America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 864 Dissociative Identity Disorder

In summer, Los Angeles gets hot once the sun rises high in the sky.

A dozen paparazzi gathered in the shade near the main entrance of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, glancing at the entrance every now and then, waiting for their target to come out.

Last night, a news source revealed that Martin Davis spent the night at a hotel with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.

These Hollywood stars are so reckless; they have absolutely no moral compass.

However, the paparazzi are used to it; isn't the entertainment industry all over the world just like this?

Not long after the hotel's main entrance opened, Martin, wearing sunglasses, came out with Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain and walked towards the roadside parking area.

The three walked and talked, laughing and interacting physically, indicating a close relationship.

The paparazzi snapped photos with their cameras and video recorders. While the rumors about Martin weren't particularly valuable, they could still fetch a few thousand dollars.

The reason Martin isn't worth much isn't because he's not famous enough or isn't popular enough, but because he has too many scandals.

For example, if they took photos of Tom Hanks cheating, that would definitely be a huge news story that would shake the entire United States.

But getting a picture of Martin is just that.

Seeing the three shameless Hollywood stars get into the car, the paparazzi immediately dispersed, either tweeting or contacting other media buyers.

In less than half an hour, the gossip about Martin meeting two people by himself had spread all over the internet.

The onlookers were all amazed.

Martin personally drove Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain away separately, and then went to the Beverly Hills Psychological Clinic.

A few days ago, he made an appointment with Laura, the psychiatrist he worked with when he played the Joker.

In the spacious office, Dr. Laura, wearing a white coat, pushed up her glasses, glanced at Martin sitting opposite her, silently opened the cabinet, took out one of the blankets, and said, "I've always prepared this for you, but you haven't come again."

A few years ago, Martin claimed that he had serious psychological problems caused by the Joker and came for treatment every week, but in reality he just slept for a short while.

He didn't take the blanket, waved his hand, and said, "I came here for consultation today not because I have a problem, but because of the role."

Dr. Laura pulled the blanket back and asked, "A character like the Joker?"

Martin stated directly, "I don't know if you haven't seen the news, but I'm preparing to play a character with multiple personalities."

Because of their past interactions, Laura had been following news about Martin, and nodded slightly, saying, "Based on Billy Milligan's work?"

Martin opened the bag he had brought and placed some documents on the table: "This is Billy Milligan's personal information."

"No need," Laura smiled. "Billy is the focus of research for all psychologists in North America. I studied all his cases in detail back in college."

Martin wasn't surprised. Not only in professional circles, but even many Hollywood characters with multiple personality disorder were modeled after Billy Milligan: "I came here to ask about multiple personality disorder."

He simply said, "Although I've met Billy a few times, he's so ill that he can't get out of bed and has difficulty speaking. I've also met a few other patients with multiple personalities, but they're not as clear-cut as Billy; they seem somewhat abstract."

The conversation gradually veered into Laura's area of ​​expertise, and she asked, "What aspect are you referring to as abstract or concrete?"

Martin thought for a moment and said, "In the few patients I've seen with dual or triple personality disorder, the expression and feeling of each personality is not particularly different from the other personalities. They may manifest in various ways in life, but if put into a movie of more than two hours, it will definitely confuse the audience."

Laura's psychiatric clinic is located in Beverly Hills, and its main clients are actors. She immediately understood Martin's meaning and said, "I don't know much about acting, but the manifestation of split personality... well, how should I put it, everyone probably has two or three sides on a psychological level. Most people can control it and decide when to use which face to deal with a certain person or thing."

Martin nodded slightly. In fact, that's just how he is, and even most Hollywood stars have two or more faces to deal with different situations.

Laura added, "In some patients with multiple personality disorder, in the initial stages of the illness, the hidden side or multiple sides are constantly amplified, gradually becoming independent and forming a semi-complete or complete self-awareness. The latter is relatively less common, but it is particularly obvious."

Martin understood: "So, in other words, the other personalities of the patients I've seen may not have fully developed self-awareness?"

"That's possible," Laura explained simply. "Patients like Billy are extremely rare, even among those with dissociative identity disorder. According to the records left behind, each of his personalities had a fairly complete sense of self."

Martin asked, "Does each personality type also have its own distinct outward expression?"

When discussing work, Laura was quite serious: "That's exactly what I wanted to say. If you want the audience to clearly distinguish each personality in the film, you can start from this aspect. From what I understand, each personality, once it becomes a complete entity, will have its own character and hobbies, from the small things like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and joys and sorrows, to the big things like their views on the world."

Martin pondered and said, "External characteristics are a manifestation of inner character; distinct external features can express entirely different personalities."

Laura said, "I don't know much about professional acting."

"Thank you for your help." Martin did gain something from the experience.

Laura smiled, went to the filing cabinet at the back, took out a few folders, and pulled out some documents: "I have some case studies here, the kind that can be made public, which might be helpful to you."

She sighed: "Actually, there are several more typical cases, but the patients' families requested confidentiality, so I cannot disclose them."

Martin took the documents and discovered that one of them belonged to a murderer. He said, "These will be of great help to me."

Laura added, "After you've finished reading it, remember to return it to me before the end of the year."

Martin carefully accepted the money: "I'll return it to you in November."

David Fincher is currently preparing for the project, and filming for "Split" is expected to begin in early November.

Laura smiled and said, "It can be done before the end of the year."

Martin quickly said goodbye and left. After returning home, he looked at the information Laura had given him.

The focus was on a serial killer.

This man committed a series of crimes in Stockton, California, resulting in the deaths of six people and serious injury to one.

All the victims were unrelated; the murderer killed them randomly at night.

