## Chapter 152: You Will Be the Next Superstar

"Richard, have you been filming recently?"

In the business class cabin of the plane, Drew Barrymore put down her newspaper and asked.

"Yes, I’ve taken on a new role, Cyclops from the X-Men comics."

Richard pointed to his eyes and smiled.

"Sounds great, is it the lead role?"

"No, it’s the fourth male lead!"

Richard shrugged.

Drew smiled slightly, dimples appearing on both cheeks. "You’re quite famous now, you could definitely carry the lead role in an action film."

"I think so too, but the studios don’t agree. I’ve mostly played supporting roles before, and the one lead role I had in 'Dangerous Game' didn’t do well at the box office. The studios are hesitant to cast me as the lead. I’ve failed all the lead role auditions I’ve attended recently."

Richard spread his hands.

"It’s likely related to your background. You’re a world boxing champion, and audiences might find it jarring to see you in non-action roles. The studios’ concerns are understandable."

"Yes, that’s why I’m planning to transition into action roles. I aim to become an action star in the future."

"That’s a good plan too. There are many big names in the action genre, like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Tom Cruise. Maybe you’ll be the next action superstar."

Drew smiled slightly.

"Hope so!"

Richard chuckled.

"Richard, Columbia Pictures is preparing a new project called 'Charlie’s Angels.' It’s an action film, and there’s a role for a skilled, handsome guy. You should give it a shot."

Drew thought for a moment and said.

Richard nodded, feeling grateful. He recalled the movie 'Charlie’s Angels' from her information, a big hit that reignited Drew’s career and became a popular series.

"Drew, are you the lead?"

"Yes, one of the leads. Since there are action scenes, I’ve been training in Chinese martial arts like Luohan Quan, Wing Chun, and Karate."

As she spoke, Drew waved her hands playfully and laughed. "Do you know what this move is?"

Richard thought for a moment. "I don’t know, what’s it called?"

"Golden Monkey Palm, inspired by King Kong’s moves. It’s very powerful." Drew laughed.

"I can imagine!"

Richard nodded slightly.

"Guess what this move is called!"

Drew crossed her legs and made some hand gestures.

"What’s this move called?"

"Buddha Sitting Lotus!"

Drew clasped her hands together and smiled.

"Great name."

Richard chuckled.

"Richard, do you know Chinese martial arts?"

"A bit!"

Richard raised his hands and demonstrated a few moves quickly, making them look impressive. "This is Dragon Claw Hand, this is Buddha’s Palm, this is Flower Picking Finger, and this is the Eighteen Palms of Slaying the Dinosaur Regretfully."

"Haha, you’re definitely making that up."

Drew laughed heartily.

"Absolutely not. If you don’t believe me, ask your martial arts teacher. If they don’t know, they’re not professional."

Richard said seriously.

"Alright, can you teach me these moves?"

"Sure, but these moves are very powerful. Once you learn them, you can’t use them to slap people’s faces, shoulders, or butts, as it might cause injury."

"Stop joking, just teach me already!"

"Alright!"

Half an hour later, the plane landed at San Francisco Airport. Richard followed the crew to Turner Television for an interview.

As a supporting actor, he didn’t need to participate in the movie promotion, but his fame and popularity prompted the distributor to include him.

From San Francisco to Seattle, Chicago, New York, and Washington, they toured the major cities before returning to Los Angeles by the end of April.

'One Kiss' was released on April 20th and grossed $18 million over the weekend, second only to 'The Matrix.'

This film, produced by Drew’s Flower Films with an investment of under $20 million, recouped its cost in the first week. Drew, as both the producer and lead, achieved both fame and fortune.

With the movie’s success, Richard received mixed reviews. Positive ones praised his improved acting and standout role, while negative ones claimed he didn’t fit the character and detracted from the film’s performance. Some critics were particularly harsh, suggesting he hurt the box office.

