The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1829 Breaking Free from Shackles
Ha ha ha ha.

Laughter surged through her chest. Annie couldn't control herself and burst into laughter. Her mood instantly brightened, and her eyes and the corners of her mouth were full of smiles.

On the other end of the phone, Anson's impersonation show was still going on.

“'No, I mean, I’m looking for a more special actor,' 'I can be special,' '...we’re looking for other people, not you anyway.'”

"Oh. I see. You could have just said it directly."

Anne's eyes widened in disbelief. "You really said that?"

Anson shrugged slightly. "Yes, that's what I said. I know they try to avoid hurting people and try to appear friendly, but a refusal is a refusal. Changing the way they do it won't seem so gentle; it will only make them seem hypocritical. In fact, leaving a sliver of hope and refusing in a tactful way seems more cruel to the actor."

Anne took over the conversation in a low voice, "Because as long as there is a glimmer of hope, the actor will not give up and will go home and toss and turn at night, clinging to that sliver of hope."

"So you'd rather they just say it."

Anson, "At least that's how I feel. Let's be decisive. There's no need to drag it out. I know it hurts, but it's like tearing off a band-aid. A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. It's better for both of us to get it over with."

Anne, "I didn't know you'd been through auditions like this before, and it sounds like quite a few times."

Anson chuckled. "So, do you realize now that the rumors about me in Hollywood have been misleading?"

"Obviously, there are some roles that I have to fight for myself."

“I did go through quite a few auditions like that, especially after ‘The Princess Diaries’.”

“Some auditions said they needed a handsome guy, a pretty face, and a good-looking guy. In teen romantic comedies, I wanted to be a popular character like in ‘Mean Girls.’ So I confidently and confidently appeared, stood there, and accepted the scrutiny and those critical eyes.”

"Then they said, 'No, you're too handsome, we need someone more ordinary.'"

"Damn it, for God's sake, we all know it's a lie, I just wish he would shut up."

Ha ha! Hahaha!

Annie couldn't hold back her laughter again, bursting into thunderous laughter.

Now Annie understands why Anson was so sensitive to that comment; they've both experienced the exact same situation.

People might think that being a "vase" (or "decorative vase") is the simplest kind of role, requiring only a pretty face. But the truth is quite the opposite. Hollywood is never short of handsome men and beautiful women. Casting directors are looking for more than just pretty faces; they're looking for "vases" with unique characteristics.

Not everyone can be Marilyn Monroe, and not everyone can be Tom Cruise.

Anson could sense that Annie's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He thought the conversation should continue, and whatever it took to help Annie was a good thing.

"Do you know what the most outrageous and ridiculous audition I've ever been to is?"

"I went on stage and waited for the audition director's instructions. He said, 'Action, you can start performing now,' so I presented my carefully prepared performance."

"However, they were chatting."

Anne gasped. "Oh, that's so rude."

Anson: "Yes, they can interrupt my performance and tell me it doesn't meet their requirements; they can also interrupt me and demand another performance."

But they didn't.

"In fact, the audition director had just said 'start' when he turned around and went into a conversation. If he wasn't ready, he could have waited."

Anne speculated, "Maybe they had already decided on the actors, and the so-called audition was just a formality, an event for outsiders to see."

Anson: “That’s what I was thinking too. So I stopped my performance and asked them, ‘Excuse me, did my performance interrupt your conversation? If so, I sincerely apologize.’” Annie’s eyes widened. “Jesus Christ! You said that.”

Anson: "They can do what they want, and so can I."

Anne: "So how did they react?"

Anson: "What else could I do? They told me to get lost. So I rolled away gracefully. How could a pacifist like me possibly scratch their cars parked in the parking lot?"

Annie was taken aback, then realized what was happening, and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh again, "Anson, are you serious?"

Anson: "I don't know. Maybe you've never really understood me. Maybe I'm actually a serial killer."

Anne: "Haha, dangerous men are more attractive."

Anson shrugged. "Now I understand why everyone is so captivated by me."

Annie burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. "Are you always this confident?"

Anson was very candid, “No, the recent cheers and applause have helped a lot. God, sometimes I really feel like I can move the earth, all I need to do is raise my hands high.”

Annie's laughter just wouldn't stop.

Anson, "You should also be confident, because you are a very good actor."

The laughter still lingered in her throat, but Annie paused slightly, her lips slowly softening, a hint of bitterness in them. "You noticed it too?"

Anson: "No, just a guess. You sound like you need a shoulder to lean on. It's a shame we're separated by the Atlantic right now, so at least I can bring some laughter."

A warm feeling welled up inside Anne. She pondered how to begin, but ultimately discarded the more complicated parts and got straight to the point: "I failed my audition."

"Again."

"I've lost count of how many times I've been rejected lately."

"No, in fact, I remember, the seventh time. The seventh failed audition, the seventh rejection in the competition."

“I just…” A jumble of thoughts surged through Annie’s mind, but she didn’t know how to express them. A deep sense of frustration gripped her heart. “I know this is part of Hollywood, I know this is life, even A-list Hollywood actors can’t get all the roles, but…”

"I'm just..."

All the words I wanted to say ended up being tangled up in a chaotic mess, and I didn't know how to express them.

After "The Princess Diaries 2" ended, the film received terrible reviews and lowered box office expectations, prompting Anne and Disney to start thinking about their next steps.

Disney doesn't mind continuing to build the princess universe, as it's part of the company's overall strategy, and they're happy to continue creating princess characters for Anne. However, they also realize that having Anne star in three princess movies in such a short time is too hasty, and audiences have lost interest. Perhaps they should slow down a bit.

Anne, however, was determined. She knew she needed to make a breakthrough, or it would be too late.

Hollywood now often compares Anne to Audrey Hepburn.

Without a doubt, Audrey Hepburn was a superstar of her generation, and "Roman Holiday" remains a classic to this day. However, over the years, Audrey Hepburn's acting skills have been criticized. She was trapped in the image of a princess throughout her life. Even when she challenged different roles, she dared not go too far to avoid damaging her image as an actress.

Anne faces the same dilemma; she must break free, otherwise, once the shackles are formed, it will be difficult to get rid of them.

However, things are not that simple.

(End of this chapter)