American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 44 Harley Quinn is really crazy

“Oh, Isa, Susie has really good taste.”

The film crew wrapped up at 8 p.m.

Due to its latitude, the UK has exceptionally long days in the summer. It's common for it to be dark by 8:00, 8:30, or even 9:00 pm. Therefore, the time when evening falls in the UK is different from other places.

Furthermore, filming in this environment is actually very enjoyable. It's not that working hours can be extended or that they don't work overtime, but rather that with longer hours of sunshine, there is more natural light, and everyone doesn't have to wait for artificial light.

Of course, none of the above is the focus right now. During dinner, Columbus, who was sitting next to Isabella, raised his chin, glanced at the edge of the film crew, and said, "Isabella, have you noticed that girl named Marg?"

"She has been studying all day."

"When you're filming, she's carefully observing your performance, and she does the same for everyone else."

"Tsk—this situation is really making me feel a little dazed—"

"Your generation seems to be working too hard? It makes me think that our generation is lazy."

Isabella smiled.

She knew Columbus was joking.

So he smiled and said, "Director, you're getting old. Only older people feel that their energy is declining and they don't have the same spirit as before when doing anything."

"I think you're right."

Isabella was just trying to tease Columbus, but Columbus nodded and said, "When I was a teenager, I had so much energy that I could help with chores at home while writing, but now? Not anymore."

"Right now, I can only do one thing a day: either make a movie or write. If you asked me to make a movie during the day and write a script at night? Wow~ I think my brain would tell my body who the real master is!"

"Haha~" Isabella chuckled twice at his words of admitting he was getting old.

She didn't know how to respond to that topic.

Although she was the one who started it.

Columbus, however, continued, "But even though I was very energetic when I was young, I certainly didn't have as much courage as you. Last year, you and Keisha went straight to Leavesden, right? And this year..."

"I heard that this little girl named Marge also met Susie with her friends of similar age?"

Although Margot Robbie is the final boss in "The Voice," "The Voice" is not a typical monster-slaying and leveling-up story. The bosses in it are not actually very strong. The focus is on the protagonist's growth and family ties.

Therefore, the villainous tension in "The Voice" is actually not very large. In addition, Robbie had never acted before, so even if she joined the crew, her position in the crew was actually just a nobody.

However, to be honest, "invisible" is just how people describe Robbie.

Can she shine on her own?

That's not something that other people can decide.

For example, right now, when she's like a sponge, absorbing everything on set, it's hard for anyone not to notice her.

Since attention was being paid, there was naturally a stare, which led to curiosity, and curiosity led to discussion. After Columbus made a brief inquiry, Robbie's background was fully revealed by his second-in-command, Barnason.

Then, the fact that he was interviewing alone left Columbus with a deep sense of感慨—

He wasn't this daring when he was young.

Or rather——

He felt there was a generation gap between himself and today's young people, a gap as deep as the Mariana Trench.

"Isa."

"Ok?"

“I think Marg is quite hardworking, a bit like you, like you back then.”

"Really? So you're saying I'm not working hard anymore?!"

The little girl's face fell; she was 'angry'.

“Oh—that’s not what I meant. I meant that she gives me a feeling similar to how you gave me back then.”

Columbus smiled and shook his head, saying, "My first impression of you was that you were amazing, because you had everything prepared before the movie even started filming. If I hadn't already read your profile, I would have even thought your name was Hermione Granger, honestly."

"And she, Marge... she may not have reached the same level of effort in her studies as you did back then, but her thirst for knowledge is obvious, or rather, her desire to succeed? That's why I said she's a bit like you back then, um... that's it."

Isabella felt better.

Beautiful words always bring joy to people's hearts and minds.
While nodding her head in satisfaction, she also said, "So you think she has the potential to succeed?"

"I can't guarantee this."

Columbus shook his head and said, "All I can say is that success depends on luck, not just hard work."

The little girl understood what Columbus was trying to say—

Small fires rely on encouragement, big fires rely on fate.

