Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 227: Fake It Till You Make It

Renly was still immersed in his own world. On the surface, his performance seemed effortless, but in reality, it wasn't that simple.

"Like Crazy" is a very special script that focuses entirely on the theme of "love." It doesn't delve deeply into the characters of Jacob and Anna. It weakens the individuality of the characters to highlight the theme of love, increasing the audience's resonance—everyone can find their shadow in this love story.

So, Jacob is a character without a strong personal feature. Renly thought that using a performance style to portray him would suffice. This project seemed like a final exam from his academy days, testing his abilities. However, after joining the crew, Renly had a different perspective.

Jacob indeed lacks sharp personal traits, but his inner thoughts reflect those of Drake Doremus. In simple terms, Drake always believed that he should take more responsibility for the failure of his marriage with his ex-wife, despite his insistence that there is no right or wrong in love, which is the theme of "Like Crazy." The details in the script reveal Drake's inner guilt and remorse.

This means Jacob is not a universal representation of a "man" but a specific individual. He is a somewhat introverted, somewhat insecure, somewhat idealistic young man. He prioritizes love above other aspects of life and wants to make Anna happy but is hesitant.

He's a homebody who enjoys working with his hands. When he's engrossed in making furniture, he's focused and happy. He's an introvert who loves music, poetry, and crafts, often entertaining himself quietly. He's a warm man who genuinely falls for the playful, confident, and straightforward Anna. His eyes can't leave her.

He's a person, a living person, not just a representative of the theme of love.

Renly was trying to integrate his understanding, reading, and performance into his role. He didn't want to exaggerate the small habitual actions but present them subconsciously, using his performance style to accurately convey emotions.

Honestly, the acting difficulty in "Like Crazy" doesn't compare to "Buried," but it gave Renly more room to think and ponder within his control. In that moment, he truly became Jacob. Acting is really interesting, isn't it?

"Renly, are you ready?" Drake called out to the dazed Renly. Renly made an "OK" gesture, took a deep breath, and entered Jacob's performance state again. Looking at Felicity in front of him, she gradually turned into Anna.

Felicity quickly glanced at Renly and whispered, "Sorry." Then she saw Renly's warm smile, a slight shake of his head, almost imperceptible, but the smile was like a gentle spring breeze, full of boyish charm, making Felicity's smile rise uncontrollably.

She liked this Jacob.

"I thought I understood, could grasp it, but I didn't. Not at all. All I saw was the surface, hiding the precious, suppressed longing within..." Anna read softly, feeling nervous and expectant, cautiously revealing her deepest secrets to a stranger, but she felt the warm and gentle gaze like a broad, dense wing embracing her.

She couldn't help but look up, meeting Jacob's focused eyes. She saw Jacob's soft cherry-colored lips tug slightly, forming an innocent and doting arc, making her heart skip a beat. The urge to kiss him made her look away in a panic, but the smile on her lips betrayed her true feelings.

"...I never realized that sometimes the whole is more important than the parts. 'The whole' is like a luxurious concept because it's divided into halves. Not knowing what's between the two halves, your broken pieces and my broken pieces."

Jacob carefully observed Anna's changing expressions, her shyness mixed with a bit of excitement, her cautious confidence, her softness with a touch of strength, and her nervous anticipation. Her beautiful eyes seemed to hold countless stars, making her whole face soft.

Jacob became bolder, no longer hiding, gazing at Anna greedily. It was like free-falling into a deep pool, the cold and heat contrasting, but the thrill of the fall made everything else insignificant.

Anna quickly looked up at Jacob and found his gaze unwavering. Even his blinking seemed forgotten. She looked away hastily, then heard Jacob's voice, with a hint of a smile, "I like that line, 'dividing the whole into halves is precisely a half.'"

The same words sounded seductive in Jacob's deep voice, with a touch of teasing. Before her brain could react, Anna laughed softly, finding it funny, "A bit childish."

Jacob's smile paused briefly, then he shook his head indulgently, "No." His magnetic voice echoed in Anna's heart, creating ripples.

Anna looked up again. Her heartbeat was no longer chaotic but made her excited and thrilled. She had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from smiling broadly. She wanted to say something but didn't know how to express it. Jacob's unwavering gaze left her no escape or room to think.

Anna bit her lip, seemingly annoyed by her own clumsiness, and then lowered her head, writing in her notebook, "I think your smile is cute."

Anna handed the notebook to Jacob. He read the words and chuckled helplessly. He took the pen and wrote under her line.

Anna couldn't help but watch Jacob, observing his profile, his slightly curly golden-brown hair, his lips holding a faint smile, his long and thick eyelashes... She tried to use her eyes to sketch his face but always ended up focusing on his eyes, imagining the swirling emotions within, making her cheeks burn.

Jacob handed the notebook back. Anna was startled, then took it and glanced at it. She looked up at Jacob in disbelief, seeing the pink blush on his cheeks, a mix of innocence and shyness. Anna lowered her head again, reading the notebook. It said:

"I thought you'd kiss me. Or are you waiting for me to make the first move?"

A bit awkward, a bit cute, a bit inexperienced, a bit sly.

"Hehe." Anna couldn't help it; her bell-like laughter spilled out. She turned to see Jacob's regretful expression, making her laugh even more, eventually bursting into laughter. She liked this man so much, she was almost crazy about him.

Turning around, Felicity saw through her eyes the shyly smiling man. Her vision was slightly blurred by a thin pink haze, unable to distinguish whether it was Jacob or Renly, just as she couldn't tell if she was Felicity or Anna. The rhythm and force of her heartbeat were so real, pounding in her chest.

She really, really liked this man.

"Cut!"

Drake's voice rang out again. Felicity heard it but didn't want to look away. She continued to smile brightly, looking seriously at the man in front of her.

After the shoot, the man seemed embarrassed by the impromptu moment—the words in the notebook were improvised. He raised his right hand and ruffled his messy hair. The slender, defined fingers glowed under the lights, capturing Felicity's full attention.

She couldn't tear her eyes away.

Felicity felt a bit panicked inside, but worse, she couldn't tell if this nervousness was the thrill of falling in love or the fear of confusing reality and illusion.

The man looked up, their eyes meeting again. Felicity saw a glint of light in his eyes, and her heart raced faster than ever before: he felt the same way! He, like her, had feelings! The tender gaze made her gently fall, and a happy smile spread across her face.

In that instant, the world was ablaze with light!

So, was this reality or acting? Was it real or fake?