Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 129: Nervousness

A/N: Welp, had posted the wrong Chapter...

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"Nervous?" Rami nudged Renly's shoulder, looking more anxious than Renly himself.

Renly chuckled wryly, "Nervous." He spread his hands, "But there's nothing I can do about it."

Rami was momentarily taken aback by Renly's blunt awkwardness, then burst into laughter. Even Merritt, sitting on the other side, showed a friendly smile.

Renly wouldn't deny it; he was indeed nervous. His tension felt like a bowstring being slowly drawn tighter and tighter, yet the arrow never released.

Compared to earlier when he watched other awards being handed out, the tension had actually lessened. Observing others from the sidelines and then suddenly having it be his turn made him relax unexpectedly. Regardless of who the winner was, the result was finally going to be revealed, and a weight would be lifted off his chest, much like Hugh Laurie—who, even if he lost, wouldn't have to endure the suspense any longer.

But even so, the fluctuating anxiety and the brief blankness before the result was announced made his palms sweat.

Renly knew his chances tonight were slim, very slim.

Among the five nominees for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, Michael Sheen from "The Special Relationship" and Ian McKellen from "The Prisoner" were the first to be ruled out. The overall strength of their works wasn't quite there, and neither had garnered enough attention. Even for Ian, people saw his fifth nomination, his second consecutive one, as an honor in itself, without believing his performance in "The Prisoner" was award-worthy.

Jeff Bridges from "Dog Year" was quite special because the quality of the film itself was average, but Jeff's momentum over the past year was undeniable. "Crazy Heart" had swept the recent awards season, with thirty years of acclaim and overdue recognition flooding in. People seemed ready to vote for him without even watching his performance, making him a strong contender for the Emmy.

In terms of pure acting, Renly in "The Pacific" and Al in "You Don't Know Jack" were unmatched.

Since "The Pacific" aired, the series had been shrouded in controversy, but Renly's performance received unanimous praise. Though he didn't single-handedly save the series, his performance truly embodied the director and writers' vision, completing the puzzle and elevating the show. His nuanced, effortless, and natural performance was indeed praiseworthy.

Being nominated for an Emmy with "The Pacific," a war series with ensemble scenes and grandiose spectacles, was itself a testament to the professionals' recognition and admiration for Renly.

However, the constraints of "The Pacific" and Renly's status as a twenty-year-old newcomer seemed like insurmountable barriers preventing him from winning his first Emmy. Moreover, competing against a TV movie was inherently unfair—performances in condensed films tend to have an edge.

Given this context, Al Pacino's strong reputation, outstanding quality, and solid ensemble performance in "You Don't Know Jack" made him the front-runner. The only question was whether Jeff could continue his winning streak from the Oscars to the Emmys.

Renly was well aware of this. This was his first nomination, already a significant recognition. Attending the awards was about participating, yet he couldn't help but feel tense, as if a dozen little butterflies were churning in his stomach. When presenter Tina Fey took the stage, Renly exhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves—though his heart still pounded fiercely, to the point of mild pain, he managed to regain his breath.

As Tina gave a brief introduction, the screen displayed the five nominees. Renly noticed a crane camera descending from the ceiling, aimed at him from a distance. Compared to the other four nominees, his seat was not only further back but also in the middle, a small detail indicating that NBC, the broadcasting network, didn't favor his chances.

Renly tried to maintain a serious, handsome expression, like Leonardo DiCaprio or Tom Cruise at the Oscars, but seeing his slightly stiff face on the big screen, he couldn't hold back a chuckle. The smile spread, brightening his face and reaching his eyes.

Watching the ceremony outside, Hope Bates caught this moment and couldn't contain her excitement, screaming and pointing at Renly's smiling face on the screen, unable to say anything, just screaming repeatedly.

William and Graham missed the moment, looked at the screen following Hope's gaze, but the director had already switched the camera. Confused, they asked Hope what happened, but she couldn't speak, just screamed and jumped in place, overwhelmed with excitement, her eyes brimming with tears.

Rami also noticed Renly's change and couldn't help but laugh quietly, "Did you just laugh on stage?"

Renly pursed his lips, finding it increasingly funny, his laughter filling his eyes. Rami, even more amused, whispered, "All of America saw it. You're toast." His schadenfreude was barely concealed.

Renly confidently shook his head, "The director cut away quickly; no one will notice." Even if they did, he was just a nobody; no one would care.

Outside, Hope was still screaming, "Ahhh!"

The nominee introductions concluded, and Tina, without pause, opened the envelope and spoke into the microphone, "The 62nd Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie goes to..." She pulled out the card, the audience fell silent, eyes on Al and Jeff, the veteran contenders. Tina glanced at the card, then looked up with a meaningful smile, "Renly Hall, 'The Pacific.'"

Wait, who was the winner again?

Renly Hall, that was his name, so he won? Renly was stunned. How did he suddenly win? Emotions hadn't even surfaced when Rami jumped up, "Renly! Renly! Renly!" He shouted wildly, then gave Renly a huge hug, "Buddy, you won! Buddy!" Rami was incredibly excited, even more so than Renly, his eyes shining with joyful tears.

At that moment, Renly finally realized, he had won.

Emotions surged, everything felt surreal, like a beautiful dream. All the good things happened: he got the role in "The Pacific," he started his acting dream, he received the nomination... and now, he won his first Emmy, one of America's top four awards.

He proved his talent, his effort, his perseverance as an excellent actor. He carried his parents' disapproval, his dream's weight, his family's pressure, and proved he could be a great actor.

"You're just a foolish daydreamer; your chances of success are zero!"

George's harsh, cold words still echoed, but now, everything had passed, disappeared like smoke.

More than feeling touched, excited, or thrilled, it was disbelief. Happiness came too quickly, catching him off guard, leaving Renly unsure how to react. Then, in his vision, the crowd swarmed him, James, Merritt, familiar and unfamiliar faces blurred together.

Renly found it hard to breathe.

"Ahhh!" William jumped up, screaming like a madman. He didn't know what to say, couldn't say anything, just screamed, expressing his joy and excitement, then faced Graham, clenched fists shouting, "Ahhh!"

Nearby, Hope, like a madwoman, ran around shouting, "Ahhh!" towards the fans of "The Big Bang Theory" and "Glee" not far away, excitedly screaming, expressing her excitement, "Ahhh!" She didn't speak, but her actions were clear—

Recalling the unnoticed state online, the exclusion on the red carpet, Hope's heart swelled with joy and elation, shouting loudly, "Ahhh!"

Others looked at Hope's exaggerated actions like she was crazy, but she didn't care, just screamed wildly. This was Renly's moment, their moment!

"Congratulations!" Tina said loudly, leading the applause. The audience reacted, clapping enthusiastically.

Tonight, everyone witnessed the rise of a new star, defeating Al Pacino, Jeff Bridges, with his brilliant performance in "The Pacific," winning an Emmy with his debut, impressive and outstanding! From shock to surprise, to delight and blessing, the applause was thunderous.

Al Pacino smiled wryly, shaking his head with a mix of resignation, regret, and gratification, then raised his hands to applaud.

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200 powerstones - 1 bonus Chapter