If you are not destined to be associated with fire, then no matter how hard you try, you will never become famous.

Fortune telling is difficult, and neither of them knows how, so Columbus wasn't sure if Robbie could become a star. Isabella, too, couldn't guarantee that Robbie, influenced by her own butterfly effect, would still be able to become Harley Quinn. But Isabella believed that when Robbie had freedom within the group, as long as she desired success, she would definitely shine.

The truth is...

is also like this.

The next day, before work had even started, Robbie arrived at the site to observe.

Whether it's lighting, set design, or anything else, as long as it's moving and related to filming, she finds it all new and exciting.

Of course, no matter how curious she was, she didn't disrupt the crew's operations. She yielded to whatever the director asked her to do, she left when the cameraman told her to, and she stayed in the area designated by the executive producer, waiting for the official filming to begin...

“Oh, Isa, the girl that Director Chris mentioned yesterday is indeed very serious.”

noon.

while eating.

Catherine told her sister about what she had discovered that morning.

“She watched very attentively while you were filming.”

"Once Chris yells 'Cut,' she'll listen intently to his explanation. If she understands, she'll remain silent. But if she doesn't understand, she'll quietly ask the voice actor on set why Chris yelled 'Cut.'"

"real or fake?"

Isabella was somewhat surprised.

She doesn't care about the outside world when she's filming.

So she didn't pay attention to what was happening in the group.

"Yeah, I saw it too."

Vivian picked up the conversation and nodded.

"She asked directly at the scene, though very quietly, and she was avoiding people..."

If we were to rank the six main contestants of "The Voice," Keira Knightley would definitely be at the bottom. But even if Keira Knightley is at the bottom, she still has connections in her family, and her background is quite extraordinary.

This is not something an ordinary person can afford to stage an accident for.

So, Robbie asked the acting coach provided by the crew what the problems were with their performances during filming.
To be honest, this is actually why Isabella was surprised, and it's also the key point Vivian added.

The reason why the "The Voice of China" crew is so harmonious right now isn't because everyone is easy to talk to, but because the producer and director, Columbus, and the project's core member and lead actress, Isabella, are easy to talk to. They're just generally easygoing and don't seem to be doing anything serious.

If you switch to another group—

Anyone with status or connections who has a temper will absolutely not allow someone who criticizes their acting skills to stay on the set!

Once the news gets out, the people involved can be fired that very day!
Who do you think you are? How dare you comment on me?
Why don't you take a piss and see if you're worthy?

Therefore, even though Barnason, the executive producer of "The Voice" and Columbus's right-hand man, agreed to let Robbie stay on the show to observe, Isabella still thought that this behavior of asking questions whenever something happened was too crazy.

It's almost like having social superpowers.

At the same time, this thirst for knowledge is truly admirable.

The probability of an ordinary person achieving success through hard work is indeed extremely low.

But if you don't try...

There wasn't even a chance to fall.

Because Robbie's performance was indeed outstanding, Isabella would occasionally hear news about the bob haircut from her mother and sister during the rest of the filming.

then……

Well, this guy is really a 'madman' who craves success.

In the first few days after filming officially began, Robbie was diligent and eager to learn.

During this period, no matter how many questions she had, she would only ask the teachers assigned to her by the production team for help.

But after the crew finished filming the rural scenes and moved to the city, she seemed to have gone through an adjustment period. Suddenly, she launched an attack on the main cast, taking the initiative to ask them for advice on acting.

The first one to be identified was Keira Knightley.

"Mom, what did you say? Kayla taught her acting?"

That night.

Isabella perked up her gossipy little ears when she heard her mother's revelation.

Knightley was a problem girl personally certified by the old sir!
Robbie asked her for advice, and instead of getting angry, she taught him.

What's going on?

"Ah."

Vivian smiled and nodded.

She shared the gossip she had heard:
"I heard that Margaret talked with Kayla for a long time before consulting her. I don't know the specifics, but I heard that she praised Kayla's acting, saying that she portrayed the artistic girl who was devastated by reality and had lost all hope very well."

