Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 113: Emmy Nomination

"Mr. Hall, please get in the car."

Concise and clear, decisive and brisk, with an air of authority and firmness that brooked no refusal, obviously the demeanor of someone accustomed to giving orders. But Renly wasn't one to easily follow orders.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mr...," Renly paused for a moment, seemingly unable to recall the man's name, so he resorted to the generic "Mr." as a form of address. "My mother always told me not to get into strangers' cars," he continued with a hint of apology in his smile, nodding slightly before resuming his stride toward the direction of the bus.

Nathan was left dumbfounded, standing there bewildered; Fisher, seated in the car, raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly not anticipating Renly's response, but he remained composed, patting the back of the driver's seat. The driver released the handbrake, and the car began to move slowly along the road, soon catching up to Renly. Nathan glanced around, then hurriedly jogged to catch up, trailing a step behind Renly, ready to assist at any moment.

"I thought we were friends, and hearing you refer to me as a stranger truly saddens me," Fisher moved seats, sitting by the car door, opening it leisurely as he addressed Renly, the car moving slowly along the road, causing the vehicles behind to involuntarily slow down.

Fisher's words carried a faint smile, his friendly banter lacking some of the casualness and laziness usually found between friends, subtly revealing a calculated approach. "I came as a friend to pick you up. Firstly, to spare you the trouble of public transport; secondly, I hope we can sit down and have a real conversation face-to-face. Since our last call, I've been seeking an opportunity, but unfortunately, you've mostly been away in Europe."

With Fisher's explanation, if Renly refused to get into the car, it would appear as though he was in the wrong — as if their inability to sit down and talk for the past three months was solely due to Renly's leisurely jaunts across the European continent.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Renly's lips. He wasn't surprised by Fisher's demeanor; anyone who could break through the blockade of an innovative artist management company was clearly not to be underestimated.

Before Renly could respond, Fisher continued, "Honestly, you're an excellent actor with an unimaginable future, and what you lack right now is a top-tier agent. I can assure you that I can get you auditions for any role you desire." With just a few simple words, Fisher's confidence and assertiveness shone through, causing Renly to pause for a moment in his steps.

Renly couldn't help but think of the audition for "Buried." With a top-tier agent managing him, the chances of defeating Ryan Reynolds for the role would undoubtedly increase significantly. If he managed to land the role this time, what about the next time? Perhaps, the next time wouldn't just be competing against Ryan.

Noticing Renly's slight hesitation, Fisher seized the moment. "If you refuse to get in the car, we can walk like this all the way."

The driver cursed behind them, "Are you kidding me?" An airport was undoubtedly one of the busiest places in the city, and blocking lanes was absolutely not allowed; even a slight traffic jam would affect hundreds of thousands of people.

Fisher shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned. "I have all day."

Renly stopped in his tracks, glancing back at the long line of cars that had already formed behind them. Many drivers had stuck their heads out of their windows, trying to figure out what was going on. He chuckled lightly, "Looks like we'll be getting some tickets, I wonder if there'll be any court summons." Renly was teasing Fisher about disrupting public order, implying that surveillance cameras would capture their license plate and they'd be fined accordingly.

Fisher maintained his smile, unfazed, then shifted inside and extended the invitation. This time, Renly didn't refuse and got into the car directly. Turning back to close the door, he saw Nathan catching up, his face showing relief, and he gave Renly a big smile before shutting the door and promptly taking the front passenger seat.

With everything settled, the car started again, slowly accelerating, and the congested road finally returned to normal.

"Come on, what's the good news? You can tell me first," Since Fisher emphasized that they were "friends," Renly didn't hesitate to take the initiative and inquire.

Fisher looked puzzled, seemingly not quite understanding Renly's question. Renly chuckled softly, "I know there must be good news recently, otherwise you wouldn't be here, specifically checking my flight and waiting on the road. We both know your time is much more valuable than mine."

Unlike Renly's gentlemanly appearance, his words were direct and rough, skipping the formalities of social occasions and abandoning the mask of smiles, putting interests on the table to discuss. This made Fisher chuckle.

