Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Wang Yang was in great spirits now that he had found the leading lady for his movie, High School Musical. With one of the lead roles cast, he proceeded to scout for actors for the other roles. Miranda had been incessant in persuading Jessica to change her mind. It was not until Jessica blew her top one day that she finally came to terms with her decision with a heavy heart. And a few days later, Idle Hands settled on Eliza Dushku as their leading lady.
One by one, the cast for High School Musical was filled. Rachel was chosen for the role of Sharpay Evans. She had a winning look and the makings of a great actress. Unlike Paranormal Activity, in which actors strived for realism, High School Musical was more theatrical, and Sharpay Evans was to be portrayed in a dramatic and ostentatious fashion. Rachel was a student of theater, so the role was right up her alley. During the audition, she felt right at home in front of the camera, hitting all the right notes for the character.
The role of Ryan Evans fell on Zachary Levi, who’d been absolutely ecstatic when the news had come to him. Amid all the jollification, he broke out in backflips and almost broke his bones. Notwithstanding, the differences between Zachary and the original Ryan and Zachary’s tall stature—standing next to Rachel, he looked more like an older brother to her than a younger brother, so Wang Yang had decided to cast him. Zachary’s acting skills were good enough, and he had a solid foundation in music and choreography. With his knack for comedy and Sharpay’s deliciously evil persona, they would make for an interesting duo.
For Zachary, getting the part meant getting a huge boost in salary, which meant he was finally able to quit his job at the supermarket to focus on his acting career. In a fit of ecstasy, he took Wang Yang into his arms and smooched him on the cheeks repeatedly. The ordeal lasted longer than Wang Yang was willing to bear, and he was forced to free himself by unleashing his kung fu on his amorous partner, leaving Zachary out cold and sprawled on the floor for a considerable period of time.
In comparison to casting Sharpay and Ryan, filling the roles of Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie, the respective black friends of the male and female leads, was a cinch. Chad Danforth would be portrayed by Marcus Mansi, a young, 18-year-old Brazilian actor with a talent for dancing and singing. Taylor McKessie would be portrayed by Martina Moon, a 22-year-old girl with a natural gift for acting.
For the role of Kaci Nielsen, the pianist who would be playing accompaniment for the music sequences, Wang Yang chose Zooey Deschanel, a girl of about the same age as him. Although she had never acted in film or television, she had learned to play the piano as a child and was adept at composing songs. Wang Yang had been so impressed by her professional showing during the audition, he decided to pick her even though she was a little tall at 168 cm. She also had a spritely quality that would add a new zest to the character of Kaci Nielsen.
After rounds of negotiation, it was time for the actors to sign their contracts with Flames Films. Upon signing, they were duty-bound to see the shooting of High School Musical through to completion and participate in the movie’s promotional events. Of course, with all that hard work came money as well. The highest-paid actor was Jessica. Although she was not famous then, by dint of her high workload and the fact that she was the leading lady, she would receive $500,000. The second-highest-paid actor was Rachel. Her fame in Paranormal Activity justified a remuneration of $300,000. Zachary was allotted $200,000, Marcus Mansi $100,000, Martina Moon $50,000, and Zoey Deschanel $50,000.
Upon signing, they would begin their professional training in singing and dancing. The classes would be tailored to the actors, each according to their abilities. The plan was to get their skills up to scratch before the post-shoot recording sessions began. All expenses associated with the training would be fully paid by Flames Films.
The bios and pictures of the cast were featured on the official website of High School Musical. But they did not elicit much attention from the media. After all, they were not stars and no one would report on them. Jessica Alba? Who was that? Did she appear on television? Her name did not ring any bells. She might have been pretty, but pretty girls were a dime a dozen. The media did not see any reason to track the development of a girl who had yet to acquire a fanbase.
As for Rachel McAdams and Zachary Levi, were they not in that horror film? What were they doing in a high school musical? Was that young director trying to make a scary musical set in a high school? What a joke!
Only a few media websites wrote about the movie’s latest development, mostly because of Wang Yang. Compared to the cast, he was significantly more well-known.
Of course, movie fans who looked forward to High School Musical had taken a renewed interest in the movie. While they were particularly pleased with the looks of the leading lady, they wondered why the leading man had yet been cast.
The truth was that Wang Yang had been wracking his brain out trying to find a suitable actor for Troy Bolton. He had approached all the talent agencies in Los Angeles and skimmed through hundreds and thousands of handsome applicants, but he could not find one that met his standards. Those who were handsome lacked spunk, those who were spunky lacked charm, and those who were charming lacked height. Furthermore, they had to look like a high school student and willing to accept an amateur actor’s rate. All these factors made finding the right man well-nigh impossible.
“My dear boss, I think it’s time you take a flight to New York.” Mark Strong spoke kindly and with a smile, but something in his tone annoyed Wang Yang.
