Becoming Edward Ferrars

A door separated William from the group of people who could decide his fate.

In the room, Ang Lee smiled and said to Emma, "You guys' lines just now were so superb; it's like a reproduction of the original book. Especially those pauses—they perfectly captured the suppressed emotions of love between Edward and Elena. I have to say, although William Bradley is young, he did ignite a spark during your scene together."

Emma Thompson returned Ang Lee's smile faintly.

Although Ang Lee praised her as well, Emma knew that when she first delivered the lines, she still held back her emotions, not fully engaging as William Bradley had. Those pauses… were purely because she was momentarily distracted by him.

After just a few minutes of auditions, Emma's impression of William Bradley had improved considerably. Yet, she still didn't want him to play Edward.

Firstly, although William was mature and composed, his actual age was too young—a dozen years younger than her.

Secondly, Emma had envisioned Hugh Grant as Edward while writing the script, and if possible, she still wanted to work with him.

"William Bradley is good," Emma said, "but I think he's too young."

"In Jane Austen's original book, Elena Dashwood and Edward Ferrars are about the same age. They were only nineteen when they first appeared," Ang Lee explained. "William Bradley is actually just the right age. Besides, his temperament is very mature—you could see that in how he played against you."

"Wouldn't choosing such a young Edward make me an even older Elena?" Emma said, half-jokingly. "Lee, you're not forgetting my age, are you?"

Born in 1959, Emma Thompson was 36 years old at the time. However, she was considered well-maintained for her age. With fair and firm skin, she looked no older than 30. Only when she laughed did faint forehead lines and crow's feet appear on her face—features that even white teenagers often develop at 15 or 16. Her natural, light makeup style helped her look youthful.

"I'm talking about Edward and Elena being the same age in the original book," Ang Lee replied. "But I also know that in your script, it's written as a bit of a sister-brother relationship."

He smiled and added, "You look like you're 25, Emma. William may be young, but his maturity and chemistry with you should have been apparent in the scene. I'd say it's no less sparking than when you act with Hugh Grant."

Emma frowned. "Lee, do you have an opinion about Hugh Grant?"

Ang Lee hesitated.

Amy Pascal saw his expression interjected, "You're the director, Lee. If you have suggestions, I hope you'll be honest and not so subtle, like other Orientals."

"Hugh Grant is a great actor—handsome, elegant, with good acting skills and a lot of popularity," Ang Lee admitted. "But when he acts, the 'star quality' overshadows the role. It's as if Edward Ferrars is there to serve Hugh Grant, rather than the other way around."

Emma wanted to defend Hugh, but as a British actor, she couldn't deny Ang Lee's point.

British actors often carried a sense of responsibility for films, thinking they needed to shoulder the movie's success. This led to overly "British" performances, which sometimes involved challenging the director's authority.

Hugh Grant, as Britain's public darling and a Hollywood success, makes this point even clearer. Ang Lee, who preferred actors to follow his vision, naturally didn't favor this approach.

The debate became clear: the director and the screenwriter/lead actress had opposing preferences—Ang Lee wanted William Bradley, while Emma stood firm on Hugh Grant.

Ultimately, the decision fell to Amy Pascal.

As a producer and distributor, she held the most power in the crew.

"I'm sure William Bradley will surprise us," Amy finally declared. Her choice comes from careful consideration of William's American identity, Columbia's investment in <Sense and Sensibility>, and Hugh Grant's high salary.

Emma's disappointment was evident.

Still, she couldn't blame Amy. From Pascal's perspective, this was the better choice for Columbia.

…

A huge surprise suddenly hit William, leaving him dizzy.

He had landed the male lead in <Sense and Sensibility>!

Playing opposite Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson! Sharing the set with Alan Rickman and Tom Wilkinson!

William was fluttering, as though he could fly away immediately.

He returned home in a daze, rushed into the kitchen, and picked up Madeleine, who was cooking dinner. He began waltzing with her.

Madeleine screamed in shock before breaking into laughter. Eventually, she had enough and waved her spatula, chasing her troublesome son upstairs.

Back in his room, William still felt like he was dreaming.

Was this real life or a fantasy?

Even after telling Amon, Danny, Madeleine, and others, the surreal feeling persisted. Their reactions only deepened his sense of wonder rather than bringing him back to reality.

…

Floating downstairs on tiptoe, William picked up the microphone and dialed an international call.

"Lance? Did you know I got the role of Edward Ferrars! Which Edward?

"Jane Austen's Edward! One of the male leads in <Sense and Sensibility>! Uh, sorry, I forgot—you've never read Jane Austen novels… But you have to read it, Lance! You have to, because I'm going to play the lead role!"

