The Greatest Showman #727 – Happy Crew

In his past life, Renly's journey ended at the age of thirty-two, but in truth, he never had a real childhood. From the age of three, his life had been meticulously planned. He was never given the space to form his own will or get into trouble. In essence, he never experienced the carefree companionship of childhood friends.

In this lifetime, Renly was about to turn twenty-two. Despite the privileges of his aristocratic upbringing, it left little room for personal freedom. Etiquette, social conventions, and art education consumed all his time. Yet, in the rare moments he had for himself, he immersed himself in his dream of becoming an actor, absorbing knowledge like a sponge.

Two lifetimes, fifty-four years. Through all the ups and downs, the hardships, and the experiences, Renly developed a calm and grounded temperament—an invaluable gift of the years. Yet, despite all this maturity, he found himself yearning for the indulgence of his youthful days. This longing fueled Renly's love for adventure and his reckless enjoyment of life. Mischief? That was simply the childlike side of him. The only difference was that, at this point in his life, his Hollywood friends hadn't yet seen this side of him.

Today on the set of Edge of Tomorrow, the crew was in for a surprise. The antics they had seen earlier weren't the result of a ghostly possession. Though the crew was startled, they quickly realized: Renly was only twenty-one, and Jennifer was twenty, both actors renowned for their mature and wise performances. It was easy for people to forget their actual ages.

After several consecutive pranks, the entire set had descended into a state of joy and comfort, always on the verge of laughter. Even when Renly and Jennifer didn't do anything, their mere presence, standing silently by, was enough to provoke laughter. Their subtle looks, expressions, and movements reminded everyone of the jokes from before, and suddenly, the set was alive with laughter once again.

Renly and Jennifer relished in the atmosphere, but it was nothing short of an ordeal for the others trying to film their scenes. The shoot was already challenging, and with constant interruptions from laughter, mistakes were becoming frequent. Sometimes, the sound of "action" hadn't even been called before the crew was already in fits of laughter, causing the entire studio to erupt in chaos.

Time seemed to slip away unnoticed. It felt as though they had all been working together for months, not just a single day. The unspoken bond between the actors made their performances feel effortless. However, that camaraderie was meaningless if they couldn't keep their composure and deliver their lines.

The scene ended up taking more than five hours to shoot, with a staggering sixteen takes ruined by laughter alone. Before filming had even officially started, the interruptions had been frequent. The director, Paul Greengrass, had to change shots, angles, and subjects multiple times. By the time Paul decided the scene met his expectations, the day was nearly over.

With no time left in the day, Paul Greengrass decided to call it quits, announcing that the first day of filming had concluded ahead of schedule, and the crew would resume the next day.

Once the crew dispersed, Alexander immediately turned to Renly. "You're incredible! Are you worried about what'll happen during the next few performances? Are we going to go head-to-head?"

Renly shrugged nonchalantly. "You didn't seem concerned when you were applying that heavy makeup on me. Go ahead, keep going, and let's see what happens."

His calm tone and the seriousness with which he spoke made everyone shiver, unsure if Renly was joking or not.

"Let's see if we can top that," Donald challenged, unfazed by Renly's tone. "In The Crap League, we've raised the stakes of mischief to a whole new level. I'm not scared."

Renly grinned. "Welcome to the game."

Though his words were cool and composed, it was hard to take him seriously after the earlier antics. Renly wasn't worried in the least. The script for their prank was clear: "I will never retaliate." He turned to Jennifer, who was standing beside him, "I think you should be worried the most."

Jennifer raised her eyebrows. "Me? No way! I was on your side just now!"

Donald quickly jumped in. "No, no, you and Renly were partners in crime earlier, but now you're the one we should watch out for. Sneaky girl!"

Jennifer exaggerated her surprise, "Renly, this is your scheme, isn't it? Trying to shift the blame to an innocent party like me..."

Her words, though righteous, quickly faltered as laughter escaped her, breaking her serious stance.

Renly simply smiled and remained silent, his eyes twinkling. "Innocent people don't need to proclaim their innocence. It's usually the culprit who shouts the loudest."

Before anyone could respond, Kaya, who had been standing at the back, burst out laughing uncontrollably. "Will said... Will said... Renly looks just like Hannibal... like Hannibal, but 'Greek in disguise'... hahahaha..."

The rest of the crew paused for a moment before realizing what Kaya was referring to. They immediately began to visualize the connection between The Silence of the Lambs' Hannibal Lecter and Stanley from The Shapeshifters. Before they could react, laughter erupted all around them.

Will, embarrassed, scratched his head and tried to explain, but the words failed him. He could only laugh along with the rest of the crew.

"Professor Stanley?" Jennifer, quick-witted as always, immediately connected the two roles and looked Renly up and down. Renly, ever the performer, suddenly opened his mouth wide, showing off his perfect teeth in a grin that mimicked Jim Carrey's classic "Geek in Disguise" smile.

The timing was perfect. Jennifer, caught off guard by the unexpected expression, took a few steps back, crashing into a staff member, but it didn't stop her laughter. The entire crew, including her, erupted into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Renly, ever the master of timing, quickly returned to his usual calm demeanor, effortlessly switching back into "Professor Hannibal" mode, exuding elegance and composure. The contrast between the two personas—so extreme and sudden—had the entire crew in stitches.

The atmosphere on set was one of infectious energy and camaraderie, setting the tone for the beginning of Edge of Tomorrow. Even Paul Greengrass, usually known for his serious demeanor, found himself caught up in the fun.

In fact, Paul was one of the happiest people on set. He thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Renly and often joined the actors after shooting for beers in the courtyard. Initially, Paul had thought himself too old for such hangouts, but over time, he began to ask, "Are you drinking tonight?"

The reason was simple: Paul recognized a kindred spirit in Renly. Deep down, Renly was also a journalist, even though he had never actually worked in the field during his previous life. At the same time, Renly was an avid movie fan and actor, making their conversations engaging and enjoyable.

The entire crew, confined to their photography base, spent day and night working closely together. Renly's playful and insightful commentary influenced Paul's directorial approach, and they experimented with different filming techniques and acting methods during the shoot, with all the actors actively contributing.

Donald's comedic talents particularly stood out. He excelled in creating cynical, awkward humor, which added a unique flavor to the J-Squad performances. Will, Jennifer, and Tony also contributed ideas, making each day of filming a lot more enjoyable.

Paul, as a director, embraced this creative freedom, allowing the team to experiment with their work. Whether this would result in a masterpiece or a disaster was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the process was filled with joy.

"Isn't this just a small screening?" Donald asked, his curiosity piqued. "You flew back for this? And invited all these friends? Sounds grand to me."

Renly grinned. "Your implication is clear: Why weren't you invited?"

Jennifer, Alexander, and the others wasted no time teasing Donald. He, unable to resist, shot back, "Of course, but I need the director and producer's approval. Otherwise, the whole crew might just leave the shooting base and head back to New York, and then what will happen to the shoot?"

Renly was preparing for a small screening of Anti-Cancer Me this Thursday. Afterward, the official screening would start at midnight. To attend the screening, Renly had to fly back to New York. He also wanted to invite his crew members, much like he had done the previous year with Degree and Passion 5.