"Oh~"

Isabella understood.

When Knightley's ultimate dream was to be on stage, Robbie said she was a great actress? She truly touched her heart.

Since Knightley had enjoyed listening to all of this, how could she refuse Robbie's request for advice?

In Isabella's eyes, the tactic of catering to someone's preferences was a sign of intelligence, and as time went on, Robbie's record became increasingly impressive, as she successively encountered Jude Law, Sadie Frost, and Christian Bale.

When facing Jude Law and Frost, she even used familial affection as her tactic.

According to her older sister Catherine, although Robbie expressed admiration for the two men when they approached her, saying she really liked their work, what ultimately won them over was her cuteness and her age.

Jude Law and Frost had three children.

Robbie's breakthrough came from his parents' identities.

Although they are going through a divorce now, if they had never loved each other, why would they have gotten married in the first place?

Even if it's an impulsive marriage, there has to be an impulse first!

When facing Christian Bale, she used nostalgia as her tactic.

Vivian said that Robbie was praising Christian Bale's work while talking about family.

Robbie's parents are also divorced, and she has lived with her maternal grandparents since she can remember. Her maternal grandmother accompanied her to the UK for filming; her grandmother is her guardian. However, the fact that her parents are divorced wasn't the focus of their conversation.

The real point is that during their conversation, Robbie also mentioned that he studied circus before joining the crew, and that the reason he practiced circus was to become independent as soon as possible, while Christian Bale's biological mother was a circus performer.

His mother became a clown to survive and support him...

The news brought a smile to Isabella's face.

Isabella admits that she is a person who is eager for success and, like everyone else, has the idea of ​​taking shortcuts.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have set her sights on Harry Potter two years ago.

She knew the benefits of overnight fame, but she also knew the pain of struggling and persevering.

Compared to Robbie, she felt that the future Harley Quinn might be even more pragmatic than herself.

This is not meant to be derogatory.

It's a neutral term.

No matter how ambitious or eager for success she was, she couldn't do what Robbie did—figure out everyone's preferences in just a few days. Did this guy know Keira Knightley longed for the stage? Did he know Jude Law and Sadie Frost were once in love? Did he know Christian Bale's biological mother was a circus performer?

Oh——

Their intelligence-gathering ability is truly impressive!
And since she had already connected with most of the main actors in the group...

"Mom, sister, do you think she'll come looking for me?"

On August 12, in a hotel in Manchester, Isabella asked with a smile while browsing the internet.

"I think so."

Although Vivian was wearing a face mask, she still nodded, "Because you're the biggest star in the group."

"Oh~ thank you~"

Isabella laughed.

Why does Mom always tell the truth?

This made her so embarrassed!

hee hee~
I think so too.

Catherine, who was also browsing the internet nearby, chose to follow suit, saying, "Who in the group doesn't know that 'The Voice' is your project? Marge has already contacted other people, so there's no reason why she shouldn't contact you, right?"

"Furthermore, I think if she really wants to succeed and play the role well, she should ask you directly instead of asking others for advice, since you designed the role, right?"

“Hmm, that makes sense.” Isabella nodded.

Vivian and Catherine were right.

Halfway through filming, Robbie actually approached Isabella.

It was an afternoon when Isabella was working a four-hour shift and went on a daring break. While she was resting and observing the other people's filming, a bob suddenly sprouted out from beside her.

And she said cautiously, "Sister Isa~"

Ouch~
His very first words captivated Isabella.

Am I older than you?

Isabella asked with a smile.

"Yes, yours is from March and mine is from July."

Bob nodded.

"Oh, then I am indeed older than you. Did you need something from me?"

"Yes, I have a question I'd like to ask you about acting. I don't know if it's convenient for you."

Robbie got straight to the point and stated his purpose.

This left Isabella somewhat confused—

Wait a minute, doesn't this guy use tricks when he's trying to seduce other people?

Why are you asking me questions right away?

Isabella didn't understand.

But when she shook her head and met her older sister's gaze, the teasing look made her realize—okay, she knew why Robbie had said that.

