Full commitment

"Exactly what's his problem? Does he have to act as if we all owe him something? Does he want us to praise him as an acting genius? I know he's dedicated, but I really can't understand why he acts like he's the only one who's committed to this production, like he'd do anything for his performance and everyone else has to revolve around him. What's he trying to prove? In the end, it's all for the Oscars, it's disgraceful. I wouldn't be surprised if his agent has already arranged a press release. If he's so daring, why doesn't he follow Robert De Niro's example and actually become a taxi driver for a few months? That's true dedication."

"Shh, let's not discuss this."

"Why shouldn't we? This is America, freedom of speech is a fundamental right for everyone. He can act like this, so why can't I say this? Even if he's standing right in front of me, I'd say the same thing, right to his face... Seth! Uh-oh."

Seth Rogen's eyebrows furrowed slightly, impatience evident on his face. His usual amiable expression turned serious. "I'm just finding out for the first time that there are hidden talents in the crew. Apparently, there's a master actor who hasn't been discovered. If you're so confident, why don't you demonstrate yourself and show Renly how he should act?"

In front of Seth were two crew members, if he wasn't mistaken, they were part of the production team, handling the overall logistics of the production. They weren't core crew members.

Since the official filming of "50/50" had begun, the overall shoot had gone quite smoothly. However, over a third of the scenes were being shot in a real hospital. To avoid disturbing the hospital's regular operations, the crew had to be cautious and meticulous, and each shoot required careful scheduling and coordination. The production team was incredibly busy and swamped with work.

As the heart and tone of the entire movie, Renly's condition dictated the pace of the shoot. It had to be admitted that Renly's performance was genuinely impressive. After a few days of adjustment and experimentation, once he got into the groove, his acting had a natural flow and a seamless quality. For the crew, this was indeed a rare piece of good news.

However, starting last week, Renly's health had begun to show signs of trouble. First, he had a slight fever that lasted for about three days before subsiding. But soon after, he started experiencing stomach issues. He could hardly eat much, and it seemed to affect his sleep at night. Within a matter of days, Renly had visibly lost weight.

These weren't severe issues, and Renly's performance wasn't affected. The shoot continued without a hitch. However, Seth was deeply concerned about Renly's condition. He had arranged for a doctor to perform a simple checkup, which indicated that the gastrointestinal problems were impacting nutrient absorption, and the quality of his sleep was affecting metabolic processes. The doctor recommended that Renly take a short break and focus on recuperation.

However, "50/50" was in full swing, and halting production would result in incalculable losses.

Renly had no intention of stopping, even for rest. He refused the doctor's suggestion and was determined to wait until filming was over before considering recuperation.

Moreover, Renly wanted to truly experience what it was like to undergo chemotherapy. He didn't want to learn through mundane scripted scenes or mere imaginative exercises. He wished to engage in conversations with real cancer patients, those currently receiving treatment, to deeply understand chemotherapy.

Of course, with the prerequisite of obtaining the patients' consent.

Facing Renly's request, the production team negotiated with the hospital and secured approval from the patients. An agreement was reached: Renly could enter the chemotherapy room to interact face-to-face with the patients. However, cameras were to be excluded, and ideally, other companions would step aside as well.

Upon learning of this, the doctor recommended that Renly reduce his work pace, receive intravenous fluids, supplement his nutrition, and ease the pressure on his stomach. This way, he could enhance the quality of his rest and improve his overall physical condition. Renly agreed to this suggestion.

So, every day, Renly would spend two hours in the chemotherapy room, receiving intravenous fluids. He'd also engage in casual conversations with fellow "patients." The distinction was that while those patients were undergoing chemotherapy, Renly was receiving nutrition injections.

Initially, the production team had concerns that Renly, someone who didn't require chemotherapy, might arouse discomfort or even strong rejection among the actual patients. After all, strictly speaking, Renly was perfectly healthy.