"Richard, there’s quite a bit of negative criticism this time. Despite our PR efforts, many sharp criticisms persist. It seems someone is deliberately targeting you."

In the office, old Hall patted a stack of newspapers on the desk.

"I know."

Richard casually flipped through some newspapers, noting the negative reviews about him being on par with Drew's.

‘One Kiss’ performed well at the box office but had poor reviews, with an IMDb rating of 6.5. Most criticism targeted the plot, Drew second, and Richard third.

As a minor supporting actor with limited screen time, receiving this level of scrutiny was partly due to his status as a world boxing champion. Criticizing him drew attention.

He suspected Weinstein had a hand in this. At the party, Richard’s refusal to box likely angered him. With Weinstein’s connections, a mere suggestion from him would prompt many to oblige.

Richard wasn’t bothered. He had three goals in Hollywood: to chase his dream, make money, and have fun. His roots remained in the boxing ring, so he didn’t need to bow to anyone.

"Richard, besides this, there’s the matter of new roles. Last month, after winning your second championship belt, your fame skyrocketed, and many film companies want to work with you.

We’ve selected a suitable lead role for you and even negotiated the salary, but the company suddenly backed out and replaced you with Ben Affleck."

Old Hall frowned.

Richard chuckled lightly, "I know why. During the Miramax party, Harvey asked me to box for entertainment, and I refused. Any film connected to Miramax, don’t bother asking."

Old Hall’s frown deepened, "There are seven major studios in Hollywood, but in the independent film sector, the Weinstein brothers dominate. Most independent filmmakers treat them like gods. Having a conflict with them is serious."

"No problem, my future is in action films. There aren’t many action films in the independent sector, so his influence on me will be limited."

Richard said indifferently.

Ring~

As they spoke, the phone on the desk rang. Old Hall answered, listened for a moment, then suddenly stood up, his weathered brow furrowing deeply.

Richard listened in and gathered it was about 'Mission: Impossible 2.'

"The villain role in 'Mission: Impossible 2' is gone?"

Richard chuckled lightly.

"Yes!"

Old Hall put down the phone and sighed. "The producers approached us for that role, but unexpectedly, it fell through."

"Not surprising. At the Weinstein brothers' party, I also met Tom Cruise and his wife. I heard they collaborated on 'Eyes Wide Shut.' Since Cruise is the producer of 'Mission: Impossible 2,' it’s not hard to guess."

Richard chuckled.

"You can still laugh at a time like this?"

Old Hall rubbed his temples.

"What does it matter? I didn’t particularly like that villain role anyway. No loss. By the way, we signed the contract, right? Did we get the fee?"

"Yes, we got half the fee."

"Even better, making money without having to shoot is the best."

Old Hall shook his head, "Your path was narrow to begin with, now it’s even narrower."

"No worries. The road to success is full of twists and turns, but my future will be bright."

Richard smiled, comforted the old man a bit, and left the office.

He took his notebook to the meeting room next door, ready to attend an acting class with new actors.

The acting teacher was a British theater actor named Larry Moss.

At forty-five years old, he specialized in Shakespearean operatic stage plays with profound acting skills. Noah Wyle, the protagonist of 'Silicon Valley Legend,' was his student.

There were seven students in the acting class, including Jessica, all newcomers.

Before Richard’s arrival, enthusiasm in class was low. But seeing him attend boosted everyone’s spirits.

"Hey, Richard!"

Just before class started, Jessica, carrying a backpack and emitting a faint fragrance, sat down next to him.

"Hi, Jessica. It’s Wednesday. Don’t you have school?"

"No, I’m about to graduate. Staying at school is boring. It’s better to attend this class."

Jessica smiled sweetly, taking out two pastries from her bag and placing them on the table.

"I made these. Want to try?"

"You can make pastries?"

Richard smiled.

"Of course, I can do many things."

Jessica flipped her hair proudly.

"Impressive, better than me. The only dish I can make is fried eggs."