"Last week, the Emmy nominations were announced, and you're nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series. You'll be competing against Al Pacino, Jeff Bridges, Ian McKellen, and Michael Sheen," Fisher also didn't beat around the bush, stating the answer plainly and clearly.

This was definitely an unexpected surprise. Although Renly anticipated something, knowing that Fisher was willing to come all the way to New York, specifically checking his flight and waiting on the road, indicated that the good news was significant. But to be nominated for an Emmy, that was far beyond expectations.

In the American arts scene, there are four major prestigious awards: the Tony Awards for theater, the Grammy Awards for music, the Academy Awards for film, and the Emmy Awards for television. These four awards, known as the Academy Awards, are considered the top authorities in their respective fields, and winning any of them is the highest honor, representing the pinnacle of the industry, and the goal of every artist's tireless efforts.

Because these awards are given by four major academies, they are also known as the Academy Awards.

Among them, the Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, jointly held by associations on both coasts, represented by New York and Los Angeles, specifically honor television productions broadcast on the small screen. It includes various categories such as Drama Series, Comedy Series, Television Movie and Mini-Series, Reality and Variety Shows, and adheres to the principle of "quality first, ratings second" when awarding prizes. This has allowed cable networks like HBO and AMC to shine at award ceremonies, effectively promoting the development of the television industry.

Compared to the increasingly commercialized Grammy and Oscar Awards, the professionalism of the Emmy Awards has always been praised by industry professionals; compared to the increasingly niche and obscure Tony Awards, the Emmy Awards are far ahead in terms of popularity, recognition, discussion, and attention among ordinary viewers.

This year's Emmy Awards entered its sixty-second year, still garnering widespread attention. Drama series like "Breaking Bad," "True Blood," and "Mad Men," comedy series like "The Big Bang Theory," "Modern Family," and "30 Rock," all of these are acclaimed and highly anticipated popular series

However, in the Mini-Series and Television Movie department, this year saw a gathering of stars. Among the nominees for Best Lead Actor, there were four Oscar-level actors.

Among them, Al Pacino won the Oscar for "Scent of a Woman," Jeff Bridges reached the pinnacle of his career earlier this year with "Crazy Heart," Ian McKellen was nominated for the Oscar twice for "Gods and Monsters" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," Michael Sheen garnered three BAFTA nominations for "The Queen" and other films. Each of them is a seasoned veteran in the film industry, with the youngest, Michael Sheen, already forty-one years old this year.

The nominees for Best Lead Actor in Mini-Series and Television Movie have five slots in total, besides the aforementioned four, there is... Renly Hall, a fresh-faced newcomer under twenty-one, and "The Pacific" is his debut.

What's more, it's worth mentioning that the acclaimed series "Band of Brothers" swept the Emmy Awards back then, receiving nineteen nominations and six awards, but it didn't win any nominations in the acting department. But now, Renly has achieved it.

Renly would compete with four top-tier actors, and there's also Al Pacino, who starred in countless classic works! This... is truly incredible!

This couldn't be said to be impossible, but it's definitely unprecedented. No wonder Fisher came all the way to New York, and even came to the airport to pick him up, extending an olive branch proactively.

It could be said that after the airing of "The Pacific," which experienced ups and downs in public opinion, this was something no one had expected. Although Renly's performance received numerous praises, even the "The Pacific" crew praised him endlessly, this was still unbelievable.

Renly had almost shattered all impossibilities, earning his first nomination for an Academy Award.

Deep inside, waves of excitement were difficult to control. Renly could clearly feel the excitement and exhilaration in his blood. More than the nomination itself, the affirmation hidden behind it — the affirmation of his acting — was the most important. Regardless of whether he was truly, as George and Elizabeth had said, a talentless mediocrity, he had proven that his efforts, his struggles, his research had been acknowledged. Perhaps he wasn't a genius, but he still had the potential to become an excellent actor.

Feeling the surge of emotions in his heart, Renly couldn't help but show a hint of astonishment in his eyes, but he quickly turned it into a smile, teasingly saying, "Wow, I didn't foresee this kind of answer." Renly looked at Fisher, gently lowering his jaw, "It seems like I did my job well, didn't I?"

Faced with Renly's confident yet not mocking words, Fisher returned a smile, "Indeed, you did well."