First opportunity

When Roy Lockley arrived at Village Vanguard, it was a little past 8 PM, the peak of dinnertime. Three groups of people were waiting at the entrance for tables, which surprised Roy. However, after inquiring, he discovered that Renly had actually reserved a spot for him in advance, allowing him to skip the line and enter the bar directly.

After finding his place, the host greeted him warmly, "Please wait here for a moment, Mr. Lockley. Renly will be with you shortly."

Indeed, not long after, Renly briskly approached, "Good evening, Mr. Lockley." He greeted courteously and handed over the menu, "It's a busy time right now. If you haven't had dinner yet, please enjoy your meal at your leisure. After this rush passes, I'll return. Is that alright?"

Roy was momentarily stunned, looking at Renly before him in a navy blue printed shirt. His shirt sleeves were casually rolled up, and he had tucked his black tie into the gap between the third and fourth buttons, making it more convenient for work. His neat appearance carried a unique flavor. Roy was somewhat taken aback by this scene, finding it hard to react, but he reflexively nodded. Renly then swiftly introduced the menu and left Roy with time to decide, before turning and walking away.

In just two brief interactions, Roy believed he had mentally prepared himself for Renly's casual and carefree nature. Yet, at this moment, he still felt a strong sense of absurdity.

As a talent agent, Roy was personally visiting actors, informing them of audition invitations. However, the other party was... competently working as a waiter. Was this dedication? Or lack thereof? Roy felt a bit perplexed. Over the years, he had managed countless actors, but someone like Renly was truly a first.

Thinking about this, Roy couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Renly walked over with steady steps, taking a seat in front of Roy.

Although in a hurry, his pace and breathing weren't chaotic at all. His every gesture and movement exhibited sophistication and refinement that was truly exceptional. If Roy's previous impression of Renly was somewhat vague, it was gradually becoming clearer now.

"No problem. Tonight's performance was fantastic." The clock on the wall showed that it had just passed 10 PM. The wait time had indeed exceeded expectations, but Roy wasn't lying. This was his first truly relaxing moment in the past two months. A real relaxation. "I heard you occasionally perform on stage as well?"

Normally, Roy wasn't keen on chatting with actors. He kept things professional, efficient. But Renly was different. Every brief conversation with him yielded some insights.

"Occasional cameos," Renly turned his head to look at the stage. Tonight's performance featured an indie folk band. Their unique instruments—African drums, shakers, saxophones—interpreted the carefree and liberated sense of freedom inherent in folk music, quite distinct. "I'm not sure about your feelings, but music always brings me calmness and focus." Renly turned his gaze back to Roy, smiling. "I mean, apart from sleeping."

Roy was amused, "I can relate to that. But I thought you were more into classical music."

"Oh my, looks like I need to change my image. Do I usually give people such a stuffy impression? You're the second person today who's given me a different perspective on my image." Renly's jest brought a hearty laugh from Roy.

Roy shrugged, "Although I haven't extensively studied accents, I have no problem with a genuine London accent." Moreover, the manners that Renly displayed in his every gesture and step were ingrained habits that revealed a person's depth.

Take accents for example—picky and proud British people can distinguish not only between a London accent and accents from other regions, but even differentiate between East London and West London accents. Those small details of word choice and intonation often become the first basis for British people to judge one's family background the moment they speak.

"Seems like my immediate priority is to switch to a New York accent," Renly shook his head solemnly. His serious appearance was actually quite comical.

"Your Texan accent is already quite convincing," Roy evaluated with a touch of insight.

"But it's not as popular in New York." Generally speaking, across the North American continent, there's discrimination between the two shores, and the northern part discriminates against the southern part. The United States also discriminates against Canada above and Mexico below. Self-proclaimed cultural elites in New York are undoubtedly unique, rivaling Londoners.

"Haha, that's a fact." Roy nodded in affirmation. "Aren't you curious about the details of the project's invitation?" While Roy intended to continue the casual conversation, his professional instinct couldn't help but emerge.

"Oh, right." Renly suddenly realized, "So, what's the invitation about? I was quite curious this afternoon."

Watching Renly's composed demeanor, Roy didn't feel stifled; instead, he found it amusing. What he was truly looking forward to was Renly's reaction upon hearing the details of the invitation project. "Well, it is "Thor", an invitation from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures. They hope you can audition for the role of Thor, the God of Thunder."

