King of Hollywood-Chapter 247 - 245 Cameo

Chapter 247: Chapter 245 Cameo

Chapter 247 -245 Cameo

“Sorry, you are… you’re Dennis Knight, right?” Joe looked at the man in front of him with a surprised expression.

“Yes, hello.” Dennis extended his hand, “Are you here to audition?”

“Of course, I’m Joe, Joey Tribbiani,” Joe shook his hand enthusiastically, “I really love your movies, especially the character in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ The scene where you inject Mia was just too funny.”

“Um… I think…” Dennis twitched his lips, “That should have been John Travolta’s role.”

“Really?” Joe’s mouth hung open for about two or three seconds, then he covered his embarrassment with a laugh and slapped Dennis hard on the back, “Anyway, you’re still amazing.”

“Thanks.” Dennis rolled his eyes and walked further inside.

“You too… right?” Joe thickened his skin and called out to him again, “If possible…”

“You could be a bit more unrestrained, more exaggerated, like taking off your shirt or something,” Dennis replied nonchalantly.

So, when the assistant announced the next person to come in, Joe couldn’t wait to jump in, and without waiting for Adrian, who was sitting in the chair, to speak, he ripped open his shirt to reveal his muscular upper body and began to “dance” passionately, swinging his arms, emphasizing his abdomen as if truly enjoying himself.

Everyone stared in astonishment, and several assistants at the audition automatically covered their faces, while Dennis turned his head away, not expecting his casual remark to be taken seriously. Adrian, although twitching at the mouth, said nothing until Joe paused with a “flirty” gesture, then he frowned and glared at him, asking, “Who the hell are you?”

Then he turned to his assistant and questioned, “This role is a stripper, right, but I didn’t ask you to find an actual stripper to perform!”

“Cut!” A voice came from offstage, “Ed, you glanced at the camera again.”

“Again?” Adrian raised his hands helplessly, “You’re not doing it on purpose, are you, Brinkley?”

“Hey, there are so many people watching, Ed.” The television director Brinkley, who was directing this episode, laughed out loud, causing those around him to burst into laughter as well.

“God, do I have to dance like that again?” Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey, lamented at this time.

“It’s okay, Joey, you danced brilliantly.” Jennifer and others teased from offstage, whistling.

“Hey, why don’t you guys come and give it a try?” LeBron, pretending to be dissatisfied, said.

“Because the director and scriptwriter only arranged for you to dance,” Dennis patted his shoulder reassuringly, “Jenny and the others are right, you really did dance well. You could make a living with this if you stopped acting.”

“What kind of compliment is that?” LeBron immediately punched them.

“Alright, gentlemen, give me a few minutes to adjust, okay? Don’t be too harsh on the newcomer.” Adrian sighed and interjected at this point. Directing was one thing, acting was another; although he could switch roles easily in life, it didn’t mean he could do so just as comfortably in front of a camera. Moreover, some habits were hard to shake, like knowing it was bad to look at the camera but still inadvertently glancing at it during filming because he was a director at heart.

“I have to admit, being an actor isn’t so easy,” Adrian said to Dennis.

“It’s all challenging.” Dennis sighed as he drank some water, looking somewhat gloomy as he watched the six main characters joking around nearby.

No wonder, in the beginning, his role wasn’t like this; the screenwriters had specifically arranged for him to play a lothario seducing Rachel for about two episodes, only for Ross to mess it up. But when Adrian agreed to make a guest appearance, he specifically requested that Dennis come along to play as himself.

“After all, we’ve worked together for so long; you could give me some guidance,” Adrian had said at the time, not hiding his “drag you into this” attitude. Dennis, of course, wouldn’t refuse, and so the current scene was created.

“It’s different; actors can transition to directors after years of accumulating experience, like that old fellow Clint Eastwood. But how many directors become actors after years of accumulating experience? Even Woody Allen is both an actor and a director,” Adrian said as he picked up a cup of water, took a sip, and then looked over at Jennifer and others in the distance, “Actors like Matt and Jenny, who have been playing the same role for a long time, can easily be typecast, so it’s better to move behind the scenes in the future.”

“Playing the same role for a long time? How long?” Dennis asked half-jokingly.

