite these established stars made her feel excited and nervous at the same time, not knowing where to place her hands and feet.
Of course, there was the most crucial figure of all: Renly Hall. He was also Sami's most direct scene partner in the movie. Just thinking about standing in front of the camera with Renly, acting in a scene together, filled Sami with excitement to the point of wanting to scream. Her blood was beginning to boil.
Renly, the famous and powerful Renly, the one who had recently risen to fame. At the young age of twenty-one, he had displayed astonishing acting talent and set numerous records with his debut film, "Buried". He was not only the first actor to receive an Oscar nomination for their debut since Dustin Hoffman in 1967, but he was also the third youngest nominee in Oscar history. The two ahead of him were from the early days of the Oscars in the 1930s and 1940s: Jackie Cooper, who was nominated at the age of nine in the fourth Oscars, and Mikey Rooney, who was nominated at the age of nineteen in the twelfth Oscars.
There was no doubt that Renly had been the most attention-grabbing newcomer in the past year. Although he had been absent from the Oscars and hadn't further elevated his influence in terms of awards, in the eyes of Hollywood insiders, his name was already synonymous with fame.
Upon learning that she had landed the role of Erica, a fledgling prostitute, Sami could hardly believe it. She couldn't believe she was about to embark on her first big-screen project, work with so many top-tier actors, and perform opposite Renly. It was Renly!
Not long ago, she had just watched "Fast 5" in the cinema, where Renly appeared on the big screen, looking handsome and charismatic. His tall figure had made her blush and her heart race. When she got home, she spent a long time staring at her computer screen, searching for numerous posters and photos of Renly, along with various pieces of information about him. Various fantasies kept popping into her mind. Renly was undoubtedly the kind of man she fantasized about.
Never did she expect that she would soon be working with Renly?
"Ah, ah, ah!" Sami couldn't help but want to scream. She took a deep breath, then another, finally managing to suppress her excited feelings. However, her body still couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably, and she was so thrilled that she felt like jumping up and down.
Her mind couldn't help but start to imagine what Renly looked like in real life. Did he have the commanding and heroic style of Hobbes? Or did he carry that elegant and handsome demeanor from his everyday life? The gentle British accent was enough to melt her heart, and the mere thought of Renly possibly calling her name made Sami feel like she was about to soar.
Half nervous and half eager, Sami trembled slightly as she entered the school before her. This was the filming location for "Detachment", and now that summer vacation had begun, the entire school was empty. She looked around, but there was no one in sight, which made her hesitate for a moment.
She had to gather her excitement and focus to find the crew.
After walking around the courtyard, Sami headed towards the main building of the school. She finally spotted some crew members in the corridor. There weren't many of them, just about seven or eight people. Two or three were holding light meters and checking the lighting in different locations while whispering to each other. The rest were taking a break, sitting next to a few large boxes that were obviously equipment cases.
Upon noticing Sami's arrival, the people taking a break turned their heads. Sami greeted them politely, and they pointed ahead, saying, "Second room on the right. There are already two people inside."
Sami was slightly surprised because she had arrived an hour earlier than the scheduled time to avoid being late. Could it be that there were other new actors? She had asked her agent and learned that this was a school-themed film, and the director, Tony, had cast a large group of high school students with no prior acting experience to play authentic roles. So, were these early arrivals the other actors?
Her steps quickened as anticipation began to overwhelm her. Standing at the classroom door, she carefully peeked inside. She almost screamed but managed to cover her mouth in time. However, she couldn't suppress the slight sound that escaped her lips. It was Renly! It really was Renly! The early arrivals included Renly!
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, with a white shirt, a smoke-gray jacket, and a striped tie. His short, golden-brown hair was neatly styled in a slicked-back look, fully revealing his handsome features. He was casually sitting in one of the student chairs, with an open book on the desk in front of him, reading attentively. Amidst his elegance, there was an air of scholarly charm, like the golden sunlight that gently fell on the first green bud in early March.
It was really him! Her dream had come true! The intense sense of reality hit Sami hard, and she exclaimed before her brain could react. She quickly covered her mouth, staring at Renly with wide eyes, her disbelief gradually turning into excitement.
Fortunately, her shout didn't alarm Renly; he continued reading, not looking up.
Sami then noticed another figure in the classroom, a girl of about her age. She had a chubby figure and short, cornstalk-like hair. She cast her timid gaze towards Sami but didn't dare to make eye contact. Instead, she peered at Sami through her hanging hair, trying to remain unnoticed. When she noticed Sami's gaze on her, she quickly averted her eyes, pretending as if nothing had happened.
This was a completely unfamiliar face, at least Sami didn't recognize her.
Sami tiptoed over and sat down next to the girl, her gaze unable to resist drifting towards Renly. There were two rows of seats separating them, at least five or six meters apart, but her heartbeat couldn't be controlled as it accelerated. So, Sami cast an imploring look at her only companion, unable to speak, and could only use her lips and whispered sounds to say, "What should we do?"
The girl still didn't turn her head, but the corner of her eye caught the message. She shook her head, giving a response but still not uttering a word. Didn't know? Didn't want to say? Wasn't allowed to? What did that headshake mean? It left Sami puzzled. But clearly, she had no intention of explaining.
Sami remained quiet for a moment, but she couldn't calm herself. No matter how she tried to avoid it, her gaze kept catching Renly's figure, making it impossible for her to relax. So, she leaned closer to the girl again, "I'm Sami Gayle, what's your name?"
The girl hesitated for a moment and spoke in a voice almost as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Betty." After a brief pause, just when Sami thought that was it, she continued, "Betty Kaye."
Betty Kaye, the daughter of director Tony Kaye, was going to play the role of Meredith in the film. When Tony was casting for the role of Meredith, he considered many actresses but couldn't find a suitable choice. In the end, he turned his attention to his own daughter, even though Betty had never intended to become an actress.
In "Detachment", there were three desperate women around Henry. One was Erica, played by Sami, another was Sarah, played by Christina Hendricks, and the third was Meredith, played by Betty Kaye.
But Meredith's character was a tragic one, tormented by obesity, family issues, and school bullying. She sought help from Henry but was mistaken by Sarah for Henry's sexual advances, which led to Henry distancing himself. In the end, in her despair, Meredith chose to take her own life.
Betty had an unhappy childhood, not due to obesity but because of turbulence within her family and a lack of self-confidence. Tony believed that Betty could portray the trauma of Meredith, so he convinced her to take on the role. However, for a girl lacking in self-confidence like Betty, it was pure torture.
From this perspective, Tony was not a responsible father but more like an artist consumed by his work.
However, Sami didn't pay attention to the significance of the "Kaye" surname and her voice became slightly excited, "What should we do now? Can we talk to Renly? You do know who Renly is, right?" Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she stared at Betty. But Betty pursed her lips, nodded slightly, which instantly left Sami flabbergasted. "What! How could you not know Renly?"
After saying it aloud, Sami realized she had blundered because she hadn't suppressed her voice and had practically shouted. Now she was embarrassed, and more importantly, she had disrupted Renly's work.
She covered her mouth tightly, sneaked a glance at Renly, and felt both scared and nervous.