*Chapter 194: Filming in Progress*

Miss Congeniality is about a tomboyish FBI agent.

Gracie Hart is a female FBI agent known for her rough manners and lack of grooming. Her colleagues don't even see her as a woman.

One day, the FBI receives information that a terrorist plans to detonate a bomb at the Miss United States pageant. To prevent this disaster, the FBI sends Gracie undercover as a contestant in the pageant to investigate the truth. With the help of her friend and superior, Eric (played by Richard), she ultimately catches the terrorist.

This is a comedy film, and the lead role of Gracie is played by top actress Sandra Bullock.

Sandra, now 36, debuted in 1987 and has starred in numerous films, including Love Potion No. 9, While You Were Sleeping, Fire on the Amazon, and Demolition Man.

In 1994, she co-starred with Keanu Reeves in Speed, which grossed $350 million worldwide. This success catapulted Sandra to Hollywood’s A-list, with a salary reaching $10 million.

In 1996, her outstanding performance in the romantic film Two If by Sea earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, further boosting her career.

In 1998, she founded Fortis Films, beginning her work as a producer.

Sandra is known for her versatility, having played various roles such as secretary, psychologist, singer, environmentalist, police officer, computer programmer, lawyer, doctor, and writer. Initially, she was mostly in romantic films and even played "eye-candy" roles. However, she’s now exploring comedy, and last year’s comedy film 28 Days performed well at the box office.

This year, she’s not only starring in Miss Congeniality but also serving as its producer.

The film’s director is Donald Petrie, a renowned comedy director who has helmed several successful films, including My Favorite Martian and Grumpy Old Men.

The film’s biggest supporting actor is Hollywood legend Michael Caine, a 66-year-old star who has received five Oscar nominations, winning once for Best Supporting Actor. He’s also ranked 55th on Empire magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential Male Movie Stars of All Time.”

Richard agreed to join this project because of the strong lineup.

Sandra Bullock + a renowned comedy director like Donald + a top supporting actor like Michael Caine, along with Richard as the rising star—this combination had great potential, making the film likely to perform well at the box office, possibly even becoming a major hit.

——

“Hey, Sandra!”

At noon, outside a set at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Richard stopped his car and encountered Sandra Bullock getting out of hers.

She was wearing black-framed glasses, a men’s plaid shirt, baggy jeans, and her hair was messy—exactly her character’s look in the film, a disheveled tomboy.

“Richard, you’re here! Just in time, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Sandra walked over quickly, fist-bumping him.

Richard smiled lightly. He had interacted with Sandra a few times and found that this big star was easy to get along with—lively, cheerful, and approachable, without any pretense.

"Sandra, what’s up?"

“I heard you’re not only a martial arts expert but also an excellent stunt coordinator. Most of those cool moves in Chronicles of Riddick were designed by you, right?”

"Yes, I was part of the stunt coordination team."

"That's great."

Sandra patted his shoulder and said as they walked, “Miss Congeniality has a lot of fight scenes, and we’d like you to join the stunt coordination team to design some especially cool moves.

For example, those high kicks and airborne kicks you did on Saturday Night Live—they looked amazing! Could you teach me? My character is supposed to be a tough tomboy, and if I can pull off those moves, the audience will definitely go ‘Wow!’”

Sandra lifted her leg and demonstrated a couple of side kicks.

“That… might be difficult. Those moves are very challenging and not suitable for women,” Richard said with a smile.

"Not suitable for women?"

Sandra stopped in her tracks. “Are you discriminating against us women?”

"Not at all. Those moves require a lot of strength and explosive power, which are harder for women to develop. Plus, they don’t look as graceful. Imagine a woman jumping up and doing a high kick—do you think it would look good?"

Richard explained.

Sandra thought for a moment, holding her chin. “It might look a bit awkward. So, is there another move that would suit me? I need something cool and tough.”

“Hmm, we could simplify the high kick. You wouldn’t need to jump—just do a straight kick or a back kick with your leg raised high enough and with enough force. It’ll look cool.”

As he spoke, Richard lifted his long leg and kicked into the air, then turned around and executed a couple of back kicks, his long legs whipping through the air with a whooshing sound.

Clap, clap, clap~

“That’s so cool! That kick could definitely knock someone out. Can you teach me?”

Sandra clapped her hands in excitement.

“No problem!”

Richard smiled lightly, lowering his leg.

Since that talk show aired, many people had called wanting to learn from him—Charlize, Angelina, Jessica, Drew, and others. Adding Sandra to the list wouldn’t make much difference.

The two continued chatting as they walked to the set, which was styled like a Russian restaurant.

The crew was preparing for the scene, which involved the lead character covertly filming a drug deal in the restaurant and participating in an FBI raid. This scene was meant to showcase the protagonist’s job, personality, and relationships.