On the other end, Lance Roderick, half-asleep, rose from his ornate European-style bed, which was over 200 years old and rumored to have once been used by Queen Marie Antoinette herself. He listened quietly to William's enthusiastic rambling before breaking into an irritable outburst:

"William, you bastard! You're in L.A.. I'm in London. Do you know what time it is here? It's 1 a.m.! ONE IN THE MORNING!"

Startled, William's hand jerked, and he immediately hung up the phone.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered. "Lance is still so cranky when he wakes up."

As his sanity returned, the overwhelming joy washed over him again.

Thankfully, it was true—he had gotten the role of Edward Ferrars!

…

Several months has passed since their last meeting, William finally reunited with Lance Roderick.

As always, Lance dressed exactly as an old bourgeois gentleman.

Although Lance despised his father, Taylor Roderick, he had inherited his father's meticulous approach to dressing.

Taylor's principle—that a suit or shirt must not have even a single pleat out of place—had passed faithfully from father to son.

Today, Lance wore a gray-blue shirt buttoned to the very top, a peacock-blue tie that matched his eyes perfectly. The buttons of the dark blue jacket buttoned, with only the edges of a gray tweed vest and the glint of a pocket watch chain peeked out.

Even in London, the fashion capital for men's attire, Lance's outfit was almost too refined. Anyone with knowledge of fashion would marvel at the craftsmanship, while even those unfamiliar with the industry could recognize one word—luxury.

William, watching from a distance, let his gaze linger on his figure for a solid ten minutes. After noticing two strangers approach Lance only to leave disappointed, William finally walked over.

Before Lance's expression could become stinky completely, William teased, "Add a cane to your right hand, and you'd be ready for a Hollywood period drama."

"If I had a cane, I'd use it to give you a few hard whacks," Lance asked with a gloomy face. "Is it fun for you to hide in a corner and watch the show?"

"You're standing by the Thames, looking like a painting." William gestured with his hands, framing Lance's figure as if through a camera lens. "But, unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I can't capture this masterpiece."

Lance was amused.

Though he had inherited the Roderick family's signature blonde hair and blue eyes, Lance did not inherit his father's broad forehead, square jaw, and muscular build. Instead, he had inherited his late mother Jenny Roderick's ethereal beauty, whose reputation widely spread on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

During his adolescence, when Lance's features were more delicate and his puberty hadn't fully developed, he looked just like young aristocrats of European history.

He loathed being called "pretty" and nearly dropped out of school after a classmate mocked him for it.

But Lance didn't mind William's teasing—because William had experienced worse.

Back in the seventh grade, during a literature class discussion of <Gone with the Wind>, their teacher had brought in a Vivien Leigh movie clip to illustrate Scarlett O'Hara's character.

Before the teacher could play it, a student shouted, "Why bother? William's practically Scarlett reborn! Just look at him—he's better than Vivien Leigh!"

The classroom erupted in laughter, applause, and thunderous agreement. For a time, William couldn't shake the nickname "Scarlett". If he had not used his fists to "convince" a few hecklers in the school restroom to drop it, the nickname would have followed him for several years

Even so, whispers persisted. Phrases like, "Magnolia-white skin, jet-black eyelashes, pale green eyes without any brown pigment, and a seventeen-inch waist… These descriptions of Scarlett O'Hara from the book are clearly more applied to William.

This was the real reason William had been hitting the gym since adolescence.

Now, sitting next to Lance by the Thames, William pointed at Lance and then himself. "You're Victorian. I'm postmodern."

Unlike Lance's meticulous attire, William had always preferred casual clothing. Today, he wore a black crewneck pullover, dark blue jeans, and a leather jacket.

The combined cost of his outfit likely didn't even match the price of Lance's shoes. But William didn't care—he was a self-made man and had no jealousy toward his wealthy friend.

Lance, enjoying the cool breeze along the river, asked casually, "Didn't you say the crew was rushing to finish filming? How do you have time to visit me today?"

William pointed to the sky. "Thank the weather. The director's busy filming outdoor scenes while the sun lasts. My scenes have been pushed to the day after tomorrow."

In the UK, there's a saying: "London only rains twice a year—once for four months, and once for eight." Though exaggerated, it reflects how rare extended periods of sunshine are.

For now, though, William had a moment of reprieve and was grateful for the chance to catch up with Lance by the river.

But according to the weather forecast, this streak of clear skies is expected to continue for the next two days—a rarity for London. Such ideal conditions are perfect for outdoor filming.

Following the advice of the British crew members, Ang Lee adjusted the shooting schedule to prioritize outdoor scenes.

"How does it feel to be the leading actor?" Lance asked after a pause, then cautiously added, "I've seen your name in the papers quite a bit lately."

"It's not as if they've been saying particularly nice things about me, is it?" William replied with a wry smile, though he didn't seem overly concerned. "The British have always had a bit xenophobic , and I can understand that. Still, while they haven't exactly said anything good, they haven't damaged my reputation too badly either. I don't take this criticism to heart."

/////