The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1811 My Job
"...Okay, the Human Task Force is having lunch. The world's smartest people are gathered here..."

An elderly man, who looked to be over seventy, sat on a tattered, dark green sofa. He had a stubble beard, yellowed nails, and long, flowing white hair that gave him an ethereal air. He was gesturing wildly and talking animatedly. But his enthusiastic speech was interrupted.

"'Humanity Task Force'? Ha, why would anyone believe such nonsense?"

The white-haired old man's raised hands froze in place, staring expressionlessly at the... young man in the dark green sofa opposite him?

His full beard gave him a disheveled and weathered look, and his frizzy hair seemed to have its own ideas, stretching out in different directions and angles as if trying to touch the sky; his black shirt was unbuttoned at the top three, all crumpled up, making it impossible to tell how long it had been since it was ironed or washed.

His tightly furrowed brows left deep lines, recording the troubles and setbacks he had experienced day and night. Even if he didn't think about those things now, they still lingered and lingered, making it difficult to tell his age for a while and to give an accurate range.

But clearly, he didn't care.

He paused his busy work, looked up at the white-haired old man, and with an aggressive air, he could not hide the resentment in his words.

"Even if these people and these secret bases really exist, even if they discover a solution to infertility, it doesn't matter. It's all too late. The world has already been destroyed..."

"Do you know? Actually, it was already too late long before the infertility occurred."

"Card!"

Before he could even finish his lines or get a response, Anson had already stopped filming, closing his eyes in frustration and looking utterly annoyed.

"Feel sorry."

"Everyone, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I'm not in the right frame of mind."

A few rustling sounds arose from the film crew, and the tense atmosphere relaxed again as everyone went about their own business.

Anson opened his eyes again. The old man in white in front of him was awkwardly tossing his long, drooping hair back, a slightly comical gesture.

Clearly, the white-haired old man also realized this. "For God's sake, I don't envy those rock lead singers at all. I wish I could rip them off. But I can't. I spent three whole months growing my hair back. I don't want my past self to look like an idiot."

He uses humor, banter, and sarcasm with ease.

Michael Caine was intimately familiar with the filming set, moving with ease and effortlessly switching between his role and his identity as an actor. This composure and confidence, honed through countless experiences, allowed him to firmly grasp the atmosphere on set.

However, Anson, who was usually good at joking, was not in the mood at this moment and gave a wry smile. "Sorry, Michael, it was all my fault just now."

Michael Caine didn't even need to look up; he could tell from the tone of his voice, "Anson, you're too tense. The more you try to do well, the more likely you are to overdo it and make things worse. There's no need to be so nervous. I know I'm old, but I'm not a monster. There's no need to worry about me stopping breathing all the time."

His jokes and self-deprecating humor, interspersed with trivial moments, convey a sense of carefree spirit.

Before Anson could answer, Michael stood up abruptly. "I need some fresh air to clear my lungs from not smoking for so long. How about we take a five-minute break?"

Alfonso Cuarón stood up from behind the monitor, looking slightly flustered, as if he wanted to say something, but finally nodded and said, "Okay." Then, Michael strode out of the room, just as he had said, to get some fresh air.

Anson's tense shoulders slumped down, and he covered his cheeks with his hands in frustration, rubbing them vigorously. He was dissatisfied with himself, but he couldn't vent his frustration.

I took a deep breath, but it stuck in my chest for a long time. Finally, I let out a long exhale, and my whole body collapsed like a deflated doll. I slumped into the sofa and slowly, slowly sank into it.

He needs silence.

"Children of Men" has officially started filming.

Perhaps because the filming of "The Hangover" went so smoothly and effortlessly, using up all their luck, the start of filming for "Children of Men" was not so smooth, but rather bumpy and unsuccessful; but Anson knew that the real reason was not "The Hangover," but himself—

Of course, it's related to "hangover".

In "The Hangover," Anson plays Phil, who is at a crossroads on his path to adulthood. He is lost in the face of life's troubles and choices, and his trip to the Las Vegas party has a sense of reckless emotional release. Therefore, there is a subtle but objective gloom and sadness in him, as well as a sense of being trapped, restless and depressed.

For Anson, the role suited his mindset and state of mind, and he completed an excellent job. The filming went smoothly, but his performance in the role affected his subsequent work.

In "Children of Men," Theo is a character who is decadent, depressed, and even desperate. He is self-destructive and complacent, and he has a kind of resentful, indifferent, and even desiring-to-destroy-the-world attitude. To some extent, he can be understood as Phil's next phase.

In other words, if Phil continues to sink, collapse, and completely lose his way, he will evolve into Theo.

Anson initially understood it this way, but after carefully studying the characters, he realized his mistake. Phil and Theo do have some similarities, such as confusion about the future and frustration with life. However, in essence, they are two completely different people.

Faced with difficulties, Phil chose to vent his emotions, but he always remained calm. Therefore, in "The Hangover," Phil was able to be the one who regained his composure and sorted out the situation.

Theo chose to wallow in self-pity, partly because he condemned and hated himself, and partly because he distrusted himself and lost confidence in himself. He drifted aimlessly until the reappearance of his ex-wife Julianne disrupted his life, only to have her tragic death in front of him a few days later, which served as a wake-up call, making him realize his mistakes and finally find himself again.

Two people who seem similar are only "appearing" similar.

Therefore, this presents a test for Anson's performance.

The problem originates from this, and extends further from it.

For Anson, finishing filming "The Hangover" and immediately starting preparations for "Children of Men" meant he hadn't fully shaken off Phil's character before entering Theo's world. Coupled with the similarities between the two characters creating a sense of illusion, Anson was never able to separate the two roles.

Moreover, the filming of "The Hangover" went too smoothly, and I didn't have to put in much effort to get into character. Everything went so smoothly that I was subconsciously immersed in Phil's state and couldn't get out of it. If I wasn't careful, I would revert to Phil's state again.

Then, a problem arises: when Anson tries to escape Phil's state and enter Theo's mode, he often overexerts himself and still cannot accurately distinguish the boundary between the two characters.

Then it got stuck.

(End of this chapter)