Because everyone in the group knew that she and Columbus were easy to talk to and could take a joke.

and so……

Is this actually just catering to their preferences?
'6! '

Isabella smiled slightly, looked at the eager face, and nodded slightly, saying, "It's convenient for me, but before you ask your question, I have a question I'd like to ask you. I wonder if it's convenient for you?"

"Uh, of course. Sister Isa, you're asking?"

Robbie paused for a moment, then nodded. Isabella said, "I'd like to know, do you like Harry Potter?"

"Of course I like it! I'm a huge Harry Potter fan!"

Robbie looked puzzled, wondering why Isabella would ask such a question, but she still said, "Sister Isabella, if I remember correctly, I called out your name the very first day we met?"

Hey ~
Isabella wanted to ask about what happened that day.

"Yes, I remember that. And I also remember that later that day, when we were talking, you seemed a little down? Or perhaps a little calm? Or maybe depressed? What happened? Did your grandmother scold you?"

"Hehe..."

Before Isabella could finish speaking, Catherine, who was sitting next to her, covered her mouth.

She understood what her younger sister meant.

Isabella is still brooding over how things ended that day.
Everyone was happy to see me, but you went from an outburst to calm?
What...

Is that all the charm I have? Enough to make you laugh for a moment?

Because Catherine's movements were subtle, the two didn't notice them. Robbie, upon hearing the question, decisively shook his head, "Oh, no, I wasn't taught by my grandmother. I'm just a little embarrassed."

"Excuse me?" Isabella didn't understand.

"Ah."

Robbie nodded and said, "Because I called out your name as soon as I recognized you, and then everything went into chaos, which makes me think I might have caused you a lot of trouble? If that's what you're talking about..."

Robbie paused, then said solemnly, "Sister Isa, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't control my emotions that day."

"Oh~"

Isabella smiled.

Yes ~
Although she had previously stated that she didn't care about what happened that day, Robbie's contrasting reactions did puzzle her, because... well, after playing Hermione Granger, she felt that she should be glamorous!

Putting aside everything else, at least within the circle of peers, that's how it is, right?
So when she shamelessly thought that any peer who wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry would like her, Robbie's pause left a deep impression on her.

This really isn't about holding a grudge.

There are only 365 days in a year, but because of filming, she has to stay on set for half a year or even more than 200 days every year.

When she didn't have much contact with the outside world, these little things became unforgettable.

But after she realized that the things she remembered so vividly were no big deal...

"Okay, what do you want to ask?"

Isabella felt relieved, now that she was certain of her irresistible charm.

That smiling face made Catherine, who witnessed everything, shake her head with a smile and bite her lip.

She found her younger sister's contradictory behavior of saying one thing but caring about another to be adorably silly.

This also made Robbie's eyes flicker when they met—

She pursed her lips—

"Um, I'd like to know, Sister Isa, how did you manage to portray Lily so naturally?"

After a two-second pause, Robbie voiced his question:
"I looked at my character card, and then... I felt like I couldn't quite get into the swing of things..."

Robbie plays the Boss in the movie, a little girl who has resources and talent, but whose talent is not as strong as the protagonist's.

If one had to describe her, she could be considered a talented second-generation heir, but not a true genius.

Once this character design is established, she should have two distinct personalities in the film:

The first type is the personality displayed in public.

Confident, friendly, and approachable, pride should be written all over your face.

The second type is the personality behind the scenes.

Arrogant and disdainful of others, all her kindness is feigned; she looks down on everyone.

This doesn't mean that the second generation in reality is like this.

Rather, the second-generation characters in theatrical creations are meant to possess these stereotypical labels.

Once these settings are introduced, it becomes more difficult for the actors to perform, because what the creative team ultimately needs is not the Boss's confidence when facing the protagonist, nor the Boss's darkness in private, but the madness when the mask is shattered after encountering failure.

It would be difficult for an adult to act out something like this, let alone a child?
Honestly, it would be better to let the director jump off a building.

The vast majority of children cannot act it out.