Richard tasted a piece of pastry, "It’s delicious!"

"Really? There’s more!"

Jessica took out a few more pieces and put them in his pocket.

Richard smiled, feeling like he was back in school when many girls gave him gifts.

"Thanks. How’s the martial arts training going?"

A few days ago, Jessica passed the audition for the lead role in 'Dark Angel.' Since it involved many action scenes, she needed continuous training.

"I haven’t mastered it yet. Can you teach me again?"

Jessica tugged on his arm, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly.

"Alright, I knew these pastries weren’t free."

Richard laughed.

"No, I’d give you pastries even if you didn’t teach me."

"Okay, I believe you."

"Alright, I believe you."

After a while, the other actors also arrived, three men and three women, all around twenty years old, with good looks.

Except for the curly-haired James Franco, the others left no impression. Unexpectedly, they might not have a promising future, but one can never be sure of the unexpected.

When Larry Moss arrived, the small BAA class began.

Today they continued with the first act of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," both learning and rehearsing at the same time.

James Franco played Prince Hamlet, Richard played the main antagonist, Prince Claudius, Jessica played the Queen, and the others played Ophelia, Horatio, Laertes, and Polonius.

"Hamlet, why does your gloomy cloud still hang over you?"

Richard looked down with a sly expression, asking in a sinister tone.

"No, Your Majesty, I have been too long in the sun."

James Franco stood tall, using a distinct operatic tone.

"Hamlet, cast off your nighted color, and be friendly to Denmark’s king. Do not forever with your veiled lids seek for your noble father in the dust. You know it is common; all that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity."

Jessica frowned and spoke slowly.

The others continued the dialogue.

While they performed, Larry Moss stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a table, watching quietly. After they finished a short segment, he began to critique each one.

"James, you did the best, but pay more attention to your interactions with the other actors. Jessica, spend more time on your lines. I know you had many today, but that's no excuse."

Larry Moss said sternly.

"Mr. Moss, I understand."

Jessica stuck out her tongue and glanced at Richard.

"Richard!"

After critiquing the remaining four, Larry Moss finally approached him. "I recently read some reviews about your films. Some say your acting is stiff, with too many obvious cues. Do you know what that means?"

Richard thought for a moment. "Please explain, Mr. Moss."

"Alright, I'll elaborate. Many of your expressions and movements lack naturalness. For instance, when you smile, you simply curl your lips, which is an external display of emotion. In acting, you shouldn't smile just for the sake of smiling; that’s merely 'performing an emotion,' not conveying genuine feelings.

We must focus on the inner logic of emotional responses. Remember, true emotion is a reaction from within, closely tied to personal feelings. Performing the character's inner emotions is the essence of acting.

Your acting involves merely switching between emotions mechanically—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, surprise—without truly feeling them. This inevitably results in emotions that are not rich or engaging."

Richard nodded slightly, acknowledging the validity of the points. "Mr. Moss, how can I act more naturally?"

Larry Moss chuckled. "First, you need to love acting, cherish your role, and value every opportunity to perform. Secondly, attitude is everything—practice, contemplate, accumulate experience. There's no actor who can't act, only lazy ones.

Finally, find your niche. You are a boxing champion; your face represents strength and violence. For instance, if you put your photo next to James's, who looks more threatening?

No matter how gentle you act, the audience's first thought upon seeing you will be of you knocking out Roy Jones with a punch, not the facade you're trying to present.

As your fame in the ring grows, the audience's impression of you will solidify. No matter how skilled your acting becomes, you can't change their preconceived notions, so choosing the right path is crucial."

"Mr. Moss, I understand. Thank you for your guidance."

Richard said sincerely.

"You're welcome. I still rely on you for my paycheck."

"Hahaha!"

The classroom filled with laughter.

"Alright, now switch roles and continue the performance. Be serious."

Larry Moss clapped his hands and instructed.

Everyone switched positions and began the second round of performance.

---

(End of this chapter)