Youthful. Sunny.
Kind-hearted and sincere.
Willing to help others without seeking attention, humble and modest, with even a touch of shyness; unexpectedly showcasing amazing talents but retreating without seeking praise or recognition.
This was the impression Sam had been left with from the unexpected encounter at the café that morning.
Quietly, a new image of Spider-Man had begun to take shape in Sam's mind, merging with his understanding of Peter Parker.
Sam paused for a moment.
Now he finally realized why Anson had left such a deep impression on him. That scene from the morning, even if placed directly into the "Spider-Man" movie, wouldn't feel out of place. It perfectly encapsulated the friendly neighborhood hero— a high school superhero. Slowly but surely, this image was becoming clearer in his mind.
But…
Anson was too handsome.
Ian's earlier jest was spot on, and Sam couldn't deny it. From his point of view, Anson's appearance was just too striking.
With that kind of height, physique, and looks, how could someone like him ever be a nerdy, unnoticed outcast in high school, especially one who was bullied by his peers?
It didn't seem logical.
Of course, Sam wasn't aiming to make a realist film. He knew that the lead needed to be charismatic and attractive. Even in his mental image, Spider-Man wasn't some timid, pathetic loser. But there still needed to be a sense of logic to it, otherwise the tone and essence of the movie wouldn't be right.
Wait.
So… was this why Anson dressed the way he did?
The pieces in Sam's mind finally came together, and he felt a mix of surprise and delight.
Even though Sam hadn't spoken with Anson yet, nor asked if he was a fan of Spider-Man or had read the comics—
Anyway, all the actors always claimed Spider-Man was their favorite since childhood, and that playing the role was their biggest dream as an actor. Even if it wasn't true, agents made sure they gave this cookie-cutter response. It was predictable long before the question was even asked.
Sam was 100% sure that among these actors, their childhood heroes were probably Superman or Batman.
But that didn't matter.
Sam had no interest in asking, since he already knew the answer; but now, looking at Anson's outfit, he grasped the essence of it.
The essence of Peter Parker as an ordinary high schooler.
For the first time, Sam felt a flicker of interest—just a tiny flicker.
Then.
Sam spoke up, "Your backpack."
Ian's words were interrupted. They had been about to hand Anson the script and ask him to perform a short scene on the spot, which was the main part of today's audition.
The key was to have the actor perform without preparation—giving them the script on the spot and expecting them to act immediately. This was not only a test of an actor's ability to think on their feet but also revealed their most natural acting style. The team wanted to see if that style matched what they were looking for.
Just as Anson was about to step forward, Sam's interruption broke the flow.
All eyes turned toward Ian, but Ian glanced at Anson before looking back at Sam, giving Anson a nod to indicate he should respond.
Anson understood and turned to look at Sam.
Sam's thought process was a bit slow, and not only did his expression resemble a sloth, but his movements were also slow. "What's inside?"
"Books," Anson replied, turning around and heading toward the door—
Even Ian showed curiosity.
These were all experienced professionals. No detail in an actor's movements escaped their notice. From the moment Anson entered the room with his backpack and skateboard, they had been on alert.
It was clear that the actor had come prepared with props.
If that was the case, they often liked to disrupt the actor's preparation by ignoring the props entirely, or even breaking whatever routine the actor had planned.
However, the surprising thing was that, after Ansen entered the room, he simply put down his backpack without making any noticeable moves or attracting attention, as if the backpack served no purpose at all.
A battle of wits and countermeasures had barely begun, yet a psychological tug-of-war was already underway.
Regardless, Ian and his group had no intention of looking at the backpack, completely disrupting Ansen's plan. But still, the backpack somehow made its way into their line of sight.
At this point, Ian wanted to know what exactly Ansen had up his sleeve.
Books?
Why books?
Ian had thought there would be a camera in the backpack.
The reason was simple—
Although the script was still under strict confidentiality, Ian had observed some discreet communication between agents and producers, and it was inevitable that some details would leak. Ian didn't mind this at all—on the contrary, he could use the actors' performances to understand the strategies their agents employed to obtain information.
In the script, Peter Parker had worked for a newspaper and provided many photos. Photography was one of Peter Parker's personal hobbies.
It's easy to imagine that more than one actor had expressed their interest in photography in some way—some even brought cameras with them.
But Ansen?
Ian was puzzled.
If Ansen knew what Ian was thinking, he would have been quite surprised.
Edgar hadn't caught the detail about photography, but Ansen, having seen the movie in his previous life, certainly knew about Peter Parker's side job. When Ansen considered how to portray the character, photography naturally came into consideration, but he ultimately abandoned the idea.
Why? Because it wasn't distinctive enough.
Yes, photography was a hobby, but it was more of a cinematic element—
In the year 2000, digital cameras weren't widespread, so photographers usually carried around bulky, professional gear.
Such equipment was not only unromantic but also cumbersome.
When Peter Parker carried a big camera lens, his classmates saw him as a nerd or joked that he was secretly spying on people.
For the movie, this was a clear element—the camera lens was so prominent that it instantly labeled him.
But for the actor, it didn't truly delve into the character.
Liking photography? No problem. But what's the reason behind it?
Why did Peter Parker enjoy photography? When did he develop this interest? What did he like photographing? Was it just a surface-level hobby, or was it connected to the plot?
Only by exploring these details could the character become vibrant and real.
In fact, Michael's love for certain things in "The Princess Diaries" was also an obvious trait—clearly visible and straightforward—but it's essential to note the difference in character significance. Michael was a supporting role, so he didn't need, nor was he allowed, to have too much development or depth, whereas Peter Parker couldn't be treated the same.
As the main character, Peter Parker needed to have these layers.
Therefore, after careful thought, Ansen bypassed these apparent traits and dug deeper into the underlying reasons—
Peter Parker's love for animals, his curiosity about biotechnology, and so on. He liked using a camera to document life, especially animals he saw everywhere. Compared to buildings, landscapes, or people, he preferred capturing the lives of animals hidden in unnoticed corners.
Essentially, what he liked was animals, not photography.
And this unique, unconventional hobby was what truly made Peter Parker a weirdo in the eyes of his classmates.
So, the answer to what Peter Parker carried around with him became clear.
First chapter.