The murderer was an elite executive at a company, from a well-off family. After his arrest, his lawyer applied for a mental illness diagnosis, and he was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, with his second personality exhibiting severe antisocial tendencies.

In his daily work and life, this person was very gentle and was recognized as a good person by those around him. No one expected that he could commit such atrocities as serial killings.

Laura gave Martin not only written materials, but also some photos.

Martin selected two images that best represented the contrast between gentleness and violence: one of the murderer at work, and the other of him being caught during his last crime.

Although they look the same, their expressions make them look like two completely different people.

They are still two people whose lives are separated.

One is a well-dressed, mild-mannered social elite, and the other is a hitman who wanders the dark alleys like a vagrant.

This also gave Martin some insights.

Differences in clothing, styling, and demeanor are also key to character portrayal.

Sometimes, when someone wins an Oscar for acting, their makeup and styling are even more important than their acting skills.

The most typical example is Charlize Theron.

Actually, after watching many of Charlize Theron's movies, it's not hard to see that her acting skills are just average.

Martin carefully reviewed the documents he had brought for a while, then called Thomas and asked him to contact the prison authorities to see if he could meet with the serial killer.

In the ending of the script for "Split," the male protagonist will develop a terrifying personality, a sadistic killer.

Although the film is adapted from Billy Milligan's life story, the script is not a repetition of reality, and the plot is even more unrestrained and brutal than Billy Milligan's experiences.

Thomas acted quickly, contacting the state prison directly.

Martin met the murderer three days later. Although the man was wearing prison clothes, he gave off a gentle and refined feeling.

He looks like an ordinary person.

Martin actually wanted to see the serial killer's side the most, but the time they could meet was limited, and the prison wouldn't allow him to deliberately provoke the other person and cause him to lose control of his emotions.

After a half-hour meeting, Martin left the state prison.

In the car, Thomas asked, "How is it?"

Martin said, "There were gains, but not many; we didn't see what we most wanted to see."

Thomas said, "I can't exactly have him kill someone right there for you to see."

Martin rested his arm on the armrest of his seat and said, "I've experienced the feeling of suddenly killing someone, and I'm no less capable than him."

Thomas remembered that Martin wasn't just any Hollywood star; he had actually killed people, and apparently, the number of people he killed was in double digits.

Back in Burbank, the car drove straight into the Disney studio.

David Fincher assembled his team and is preparing "Split" at Disney Studios.

In the office, Martin met David Fincher and first congratulated him: "I didn't expect your political thrillers to be so brilliant. I heard that 'House of Cards' broke a series of Netflix streaming records?"

David Fincher said with a smile, "Netflix's unique on-demand model deserves a lot of credit."

Martin said, "In the past, TV stations broadcast shows weekly. Netflix releases all the shows at once, which allows people to watch to their heart's content. This broadcasting model is more suitable for today's fast-paced life."

David Fincher agreed: "If House of Cards had continued to air weekly, it would still have received good reviews, but not to the extent it has now."

Martin said, "Perhaps Netflix will bring another possibility to Hollywood." He then returned to the main point: "Is the project progressing smoothly?"

David Fincher briefly explained, "The studio is currently building sets, and there are relatively few scenes in the film. I plan to film all the scenes in Los Angeles. This film will be presented on a micro level, and your role is of utmost importance."

Martin understood what he meant: "I'm already making preparations. I just met a serial killer with a split personality at the state prison. After the Interstellar promotional tour ends, I plan to meet more people with schizophrenia and go to relevant treatment centers to experience life firsthand."

David Fincher said, "The core of this film is your character development, not the story. Are you trying to win another Oscar with this film?"

"That's obvious," Martin replied. "Yes, I'd love to win another Oscar for Best Actor."

David Fincher is currently in the second peak of his creative career, and his state of mind and thinking are exceptionally good. He said, "As we agreed, I will not show 24 personalities. The film has limited time, and doing so would only make each personality appear superficially, and the audience would not be able to tell who is who."

Martin continued, "I agree with you. We will select a few distinct personalities and describe them in detail. I will give each individual personality its own characteristics, making them truly independent individuals."

He explained in detail the role he had been thinking about over the past two days.

"There's one thing, it's not quite accurate, and it differs from what I was thinking," David Fincher said, knowing Martin's style and that he's someone who listens to advice. "While different personalities, when portrayed with simple, stereotypical acting, are more likely to leave a lasting impression on the audience, they aren't completely separate; rather, they're derived from one person."

Martin looked thoughtful.

David Fincher, speaking from a director's perspective, said, "Your performance needs to be controlled. When you're in control, the character you're portraying has both singularity and independence. When you're in control, you also need to make the audience feel that this is a complete person, controlled by different personalities in turn."

He emphasized, "These personalities do not exist completely independently; you must grasp the connection that exists between them."

Movies aren't reality. Directors like David Fincher have more authority on movies and characters. Martin listened to him, pondered for a moment, and said, "A massive face-changing and costume-changing show? I am me, and yet I am not me?"

David Fincher understood and nodded slightly: "That's not wrong."

He reminded him, "Martin, you just need to focus your energy on the character itself. Leave everything else outside the character, including the story, logic, and genre of the film, to me and Louise."

Martin responded, "I will do my best to portray this character, and please remind me if I overdo it during filming."

"I believe in your acting skills; this role shouldn't be difficult for you." David Fincher briefly commented on the film: "I plan to make this film a dark, suspenseful, and deadly thriller."

Martin said, "You'll be in charge of the overall film, and I'll handle the character development."

Afterwards, the two discussed more related work.

Filming for this movie will begin in early November. David Fincher is known for his meticulous work and has planned a 70-day shooting schedule.

Martin then joined Nolan's crew and began working on the promotion of "Interstellar".

(End of this chapter)