Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 258: Little Dream

Important - Sorry guys, my mum was admitted to the hospital yesterday cause of a tumor. Take routine checkups of you and your family members guys.

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Many background actors are genuine movie enthusiasts.

For background actors, trying to make a living from it is evidently extremely challenging—not because the pay is too low but because job opportunities are truly limited. After all, background actors don't have specific performance or appearance requirements; anyone interested can participate, making the competition increasingly fierce.

Furthermore, many background roles are extremely tough. For example, background actors filming "The Pacific" might lie in the mud for an entire day or wait all day to appear on screen for less than a second. Similarly, background actors in "The Walking Dead" require four to six hours of special makeup and one to two hours to remove it, repeating this process daily.

Therefore, if they don't truly love movies, they can't possibly persist. Perhaps after one or two interest-driven attempts, they would give up.

Compared to actors, background actors are more like pure idealists, holding onto a never-realized actor's dream, embracing a great ideal of being born for movies, and tirelessly walking this path to the end. Stephen Chow started as a background actor.

The old man before him seemed to be the same. Renly found him rather interesting. His words and actions were all like this. Renly enthusiastically asked, "Alfred? Tell me, is this your real name or a stage name you specifically changed for acting?"

The name Alfred Wayne itself carries deep meaning. As is well known, Batman's real name is Bruce Wayne, and his butler's name is Alfred. Hearing a name like "Alfred Wayne" inevitably evokes associations.

"Oh ho ho," Alfred chuckled softly. Renly wasn't the first actor to catch the hidden meaning in his name but was the first to ask seriously without joking. His narrow eyes glinted with a sly light. "Who knows? I could have been a great butler for Batman, but I ended up as a decadent old extra. So, maybe that's my fate, or perhaps that's my real name."

His enigmatic words didn't hide his mockery and jest.

Renly's brow lifted slightly as he said meaningfully, "Is that why you dislike George? Or am I overthinking?"

In 1997, George Clooney played Batman in "Batman & Robin," his first major commercial blockbuster after becoming famous with "ER." However, this version of Batman turned into a complete disaster, not only flopping at the box office but also receiving terrible reviews from the media. Even worse, it faced countless attacks from comic fans.

This became a significant blemish in George's acting career. First, it led Warner Brothers to shelve the series for nearly a decade, and then it completely severed George's connection with superheroes. Even twenty years later, people still mock him for this work.

Before "Batman & Robin," 1995's "Batman Forever," directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Val Kilmer as Batman, was a huge success. It was acclaimed across North America and even considered one of the best comic adaptations of the 1990s.

However, during the sequel's production, many main actors, including Val Kilmer, quit for various reasons. Warner Brothers had no choice but to reassemble the cast, leading them to choose George.

Similarly, they wanted to find a new actor for the butler Alfred's role. The previous actor, Michael Gough, had already played the role three times, including in the version with Jack Nicholson as the iconic Joker.

Alfred's simple words earlier, combined with his conversation with Nathan, showed his resentment toward George. Renly then boldly guessed: Could Alfred have been one of the candidates for the butler's replacement back then?

Though "Batman & Robin" turned out to be a failure, no one knew that at the beginning of its preparation. Moreover, even if the box office failed, the blame wouldn't fall on a supporting actor. Therefore, for second- or third-tier actors, it was a golden opportunity. Unfortunately, Alfred missed that chance—Michael Gough ended up playing the butler for the fourth time, leading Alfred's acting career to decline, never getting another chance, and spending the rest of his days as an idle background actor.

Of course, this was just Renly's random guess, a result of his wild imagination.

Renly's words made Alfred pause, his expression a bit stiff. His nearly slit-like eyes sparkled with an unclear and murky light. For a moment, he seemed lost in memories. But it lasted only an instant, disappearing in the blink of an eye, almost making one think it was just a delusion.

"Oh ho ho," Alfred laughed heartily, "I wish that were true. At least it would mean I was somebody back then." His self-deprecating smile carried a hint of ease, making it hard to discern the truth in his words.

Renly didn't pursue the matter further, as it was someone else's privacy. "You are indeed somebody. It seems you've been in many productions. I feel like I recognize you."

"Really?" Alfred beamed, "Do you remember from which work? My latest was 'Grey's Anatomy,' where I played a doctor and appeared in the background every so often. Oh, and I have photos with the cast." He pulled out his phone, opened his photo gallery, and started browsing. "In fact, I've been working with them for over three years. If you've watched the show, you might have seen me."

"Three years, that's not a short time." Renly nodded, his eyes on the phone screen. "Did you actually participate in the surgery scenes?"

"Oh no, I was only in the hallway," Alfred enthusiastically explained. "This one is from 'Prison Break,' where I played a prisoner. And this one, 'King Kong,' as a background actor."

"Is that Peter Jackson?" Renly asked in surprise.

Alfred eagerly introduced his background roles to Renly, but some of the photos were older and not stored on his phone, so he found his Facebook page to show them further.

For background actors, they seem to lack any presence. Even if they tell family and friends, "I was in 'Fast & Furious 5'," when the movie comes out, they might not be able to spot themselves despite watching intently. They don't know which scenes will be kept or cut; they might be in the parts that got cut. Even if they weren't cut, they might only be glimpsed in passing.

They are actors, yet not really actors, having even less presence than a stunt double. Ironically, they are an indispensable part of the crew.

These photos are the only proof of their participation, their sole evidence of being "actors."

Alfred knew he was showing off, talking endlessly, and he couldn't help himself. But he could feel that Renly wasn't just being polite but genuinely interested, even asking detailed questions about the filming of certain projects, like a real movie enthusiast rather than an actor.

"Sorry, my introduction seems a bit long," Alfred put his phone away, showing a hint of embarrassment. Renly was an actor, a real actor. He didn't need to browse through these background photos; he could truly participate, stand before the camera, and bask in the spotlight. "You should know more about being on set than I do."

"I wouldn't say that," Renly chuckled. "This is only my third film. Of course, if we count TV series, hmm, let me think, it should be my tenth. That's quite a few, but still not as many as yours."

Alfred paused, then realized Renly was counting each episode of "The Pacific" as a separate work. He couldn't help but laugh, "I forgot, you're filming your first scene today, right? I'll be in that scene too. You should be able to spot me in the crowd."

"Sorry, but during work, I won't be able to look for you. Otherwise, the audience might think you're my love interest," Renly's teasing words made Alfred laugh heartily.

He liked this side of Renly. Even if it was Renly's perfect social facade, he still liked it.

Alfred took out a pack of Skittles from his pocket, poured some into his palm, and threw a handful into his mouth. Noticing Renly's curious look, he said with a smile, "When you give up certain habits, you inevitably pick up others."

Renly suddenly understood. He could guess that Alfred might have quit smoking—or maybe drinking—and developed a habit of eating candy instead.

"Would you like to try some? You seem quite curious," Alfred offered the candy pack warmly.

Renly shook his head. "No, I don't really like candy, except for milk candy." He said honestly, "It's just that your candy-eating habit reminds me of a friend. Ryan Gosling, do you know him?"

Alfred hadn't expected such a straightforward refusal. Most actors, for the sake of appearances, would accept it, whether they ate it or not. Even if they refused, they would usually find a good excuse, like saying they're dieting or working out. But Renly's refusal was so direct, yet Alfred didn't feel offended; instead, he smiled.

"Gosling, of course, 'The Notebook,' who doesn't know?" Alfred handed the Skittles to Nathan, who eagerly took them and poured a large handful. That straightforward manner made Alfred smile.

"Does he also like candy? I mean, Ryan."