Richard’s character, Eric, would also be involved in the action. Eric Matthews is a senior FBI agent, Gracie’s superior, and her close friend.

“Richard, when you enter the restaurant with your gun, shout ‘FBI! Down! Get down!’ Your movements should be rough, like a robber storming in.”

Director Donald Petrie instructed.

“Why rough?” Richard asked, puzzled. Based on his previous training, when executing a mission, agents usually show their badges to identify themselves rather than just scaring people.

“Richard, it’s meant to be satirical. You know, a lot of FBI agents are pretty rough, and during missions, they act like bandits. Playing it this way will resonate with the audience and be funnier. Get it?”

Director Donald explained.

“Is that so?”

Richard eyed him thoughtfully. This guy seemed to have some issues with the FBI. Should he be investigated for defaming the agency?

“Richard, why are you looking at me like that?”

Donald, the director, was startled by his gaze.

"Nothing, I understand now. That kind of performance is indeed very good, Donald. Thanks for the guidance."

Richard nodded. In a comedy film, an actor's performance needs to have a comedic style.

"Alright, get ready. Let's continue shooting!"

Donald walked back to the director's area.

"Scene 2, Shot 4, Take 2, Action!"

Clap~ The clapperboard snapped in front of the camera.

Richard, dressed in a dirty old coat, wearing a hat with a fake mustache, and holding a double-barreled shotgun, burst into the restaurant.

He had been lurking outside the restaurant, watching and gathering evidence. Once he had it, he initiated the arrest operation, with three federal agents by his side.

"FBI, get down, everyone down!"

Richard shouted at the restaurant staff, holding the double-barreled shotgun.

"Down, down!"

"Put your hands where we can see them."

The other three agents shouted loudly, sounding like a gang of robbers.

"Everyone, freeze!"

Sandra also drew her gun, aiming at a few people in the middle of the restaurant.

"I don't understand English!"

The actor playing the drug dealer, a Russian, stood up and shouted.

"Raise your hands!"

Sandra shouted in Russian.

"Raise my hands?"

The actor, who was playing the drug dealer, was about to toss a peanut into his mouth but accidentally dropped it on the ground.

"Cut! Steve, you don't need to toss the peanut so high."

"Got it!"

The crew reshot the scene.

Richard didn’t have many shots in this scene, just a few fierce close-up expressions, and after two takes, it was done.

"Richard, you're pretty suited for comedy films."

After the scene wrapped, Sandra came over with a smile, "Before I knew you, I thought you were a cold-blooded boxing champion. The last time I saw you joking with Keanu at Levi's place, I realized you're actually quite humorous. That's when I thought you'd be perfect for this role."

Richard smiled softly, "Being a bit cold on stage looks cooler. The fans will shout loudly, 'Richard is so cool!' But offstage, no one says that, so I can't be bothered to act cool. It's pretty tiring."

"Haha, I think you look better when you're a bit cold."

Sandra smiled at him.

"Really?"

Richard pressed his lips together, looking at her coldly, "How about now?"

"Um~ Forget it, you're better off acting normal."

Sandra laughed.

Richard smiled and returned to normal.

After a few more words, the crew continued shooting.

The next scene was during the drug dealer's arrest. Gracie disobeyed orders and acted on her own, causing a colleague to get shot and injured. She felt guilty afterward, and Eric came over to comfort her.

"Let's go, Hart. Ivan is waiting for us."

Outside the restaurant, it started to rain. Eric pulled off his wig and mustache and walked towards Gracie Hart, who was leaning against the wall.

"I caused Grant to get shot. If I had known, I wouldn't have acted rashly."

Gracie said in frustration.

"Don't be like that. You made a choice. It was a mistake, but it's over now. By the way, you look pretty miserable."

Eric smiled and walked away.

Gracie glanced at him, her expression even more depressed.

"Cut!"

Donald, the director, called a halt. He rubbed his chin and watched the shot again, pausing on the last shot.

In the shot, Richard looked handsome, his features sharp under the lighting, with a gentle smile, appearing very suave.

Meanwhile, Sandra's face was dirty, her hair disheveled. The two of them standing together looked a bit like Cinderella meeting a domineering CEO, but this was supposed to be a comedy.

"Let's redo the last shot, Richard, pay attention to your expression."

"Alright!"

Richard performed again, but Donald still felt it wasn't quite right. It still had a bit of a romantic movie vibe.

"Donald, is there something wrong?"

Richard and Sandra walked over.

"Take a look at this shot."

Donald replayed the scene.

Richard looked at it, not seeing any issue.

Sandra crossed her arms and stared at the monitor, "It does look a bit like a prince and Cinderella."

"Yes, the atmosphere is off."

Donald said.

"How about we shoot it from a different angle? From the side of his face?"

Cinematographer Ed Schimmel suggested.

"Let's try it!"

Donald, the director, nodded.