“About ten years,” Adrian shrugged, “You know, ‘Friends’ has exceptionally high ratings, it’s currently the hottest TV show, so as long as we maintain this momentum and avoid major mistakes, filming ten seasons shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Wow, that’s… really surprising,” Dennis said stunned. He wouldn’t doubt Adrian’s words; since getting to know him, Adrian’s judgments were never off, but if it were really like that…

He looked over at a not-so-distant spot where Jennifer, lively and exuberant, was chatting with a few friends, her smile beaming. Adrian, seeing Dennis’s expression and seeming thoughtful, stroked his chin but then shook his head, no longer dwelling on those thoughts.

Although Adrian’s acting in front of the camera wasn’t very good, his part wasn’t too big, so they managed to wrap it up that afternoon. As a result, all the crew members fervently applauded after the last shot was taken, whether it was more of encouragement or more of teasing was up to the people clapping.

This episode of “Friends,” after it aired, made the already high ratings jump a few percentage points higher. Joey’s acting was really funny, and Jennifer’s story in every episode, with its male and female perspectives, was also very interesting and heartwarming, naturally attracting those who already liked the show.

Of course, Adrian and Dennis’s guest appearances were also a reason. Dennis, well, the media now calls him a talented young man who can play any role, and he has quite a following. As for Adrian, although he had also appeared in the media a few times and had the title of Miracle Director, he still maintained a bit of mystery in front of the public compared to the big stars always in the spotlight. Along with their relationship and their interesting initial encounter, all were widely reported by the media, so such a guest appearing duo could not fail to attract attention.

But all that was still in the future. It was currently early November, and this episode was the penultimate episode of the first season, so it would at least be more than a month later, around the last two weeks of December, before it would air.

After completing the guest appearance on “Friends,” Adrian once again shifted to film work. The film currently most talked about—or more precisely, most promoted by critics—as a work of art was the recently released in the United States, Campion-directed “The Piano Lesson.” As it was a low-budget independent film, although many trailers had been released and much publicity had been done, including using the Venice Golden Lion Award as a selling point, there was still no premiere held. But many critics who had long awaited praised the film, particularly female critics.

“This is a masterpiece reflecting women’s awakening of consciousness! Campion has perfectly interpreted from both body and mind.”

“A heartbreakingly beautiful and enchanting love story, Campion depicts the various emotions women face when confronted with the clash between rationality and sensibility in her unique way.”

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“Holly Hunter with her delicate sign language and firm gaze has successfully portrayed a richly emotional yet oppressed beautiful mute, Campion has made an incredible attempt.”

Such praises were numerous, just like previously mentioned, women directors making films like this always cater to the taste of critics, especially those feminist critics who prioritize women’s rights.

With such reputation, plus the early publicity, the box office was naturally not going to be disappointing, grossing over 3 million US dollars on the first weekend. It might seem modest, but comparing it to the number of theaters showing “The Piano Lesson,” this figure wasn’t small; during the first week, it was shown in fewer than 200 theaters.

Of course, this result wasn’t great, considering the promotional costs, the film’s budget was also about 13 million, to make money at the box office, it would need to gross at least 40 million. There was no choice; theater owners are shrewd businessmen; they wouldn’t easily allocate more resources for a niche film, whether it’s a cult type with a specific audience or a small-scale film by a major director.

Generally, only particularly well-received B-movies can secure about 1000 theaters during their opening week. For a niche art film directed by a woman like “The Piano Lesson,” managing to open in nearly 200 theaters in the first week was already quite an achievement. No one could influence that; it was determined by the market.

But that didn’t matter, as long as the film did well enough, the number of theaters showing it would gradually increase, although it still wouldn’t reach the scale of a big production, but it could recoup costs through prolonged screening, much like “Pulp Fiction,” which played for almost half a year.

“The Piano Lesson” managing to gross 3 million US dollars in nearly 200 theaters had already proven its commercial value. Moreover, with its current reputation, being nominated for the Oscars was almost certain, and just being nominated would significantly enhance its appeal; if it managed to win Best Picture, it would certainly boost the box office further. In the history of the Oscars, there were many films whose box office significantly increased after winning Best Picture.

Unfortunately, this year’s Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars were already spoken for; with many people’s efforts, “Schindler’s List” had already started to enter Americans’ perspective from various channels. (To be continued, for further details, please log on to www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)