The Greatest Showman #1216: No Way to Know

The apartment, which served as the shooting base, was becoming increasingly busy. All the morning work had been completed, and the next step was to transfer the studio and continue with the follow-up shooting. The staff began packing up the equipment, and the sounds of clattering became more pronounced, amplifying the dull, oppressive atmosphere.

But the two actors remained motionless.

Renly and Kerry were still sitting in the same place, frozen in the same positions as Levine and Jane. Around them, the world continued to bustle, but for them, time seemed to stand still. The environment had split into two worlds—one moving rapidly, and the other, at a standstill.

Carey watched Renly intently, replaying the performance in her mind.

In truth, more than half of the scene had deviated from the script. The emotional turbulence and changes between Le Verne and Jane were the result of impromptu acting. According to the original script, Jane had never truly loved Le Verne, and his feelings were never revealed. But in the moment of performance, the eye contact, the heartbeat shared between them—it all became real. Everything fell into place.

Carey began to believe that Jane had loved Le Verne all along.

She envied Le Verne's talent, his freedom, his pride. He was like a gust of wind—elusive, impossible to hold onto, yet irresistibly attractive. But despite that, Le Verne couldn't offer her the life she wanted. She chose Jim instead, even though she still loved Le Verne deeply.

So when she saw Le Verne fading away, his once-bright spirit now shadowed and worn, Jane's emotions were a whirlwind of conflict. She compromised—was it her turn now?

These complicated emotions came naturally to Carey during the performance. It felt as though Jane had come to life before her eyes, no longer just a character in Le Verne Davis' story, but a real person with her own life, her own story, and her own struggles.

It was a unique acting experience, one Carey had never encountered before.

She recalled what Marcus had said about Renly, about the Pioneer Village singing video, about the entire "Don Quixote" album, and the performance from the first day the crew met. She couldn't help but feel intrigued.

"Can I ask you a question?" Carey suddenly asked.

Renly lifted his gaze, slowly pulling himself out of the atmosphere of the scene. "Does Marcus know?"

It was a rhetorical question, unexpected and without any prior indication.

Carey blinked, processing it slowly. She finally understood—Renly was still Levine. Their current positioning had remained true to the dynamic between Levine and Jane. In that fleeting moment, the triangular relationship between Jim, Jane, and Levine seemed to spill over into reality. Jim never knew about Levine and Jane's affair, so why was Renly asking about Marcus now?

Carey couldn't help but laugh in both amusement and frustration. "This gentleman, you're not my type."

Renly didn't answer, merely shrugging as if to say, maybe not.

That confident look caused Carey to chuckle softly. "Do you always approach women like this? I thought you'd have a more elegant approach."

Renly responded, "Even for a noble, it's the same under the skin."

Carey snapped her fingers and smiled. "I like that answer."

Renly returned to the previous topic. "What's the problem?"

This time, Carey kept up with Renly's thought process, but after a bit of playful banter, the atmosphere shifted, and the earlier tension seemed to evaporate. She realized her next question was naive, and she gave a shy smile before speaking.

"I just want to ask, have you ever thought about giving up?"

Giving up.

Just like Mickey and Levine, they eventually chose to give up after countless struggles. But no one could say for sure whether they had given up their careers, their dreams, their lives, or... had they simply given up on themselves? Or perhaps, when they gave up on themselves, their lives came to a halt?

Some people are alive but dead inside. Others may be dead but live on in memory. And then there are those who leave a lasting legacy.

Carey was no longer focused on Renly's age or experience. She saw him as an actor—one who poured his life into his craft. She couldn't tell whether it was expressive acting or method acting. All she felt was a profound shock—one that she couldn't escape.

She found herself wondering how such an actor had survived Hollywood. And as the heir to a noble family, how had Renly managed to carry such a heavy weight through life?

All of her confusion distilled into the simplest of questions.

The seemingly difficult question, yet Renly answered it without hesitation, his voice steady, "Of course."

Carey was taken aback by the simplicity of his answer. "Are you serious?"

Renly chuckled softly. "Absolutely." He nodded, though his thoughts lingered on Le Verne's perspective, his doubts and anxieties still lingering. "Sticking to something isn't easy. Everyone, at some point, wonders if their persistence is right. Is their choice the wisest? And more importantly, are they doing the right thing?"

That one question, "Are you right?" carried a depth that resonated with every actor. They all asked themselves at some point, Am I truly talented? Or am I just blindly confident?

Even in London's West End, Renly had questioned himself. Coming from a background of mediocrity, coupled with the paranoia of the current life, the words of George and Elizabeth often lingered in his mind.

"A person can choose to persevere without talent, but they must understand why they're doing it. Otherwise, perseverance becomes meaningless. Giving up can be a form of relief." Renly paused, "Like Strickland in The Moon and Sixpence. Yes, I've thought about giving up. More than once."

"But why didn't you actually give up?" Carey asked, curious.

"If I say it's because I'm not reconciled, would you believe me?" Renly laughed lightly. The weariness and melancholy that had once clouded his expression faded. The light of Renly began to shine through, replacing the remnants of Le Verne. A quiet freedom, almost rebellious, emerged from him.

Perhaps this was the biggest difference between Le Verne and Renly.

Carey nodded earnestly. "I believe you."

Renly shrugged lightly. "Sometimes, holding on becomes a habit, and giving up becomes harder. There are many reasons—perhaps unwillingness, perhaps stubbornness, or maybe fear. Maybe... just because I want to keep going. But there's no right answer. No way to know."

Carey fell silent, pondering his words.

Renly and Carey, in their quiet exchange, saw pieces of themselves in each other.

Carey had always dreamed of being an actor, but her parents—her father a hotel management consultant, her mother a teacher—had insisted that she complete college and secure a more stable future. Her dream was hindered by their expectations.

In 2004, at the age of 19, Carey was recommended by the wife of famed actor and screenwriter Julian Fellows to audition for Pride and Prejudice. She succeeded, and the experience taught her invaluable lessons alongside Keira Knightley.

With no professional training, Carey had to work hard to refine her skills, returning to London's West End to start from scratch. But in the still of the night, doubts crept in—did she have the talent to be an actor?

By 2008, Carey had earned a breakthrough role in Growth Education, which opened many doors for her career. She quickly became successful, landing multiple Hollywood opportunities.

Everything seemed to be falling into place. Her dreams had been realized. Logically, she should have been content, confident, and at peace—yet in the wake of The Great Gatsby the previous year, Carey found herself once again filled with doubt. In less than four years in Vanity Fair, she felt herself slipping, unsure of her original intent and questioning her own abilities, much like LeVine Davis.

So, on that first day of the crew's meeting, Carey had seen herself in Renly—or in LeVine—and her emotions had spiraled out of control.

After filming the scene that day, Carey was left with a deep sense of introspection. She found herself contemplating something she couldn't yet put into words.

Looking at Renly, younger than her, yet more experienced and talented, she realized he had never lost himself. With a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, she asked, "So, what's the plan next? This project is almost finished."