The Greatest Showman #1429 - People are Red, Right and Wrong

"So, he's always like this on set?"

"God, he's younger than I thought."

"I was wondering why there's a bit of distortion—he doesn't look like his magazine photos."

"Can we go over and say hello now?"

"I heard he always plays the big shot on set and ignores everyone."

"Yeah, I've heard that too."

"But when he meets fans privately, he's really kind. What's going on?"

"Is it just PR? Isn't that how all actors are? One thing in public, something else behind the scenes, and the audience only sees the best side. After all, this is a business, right?"

"Yeah, but... this is such a rare opportunity, we might miss it! I really think his performance is moving."

"Absolutely, if I could, I'd want a photo with him as a souvenir."

"If I post it on my photo wall, everyone will be screaming, right?"

"My Facebook's been buzzing for a week—everyone's asking when exactly I'm working with Renly."

The buzz and chatter filled the air, and the rehearsal room felt crowded and noisy. Despite everyone's best efforts to keep their voices down, whispers spilled uncontrollably into the space.

When I closed my eyes, I imagined the room packed with hundreds of people, but in reality, there were only about twenty. The excitement was palpable, and I could feel it rising in waves, so contagious that even the quietest whispers seemed to echo.

"Renly Hall."

Just his name now carried a powerful allure. Maybe Renly wasn't loved by everyone in Hollywood—his arrogance, coldness, and aloofness were sometimes sources of complaints—but for ordinary people, Renly was an untouchable superstar, basking in a glow that made him seem unreachable. On his path to creating history, he'd entered a realm all his own.

While other top actors like Sean Penn, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Meryl Streep held immense prestige, Renly was different.

He was younger—almost eerily so—and had a more widespread presence on social media. The success of blockbuster films like Fast and Furious 5 and Edge of Tomorrow solidified his superstar status, placing him in an irreplaceable position in the eyes of the general public.

In many ways, he was even more renowned than Robert Downey Jr. or Johnny Depp. After all, box office icons and popular superstars come and go, but Renly's reign was different. His status felt almost permanent.

For anyone hoping to get close to Renly, it felt like they were trying to approach a historical figure—though this comparison wasn't perfect, it captured the mentality people had about him.

The Blitzkrieg crew felt this firsthand.

Filming this independent project reminded Renly of Buried Alive—not because of the specifics of the shoot, but due to the structure and pace of the production. The crew moved quickly, the shooting progressing at an astonishing speed. In less than four days, a third of the project had already been completed.

Today marked the start of the band's scenes.

There were two jazz bands in the movie: one was an ordinary band that Andrew joined after entering school, and the other was a top-tier group led by Fletcher, with each member being a current professional musician.

In the morning, when all the band members arrived, their first instinct was to find the legendary Renly.

Upon spotting him in the corner, they were immediately electrified. Eyes met, and they nearly screamed—yet the filming had already begun, and Renly simply approached, greeting everyone before diving into work.

After the morning's filming wrapped, the crew had a brief lunch break, and the excitement bubbled up again.

On one hand, they were curious about the truth behind all the rumors; on the other, they were eager to see Renly's work firsthand. Their emotions were a mix of excitement and nervousness, unsure how to engage with a superstar.

Endless discussions flowed.

Renly, meanwhile, sat quietly in a corner, reading his script.

Rumor had it that top stars always had their own private trailers. Between takes, they'd retreat to their private space to rest and regain composure, protecting their privacy and shutting off any external distractions. Logically, this made sense—after all, actors weren't obligated to be friendly with everyone, especially since the collaborations were often one-off. But even so, it could sometimes feel lonely for these stars.

Today, Renly was unusually exposed, sitting in plain sight. It almost felt like all anyone needed to do was muster the courage to walk up and talk to him. Yet even with his visibility, a powerful aura surrounded him, keeping people at bay. No one dared to approach.

Speculations swirled—both good and bad, positive and negative. Everyone had their own theories.

"That's for the filming," someone finally spoke up, unable to contain their curiosity. All eyes turned toward him. It was Austin Stowell, one of the band members and the only other actor besides Renly, playing one of his rivals.

"How do you know?" asked Nate Lang, a professional drummer and cameo in the film, who would play the lead drummer in Fletcher's band, replaced by Andrew after joining.

Austin shrugged cautiously, trying to maintain composure, though his raised eyebrows betrayed his inner excitement. "No, I haven't worked with Renly directly. But last month, I went to Cannes and met a lot of actors. Renly was a hot topic there."

Austin had a cameo in Behind the Candelabra last year, alongside Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, which led to an invite to Cannes to promote the film.

"The most interesting thing was meeting a Spaniard. Through our conversation, I found out he used to work on the set of Buried Alive. He said that Renly was different after that. In the movie's opening scene, the script only had a few lines, but Renly sat and spent nearly an hour reading them over and over, really trying to understand the mood and rhythm before filming. When it finally hit the camera, it felt real, like we were right there."

Austin's voice took on a reverence, his eyes still alight with the memory of Cannes.

"He spends a lot of time researching lines and understanding the script before filming. It's not just about getting the character; he focuses on how the character fits into the whole story and interacts with everyone."

As Austin spoke, someone interrupted him. "Did Renly tell you this?"

"...No, actually, it was a Danish producer I met, who had tried to hire Renly for a project. He spoke to several Hollywood producers about him," Austin clarified, but before he could continue, someone else cut in.

"That's just a rumor," someone else shrugged. "I have nothing against Renly, but it feels like these compliments are all inflated. After he won the Ego Award, suddenly everyone was praising him. It's a little too much. No one's perfect, right?"

"I'm not saying he's perfect, I'm just—" Austin tried to explain, but was drowned out by others.

"Reading the script over and over to understand the character and give a great performance? That sounds like something out of a fantasy novel, not reality. It's like Harry Potter finding a magic scroll. Too outlandish."

"But Renly does a good job."

"Then maybe there's another reason. Sure, I like Renly's work, but the constant praise is starting to get old. He's in front of us right now, and honestly, I don't think he's that special. I'd love a photo with him, but do I think he's the best actor in Hollywood? No."

"Just because he's won awards doesn't mean everything he does is gold."

"He's only twenty-four."

"Twenty-three, actually."

...

Renly's popularity was undeniable, and it seemed no one could agree whether it was earned or just part of the mystique.