However, surprisingly, Renly's interactions with the patients were harmonious. They chatted amicably, as if they shared intrinsic common ground. The chemotherapy room seemed to come alive, astonishing even the doctors and nurses.

As a result, unintentionally, the production pace had to be slowed down. The time the production team spent in the hospital also increased. This added numerous trivial tasks for the logistics team, forcing them into more coordination than ever. It became one of the busiest departments in the crew.

It was no wonder that some expressed dissatisfaction with Renly, especially given his unorthodox approach and disregard for conformity since he joined the team.

Yet, in Seth's eyes, these grievances were no grounds for malicious gossip.

Renly's dedication and professionalism were evident to them all.

Frankly, "50/50" was a uniquely styled indie film. For Will, it was a reflection of his personal journey. For Seth and Jonathan, it was a distinctive comedy. Even though it could be said that it aimed for an Oscar, there was minimal hope for such an accomplishment. In Will's own words, "He doesn't need to push himself this hard."

However, within the production team, some were blatantly ignoring Renly's efforts, and they displayed an air of condescension. They criticized him selectively, as if an actor's work wasn't worth mentioning. It was an insult and a profanity.

Even good-natured Seth couldn't hold back his anger. "Yes, this is the United States, and you have the right to express your opinions. But similarly, this is my production team, and I have the right to fire you! You'd better pray that I don't catch you for a second time. Otherwise, I guarantee you'll have to find work in Canada."

Given Seth's connections in Hollywood, blacklisting two ordinary logistics staff members was no challenge at all. His threat was not a mere jest.

"If you have nothing else to say, get to work now! Don't let me catch you again, slacking off and spewing garbage, you lot!" Seth's face lost its smile, his small eyes widened, emitting a sharp glint. He scolded them sternly before the two individuals hurriedly turned and fled.

Watching their departing figures, Seth felt no satisfaction in venting his anger. Instead, he remained concerned. He raised his head to look at Will beside him, his forehead creased in worry. Though he didn't voice it, his eyes conveyed his apprehension quite clearly.

Since joining the production team, Renly had poured his heart and soul into his acting, devotedly delving into his role. It was evident that portraying Adam was an arduous challenge for him. Other than acting, Renly had no time for social interactions. Not to mention the staff members, he even had no intentions of exchanging pleasantries with the core members, Seth, Jonathan, and Will.

It was all about the acting, and nothing else.

Just like the third day of filming, Renly's entire focus was on acting. This could be seen as undivided dedication or self-righteousness, as immersion or detachment. His presence in the crew seemed like a constant whisper of gossip.

However, the issue was this: what Seth and the others were concerned about wasn't the complaints from the staff members. It was Renly's current state in reality, his health. His well-being was genuinely worrying.

Moreover, Renly's state during acting, that all-encompassing immersion, seemed to blur the line between reality and fiction. It was almost impossible to distinguish whether he was acting or genuinely experiencing the emotions. Yet, Renly behaved perfectly normally, as if nothing was amiss, leaving people unsettled.

Facing Seth's inquiry, Will shook his head helplessly.

Every time he asked Renly about his condition, he would get a cheerful response, "I'm fine. Is something off about my performance?" Watching Renly, Will felt like he was seeing a mirror of his past self, everything was so vivid, to the point that Will wasn't sure whether it was a good thing.

They exchanged a look, sighed lightly, and each delved into their own thoughts as they walked toward the chemotherapy room.

The nurse had just said that Renly fell asleep while receiving intravenous fluids, a situation that hadn't occurred before. Both of them were extremely worried, so they had come specifically to check on him.

It was palpable that Renly's recent physical condition wasn't great. If not for the doctor repeatedly emphasizing that there was nothing wrong with Renly's body itself, Seth and the others might have suspected an issue had arisen.

Even if he was really immersing himself too deeply into his role, believing he had cancer, it was improbable that his physical condition would correspondingly falter. It wasn't that mysterious. Or was it?