Therefore, during the previous discussions, Columbus said that when filming the final boss scene, they could follow the procedure of the model opera: when the boss is proud, he would raise his head and look down at people; when the boss is angry, he would clench his teeth and breathe heavily.

but……

All of that is in the past.

After meeting Robbie, Isabella felt that while others might not be able to play the role well, she should be able to.

As for the reason?

"Marge, do you want to be a star?"

Isabella asked with a smile.

"Of course!"

Robbie replied without hesitation, "Isa, you are my idol, you are my favorite actress."

"Oh~ So you're afraid of failure?"

Isabella continued to ask.

"Of course!"

Robbie nodded again and said, "Of course I'm afraid of failure, because I'm a circus performer, and in our circle, failing a performance means paralysis or death, so... I hate failing."

Okay!

Isn't this just playing himself?
When Robbie wanted to become famous, wasn't that desire for success the core of the villain's outward personality?
When she resists failure because of her experience in circus performances, failure in her world is equivalent to lifelong disability, doesn't that directly reveal the true nature of the villain after her personality collapses in public?

As for the arrogance in the villain's second personality?

She definitely doesn't have that.

Because she's quite humble?

but……

"Anthony."

The little girl began to call out to her deep blue.

The old man, who was resting at the other end and waiting for the Shanghai Theatre Academy, turned his head and asked with a smile, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"Oh, please stop calling me that, okay?"

Isabella rolled her eyes at the old knight.

“Take on a student.”

She pointed at Robbie and said, "Her character has two personalities, and she didn't quite grasp the second one, so..."

“Okay, no problem, Margot, right? Come here, tell me your questions…”

The old gentleman smiled and accepted the challenge posed by his granddaughter.

then……

Wow!
Having Hannibal teach Harley Quinn acting was a brilliant idea.

Robbie can't find his rhythm?
It's ok!
Just let her follow Hannibal's train of thought!

When the bob-haired guy, guided by the old jazz musician, imagines his chance to appear on "The Voice" being taken away by his best friend...

His face darkened, and he looked incredulous.

The suddenly dilated pupils are exactly what everyone wants.

Not only that--

Why is there a murderous glint in this guy's eyes?

really weird.

Is he a genius?
And when the old knight said that the process of falling from heaven to hell could be expressed by pausing to show inner bewilderment...

That focused yet unfocused gaze made Robbie, this doll, lose her heart.

What did you think of her acting?

Isabella nudged her older sister with her elbow.

“I don’t understand acting, I only know that God will favor every madman.” Catherine shrugged.

Isabella scoffed at the answer.

When Catherine describes hard work as madness, is she also insulting her?
╭ (╯ ^ ╰) ╮

Catherine seemed to realize that there was something wrong with her words, so she changed the subject:

“I think Chris is right.”

"Ok?"

"Susie has excellent taste."

"Oh, yes."

"I think what my mom said makes a lot of sense."

"Ok?"

"You seem to really be her idol. She's been trying so hard to emulate you and wants to be as successful as you."

"hahahaha~~~"

Isabella burst into laughter.

Since Catherine had praised her, Isabella decided not to make things difficult for her sister.

In her eyes, Harley Quinn was quite outstanding.

Tell the truth.

Regardless of Robbie's reasons for wanting to play the Boss well, Isabella was quite happy at the moment.

Like I said, she wants to make the project a success.
After staring at her for a while and confirming that there was no problem, Isabella said, "Okay, then ignore her."

Let's turn our attention back to the filming location...

The filming of "The Voice of China" actually went quite smoothly.

Since everyone was a professional actor, and the only one who wasn't very professional was just playing himself, they didn't encounter many setbacks.

After filming the exterior scenes in Manchester, the film was already more than halfway through.

Next, all everyone needs to do is travel from Manchester to London to finish the exterior shots. As for the interior shots...

Anyway, the crew will be able to wrap up filming in early September.

It's normal for Hollywood to finish filming a feature film in a month, so no one was surprised. But after everyone went to London and before returning to Leavesden to check on Robbie's learning progress, the crew received an unexpected visitor.