In the lengthy history of film development, with regard to comic book adaptations, they can be divided into three eras. The first era was before 1978 when comic book adaptations had virtually no market. Marvel and DC, the two major comic book companies, were always inextricably linked in the geek market.

The second era spanned from 1978 to 2008. In 1978, Christopher Reeve's portrayal of "Superman" ignited the market, kicking off two decades of DC Comics dominating the film market. In 2002, "Spider-Man" burst onto the scene, followed by "X-Men", which led to Marvel's resurgence. However, during this phase, comic book adaptations were like Duan Yu's Six-Meridian Divine Sword, sometimes effective, sometimes not.

The third era began after 2008, starting with the emergence of "Iron Man". Comic book adaptations truly became a new type of film, even becoming the cornerstone of the film market. No film company could underestimate the potential behind comics. This marked the beginning of a new era.

Just last month, "Iron Man 2" premiered in North America, grossing a stellar $128M during its opening weekend, ranking fifth in box office history. Its cumulative box office after four weeks also reached $275M, comfortably crossing the $300M threshold, leading comic book adaptations to new heights.

"Thor" was greenlit against this backdrop and the attention it garnered was well-deserved.

"Thor, the God of Thunder?" Renly's initial reaction was to freeze, not because of the significant investment in this film, but because Thor's on-screen image and Eugene in "The Pacific" were practically polar opposites. If the casting was for Ang Lee's "The Incredible Hulk", one could understand that Ang Lee wanted to highlight the stark contrast between Bruce Banner before and after transformation, and that's why they chose Renly for the audition. But Thor? From a casting perspective, Renly couldn't comprehend the connection.

"Hanks has openly praised your potential on at least three private occasions. Your performance in "The Pacific" was also quite persuasive. Frankly, many film companies now believe you could be the next Brad Pitt." Roy explained simply, causing Renly to suddenly realize.

However, upon hearing the last sentence, Renly couldn't help but chuckle. Brad Pitt.

Of course, when Brad just started his career, works like "Legends of the Fall", "Twelve Monkeys", "Seven", "Fight Club", and others indeed garnered quite a bit of praise for his performance. However, Brad Pitt was never an actor known for his acting prowess.

If they were to label Renly this way, he would probably suffer. "I'm not very interested in comic book adaptations," Renly replied this way.

Roy was dumbfounded. He had considered various possible responses from Renly, including a "refusal". However, he had never expected that Renly would reject the proposal so decisively and straightforwardly, without any thought or hesitation, casually declining the offer. This... was simply too bewildering. Roy felt like his heart couldn't bear it, so he grabbed his beer and took a big gulp, then another. He needed to calm down.

"Renly, do you know how enormous the investment is for this project?" Roy thought that Renly might be a pure rookie who was unaware of the industry's inner workings, which is why he rejected so straightforwardly.

In Hollywood's casting process, there's an unwritten rule: to become the lead in a top-tier blockbuster, whether male or female, one must undergo certain experiences. Although people often see overnight success and Hollywood fairy tales of instant fame, examples like Megan Fox starring in "Transformers" or Joe Alwyn starring in "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" are truly rare.

Most of the time, actors need a solid foundation, often starting with obscure small productions. They use their performances as leverage, enchanting top-tier producers through the finesse of top agents. A portfolio of work, impressive performances, and top agents are all crucial. From a completely unknown actor to becoming the lead in a top-tier blockbuster, it would take at least two or three years, if not more.

When Frances Parker saw Renly's performance in "The Pacific", he called Tom Hanks and told him he could push Renly to the top in three years. This time frame wasn't just a baseless claim but a depiction of real-life reality.

Now, Renly had only appeared in one TV series, and without a agent's endorsement, he had already entered the casting stage for a top-tier film. Although it was just an audition invitation, it meant that Renly could have face-to-face conversations with those big-name producers. Regardless of whether the audition succeeded or not, this would also serve as the gateway for Renly's next project.

For instance, when the next big production emerges, even without the help of top agents, Renly's name would be on those producers' desks. Such a scenario isn't one in a million, it's truly a needle in a haystack. An opportunity that others might strive for three years to obtain was now presented before Renly—an extremely rare chance!

But Renly had actually declined it! Even someone as composed as Roy felt his jaw almost dislocate at this point.