Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 37: An Agent

In the Hollywood film industry, agents play a very special role. They don't personally participate in any stage of the film production process, but they have the power to influence the development of films. They are truly the behind-the-scenes strategists who can turn the tide with a flick of their hand.

To simplify the complex and tedious work of agents, they act as intermediaries. They search for suitable film projects for actors, promote suitable actors to film companies, and negotiate higher salaries for actors. Many people misunderstand the work of agents, thinking they just rely on talking, but in fact, top-tier agents in Hollywood have positions in the industry that are not inferior to any producer. Many directors and actors even have to curry favor with them.

For example, when "Avatar" was about to start filming, if James Cameron wanted to find suitable actors, his first move would be to seek out top agents in the industry. These agents would evaluate and select candidates, then submit a list of potential actors for consideration, and only then would the actors get their chance to shine.

In other words, not just any actor can receive such news. Even top stars like Tom Cruise, without powerful agents, would have severely limited access to such information, let alone second or third-tier actors.

In general, major projects initiated by large Hollywood film companies are mostly controlled by top agents. Resources are tightly controlled and leaks are rare. The selection of cast and crew always remains within a specific range. Whether to give opportunities to newcomers, to push for a certain actor, or to have a top actor lead a group of supporting actors, the initial selection power lies with the agents. From directors to actors to screenwriters, and even cinematographers, all are subject to this process—unless it's a case like Michael Bay casting "Transformers," where he decided from the start to cast newcomers.

Conversely, if Leonardo DiCaprio hears that Alejandro González I?árritu is preparing to shoot a new film like "The Revenant," and he wants to star in it, his agent would step in to negotiate or arrange a direct meeting. Or if DiCaprio wants to shoot a commercial film, his agent would immediately start contacting major film companies to secure the latest and best projects for him, after which the agent would make the initial selection before presenting them to DiCaprio.

It can be understood that the higher the level of the agent, the more resources they have at their disposal. Film companies hope to find more suitable actors through these agents, while actors hope to find more excellent projects through them. Agents act as a vast transfer station, digesting countless pieces of information and redistributing them, laying the foundation for a film project.

An excellent agent can completely transform an actor. For example, audiences often wonder why they keep seeing a particular actor everywhere, in both commercial and art films. This is the work of their agent.

As a senior agent at the Innovative Artists agency, Andy naturally possesses extraordinary abilities and is considered one of the top figures in the industry. While managing the business of several A-list actors, he also sporadically discovers new talents or poaches from competitors to strengthen his roster, all part of an agent's daily work.

When "The Pacific" began filming, Andy received news that Steven Spielberg had dropped Joseph Mazzello and chosen an unknown newcomer for the lead role. There was some gossip for a while, but since "The Pacific" was just a TV series, its impact was limited, and the news was soon forgotten.

Not long ago, HBO internally screened "The Pacific," and discussions about this newcomer began to circulate intermittently. It was said that all five directors of the series praised the newcomer, believing him to be a natural actor; even the cast members were impressed by his talent and performance.

This caught Andy's attention. He couldn't help but be curious about this newcomer and his potential.

However, this curiosity wasn't enough to prompt Andy into action. There's a saying in the industry, "Hollywood can produce a hundred geniuses every day, but it may not birth a star in a year." This land is never short of talent.

This time, Andy came to New York on a business trip, planning to stay for two days. His flight back to Los Angeles was scheduled for tonight, and he had a three-hour gap in the afternoon before heading to the airport. He decided to visit Pioneer Village on a whim, just passing by.

After meeting, Renly brought a small surprise to Andy, not because of his appearance, but because of his demeanor, which displayed an uncommon calmness and wit for his age, revealing a rare demeanor. Hollywood is not a place where you can easily make your mark; every footprint is built upon a heap of bones. Renly's demeanor is truly valuable, possibly helping him go further.

Of course, it was just a "possibility."

"I know you're starring in 'The Pacific,' and I've watched the internal screening," Andy said, which was a lie since HBO hadn't opened any form of screening yet.

"That's good news," Renly's eyes lit up with excitement. "After seven months of hard work, our efforts are finally paying off. It seems we'll be able to see the finished product soon."

Andy's eyes flickered with a hint of darkness. While Renly's response was normal, it was also abnormal. Shouldn't the focus of their conversation have been on the agent's powerful capabilities? "It's an outstanding piece of work, I believe it will spark a storm of praise like 'Band of Brothers.'"

"Haha, I'll cross my fingers and pray," Renly responded, unperturbed as ever, which intrigued Andy even more.

For any newcomer actor, receiving an invitation from a top agent should not only be surprising but also exciting. So why was Renly so calm? Was it because he didn't clearly understand Andy's identity as an agent, or because he didn't fully grasp the importance of agents?

Watching Renly's smiling face, Andy felt that neither of these possibilities was likely. So it must be the third one: Renly was weighing things up. However, was Renly's composure due to arrogance or wisdom?

But that didn't matter. The relationship between agents and actors is a two-way process; both parties hope to choose outstanding partners for collaboration and pursue higher interests together. Whether arrogant or wise, it indicated that Renly was a clever person, which also meant that their future cooperation might spark more sparks.

An actor with goals, ambitions, and beliefs tends to go further in Hollywood.

"Do you want to become a star?" Andy asked a similar question for the second time, trying to probe further.

Renly smiled and shook his head. "No." This answer slightly surprised Andy. "I want to become an actor."

Andy's smile widened. Idealistic, perhaps, or simply naive. "The truly top-tier actors are stars."

"But not all stars are actors," Renly replied seamlessly.

Andy didn't immediately respond but paused for a moment, earnestly looking into Renly's eyes, trying to discern the emotions hidden behind them. He saw confidence, resilience, and determination. "In this world, there are many geniuses, but not every genius can succeed. Similarly, in this world, there are many dreams, but often they end in tragedy." In Hollywood, dreams are the cheapest commodity.

"Hehe." Renly chuckled lightly, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess only time will tell, right?"

No anger, no excitement, no impulsiveness, no defense—even no pretense of understanding. Renly's response truly impressed Andy. He broke into a big smile, as if enlightened. "I can't argue with that, can I?" After a pause, Andy began to probe again. "So, what kind of actor do you want to be? Like Jack Nicholson or Tom Cruise?"

The former is the epitome of contemporary American acting, while the latter is the most successful box office star in recent history. Andy's question was straightforward.

"I don't know. 'The Pacific' is just my first work," Renly's answer made Andy raise an eyebrow slightly. Honest and straightforward, without any pretense of understanding. His openness was even more impressive than Andy had thought. "Of course, if possible, I'd like to challenge different roles and explore different possibilities." Renly smiled. "I'm from the British Academy."

Andy suddenly realized—the definition of an actor from the British Academy is to handle different roles, to be versatile. An actor should be able to handle a thousand or even ten thousand roles, not just focus on one type of character or get lost in one specific role.

"That's not an easy task," Andy sighed, two short sentences conveying a wealth of information that satisfied Andy greatly.

Renly chuckled softly, looking relaxed and at ease. "If it were easy, everyone would do it."

Was this a rebuttal to Andy's earlier dose of reality? Cunning yet wise, this was another highlight. Andy's eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled brightly. He raised his cola, drank it in one gulp, then stood up, smiling. "If I don't want to miss my flight, I should head to the airport now."