She was a woman in her thirties.

“Hello Isa, I’m Darcy Booker, an editor at People magazine. You can call me Darcy.”

The woman in the casual suit smiled and reached out her hand to Isabelle.

All movies need promotion, and The Voice is no exception.

Therefore, with the establishment of the project, Warner Bros. put the related publicity and promotion planning on the agenda.

In Hollywood, promotion for Category B projects usually takes place after filming wraps or during post-production, because Category B projects have limited budgets compared to Category A projects. However, The Voice is different.

This isn't just because the creative team is so strong—among the six members, besides Keira Knightley, the others are all regulars on A-list projects—but also because Isabella brings her own resources. Given her close ties to Harry Potter and the fact that Warner Bros. allows The Voice to capitalize on The Escape's popularity, wouldn't it be more cost-effective to promote their own projects together?

therefore……

“You’re right. My love for Harry Potter is what got me into the industry. Before that, I never thought about becoming an actor. Hermione Granger is my favorite character in the books, without a doubt. It’s an honor to be chosen by Aunt Rowling.”

Darcy Booker, an editor from People magazine, was there to interview Isabella.

She will grace the cover of the first September issue of People magazine.

"Then can we talk about how you were selected two years ago?"

Darcy adjusted the voice recorder on the table.

With her arms crossed and leaning forward, she pressed herself against the coffee table with a smile. "Isa, do you know? Many of your fans are very interested in this. They want to know how you became Hermione Granger."

"of course can."

Isabella nodded and said, "Although I really want to say that the audition process was a very ordinary one—I went to the audition and was selected by the project team, it's that simple—but I know everyone wants to hear something interesting, so I'll say that there were two interesting things that happened during the audition process. The first is that my family, my mother, didn't want me to be an actress at first. The second is that I met Aunt Rowling on the day of the audition. Maybe it was because of this meeting that I had the last laugh?"

Interviews are actually quite easy to conduct.

The interviewee answers whatever the interviewer asks, and that's it.

Of course, most of the time, celebrities also need to be on guard.

Because the media will deliberately mislead people for sensationalism.

For example, Yi Lijin's interview with Zhou Jie.

If Zhou Jie hadn't been quick-witted, he would have been completely screwed over by Yi Lijin.

But with Isabella...

People magazine is a Warner property, although it belongs to the "older generation" of Warner. However, the person who issued the interview assignment is Barry Mayer, the chairman of Time Warner. Anyone who dares to release press releases at this time would be putting the conflict in the open.

This is something that no one should do.

Because it affects the stock price.

This is a true falling out.

So, the forty-minute interview flew by in pleasant conversation.

Because HP was significantly more popular than The Voice, the interviews with HP were relatively longer.

Isabella felt like she had been talking to Hermione Granger for almost half an hour.

There should only be three questions related to "The Voice of China".

Which are the story genre, the creative team, and the release date?
Although this distribution seems top-heavy and doesn't quite fit the meaning of the word 'bundled'.

But Isabella didn't care.

"The Voice" is her project, and it's also the kind of success Barry Mayer needs. When "The Voice" generates revenue that translates into Warner's earnings, Isabella believes Warner will treat it well.

But the truth is...

is also like this.

When Warner Bros. decided to feature Isabella in People magazine, they were already taking all projects seriously.

Because People magazine is the largest gossip magazine in the United States, with the largest readership of any magazine in the country.

Weekly sales can even reach 3.5 million.

So, when People magazine's readers were young people who loved reading gossip, with the arrival of the new school term, a little witch from the magical world appeared prominently in the newsstands across the United States.
Below the portrait, the huge headline reads, "Hermione Granger's first appearance on People?"
Wow~~~
Isn't this the legendary "playing to someone's tastes"?

　Thank you to Fengyun No.1, Suruga no Hikari, Chiwa Wan, and the God of Figure Skating for their donations.
　　Thank you for your votes.

　　thank you very much
　　
　
(End of this chapter)