"Richard, when you say the last line, move closer to me, as if you're going to kiss me, like a prank."

Sandra suggested.

"Got it!"

The crew started again, and following the discussion, Richard and Sandra did the scene again.

"Scene 5, Shot 3, Take 4, Action!"

Eric pulled off his hat, scratching his hair, and walked towards Gracie, who was leaning against the wall.

"Let's go, we should get to the car."

"I caused Grant to get shot. If I had known, I wouldn't have acted rashly."

Gracie said in frustration.

Eric ripped off his fake mustache, "Don't be like that. You made a choice, though it was the wrong one, but it's over now."

Eric lowered his head slightly, smiling, "By the way, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Gracie looked at him resentfully, and Eric smiled lightly and walked away.

"Cut! That’s a wrap for this scene!"

Donald, the director, shouted.

Richard breathed a sigh of relief, finally done.

This scene was supposed to be simple, but because he looked too handsome, it caused multiple retakes, which was quite frustrating.

The next day, Richard continued filming with the crew, and at the same time, he accepted Sandra’s invitation to join the action choreography team to help design the action scenes. It was a way to practice and gain experience and also to make the action scenes more exciting.

"Sandra, when you lift your leg, keep your body naturally straight. That way, the kicking pose will look better. Don’t let your other leg wobble."

On set, Richard instructed.

"What if I can't keep my balance?"

Sandra asked, wobbling as she lifted her leg.

Richard supported her and smiled, "You don’t need to lift it too high, just like this."

"Alright, let me try, ha~"

Sandra lifted her leg and kicked the sandbag, looking pretty decent.

Richard watched for a while, then continued teaching her the second move. In the film, the two of them had a somewhat flirtatious fight scene, so it was best to practice beforehand.

After finishing filming at around 6 PM, he received a call from Andy and decided to drop by the Fist Bar before heading home.

The Fist Bar was still bustling with activity. Two boxers were competing in the ring, while hundreds of spectators crowded around, shouting loudly.

The boxing ring was now more regulated than before, with a referee, a doctor, and protective gear for the boxers' heads and chests to prevent accidents.

Richard glanced around for a moment before entering Andy's office.

"Richard, how much longer will the filming of this movie take?" Andy greeted him as he stood up.

"About a month. Are there any upcoming matches?" Richard asked as he sat down.

"No, there were supposed to be, but Richard Hall's team informed us that he wasn't ready and requested to postpone the fight for a year."

"Postpone for a year? Didn't he initiate the challenge before? Why the delay now?" Richard frowned.

"Richard got cold feet before the match and asked for a postponement," Andy said with a chuckle.

Richard shook his head. How could someone with that mentality become a boxing champion? Or was he simply too formidable?

"Since he's unwilling to fight, I'll challenge him. I want to secure the golden belts of the four major organizations as soon as possible. It would be quite an achievement."

"Don't rush. They offered you $100,000 to hold off on challenging him for now."

"Is that allowed?" Richard asked with a smile.

Andy laughed. "Yes, it's quite common. In 1996, when Tyson wanted to reclaim the WBA golden belt, his first opponent was Lennox Lewis. Tyson paid Lewis $4 million as a 'step-aside' fee. In the end, he defeated Bruce Seldon, the 'Atlantic Express,' in 93 seconds and regained the WBA golden belt.

Unfortunately for him, Holyfield took it away the following year. What are your thoughts?"

Richard pondered for a moment. "One hundred thousand is too little. Two hundred thousand would be more reasonable."

He could earn over $500,000 per match now, so $100,000 was just a drizzle to him.

"Alright. Besides the golden belts of the four major organizations, there are also the IBO, NBA, WBF, and IBA unification battles. Any thoughts on those?"

"Arrange them all. I need to maintain a pace of three to four matches a year. Otherwise, it gets too boring," Richard shrugged.

"Okay, I'll take care of it!"

They then talked about Paul's matches. The first round of the WBC champion challenge had ended.

Paul had been on a winning streak, advancing to the semifinals with a personal record of 27 wins out of 29 fights.

He was considered a star boxer in the heavyweight division.

His next step would be to challenge the WBC North American champion, Hasim Rahman. If he won, he would become an international champion, and his ranking would soar into the top twenty.

"I hope Paul wins!"

After chatting for a while, Richard left the bar and returned to his hillside villa.

He enjoyed a barbecue feast prepared by Fatima and then went to the boxing training room for some light exercise. He had been focusing on filming recently and had relaxed his training a bit.

Just now, he had discussed his future goals with Andy: first, to achieve a Grand Slam of light heavyweight boxing golden belts; second, to defeat numerous heavyweight masters and achieve a Grand Slam in the heavyweight division; third, to strive for over $100 million in prize money; and fourth, to establish the Richard era.

There were still many goals to accomplish, so he couldn't slack off for a moment.

BAM BAM BAM~

(End of Chapter)