Los Angeles and New York were both frontiers of trend and culture. Los Angeles was home to a thriving film and television industry, while New York was the center of fashion and Broadway. The two cities complemented each other in many ways—for instance, in terms of movie actors. Desperate, Wang Yang got on a plane to New York and embarked on a search for Troy Bolton in the Big Apple.
It was Wang Yang’s first time in New York. He was shocked by the contrast between the dense busyness of New York and the laid-back atmosphere of Los Angeles. There was a sense of urgency wherever he looked. People went up and down the streets with such brisk footsteps that he felt he could barely keep up at times.
Prior to Wang Yang’s arrival at New York, Flames Films had sent the casting call to the New York chapter of the actor’s guild, as well as some other talent agencies. There was some time before any of them had come back with recommendations, so Wang Yang took the opportunity to take a tour of the city. By day, he visited the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building; by night, he went to see a Broadway show, where he kept an eye out for prospective male leads.
The next day, Wang Yang took a tour of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Back when he’d graduated high school, he’d had the opportunity to further his studies there, but he had ended up choosing the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The fact that his favorite director, Robert Zemeckis, was an alumnus of the school played a huge part in his decision. Then, there was its proximity to his hometown, San Francisco, its familiar weather, and its association with the mecca of the movies—Hollywood.
Wang Yang blended right into the campus. With his boyish face and sparky disposition, he was indistinguishable from the young men and women that roamed the halls of the institution. Wang Yang sat on the public bench and watched the students go by. It was pleasant to take his mind off the hustle and bustle of the big city, and he began to appreciate the tranquility that one could only find in a university campus. He rested his legs for a while, then continued his tour. There were many beautiful sceneries there, and he stopped to take them down with his digital camera.
At some unnoticed moment somewhere along the way, Wang Yang felt as though someone was following behind him. He trusted his feelings, as they were seldom wrong. He twisted his head and looked across his shoulders with a frown. Standing not far from him was a Caucasian who was about the same age as him. He was about the same age as him and looked to be 180 cm tall. His coat was grey and worn-out, and he had plainly never learned to brush his hair. His very pale white face and sandy blonde hair reminded Wang Yang of the vampires he saw in movies. He seemed to be looking at Wang Yang.
Is he following me? Puzzled, Wang Yang turned his head back. He went up the hallway as casually as he could, and he stopped to look back. And there he was again, standing right behind him!
The blonde white boy gave Wang Yang a look that barely reached him before it fell, then turned around and walked away with his hands in the pockets of his coat. But he had no sooner taken a few steps in the opposite direction than he screwed up his courage, turned back, and came up to Wang Yang. Wang Yang stood still as the blonde, white boy approached, then asked, “Hey dude, are you following me?”
“Yeah. I know you.” Up close, the boy’s face looked like an autumn leaf. A meek smile broke across his pallid visage. “You’re Wang Yang, aren’t you?” he said in a thin, raspy voice. “Yeah, that’s me,” Wang Yang nodded. The blonde, white boy reached out for a handshake and introduced himself, “Good to meet you, Mr. Wang. My name is Michael Pitt. I’m 17 years old.” Wang Yang shook his hand. Michael Pitt looked at him and said plainly, “I’m guessing you’re here in New York to find the leading man for High School Musical. Won’t you consider me for the role?”
“Oh, you?” Wang Yang was stymied. He had not expected the blonde white boy to track him down just to introduce himself. He looked Michael Pitt up and down, judging his boyish face, from his pale blue eyes, to his wide thin mouth, to his straggling hair. There was something strangely attractive in his grunginess. From a certain angle, he looked a little like Leonardo DiCaprio. In fact, he was not bad looking at all. It was just that he lacked the sporty, outdoorsy quality that he was looking for.
After a quick scan, Wang Yang shook his head and said, “No, you don’t have the right qualities. You’re…” he paused for a moment to find the right words, then said, “more like a musician in a dark smoky bar. I’m looking for a captain of a basketball team. Sunny, sporty, cheerful.”
“Oh,” Michael Pitt subsided into silence. He dug out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tamped it, and offered one to Wang Yang. Wang Yang waved off his offering, smiling, “I don’t smoke. You shouldn’t either. You’re underage.” Michael Pitt smiled. Disregarding Wang Yang’s advice, he held a lighter up to his mouth, ignited his cigarette, and took a big, satisfying hit. A thick, white plume rose out from the side of his mouth as he looked into Wang Yang’s face and opened his mouth, “Mr. Wang, are there any other roles I might be suitable for?”
High School Musical was all about optimism, hope, and dreams. There was no place for a dark, brooding character like him. “Sorry, I’m afraid not,” replied Wang Yang, wagging his head with a smile. “Oh,” Michael Pitt murmured blandly. He took another big puff. All the while, it was as if the cigarette was an extension of his face—that is, until he started to cough. And cough. And cough…
It was painful to watch Michael Pitt coughing up a storm. Wang Yang went up to him and patted him gently on his back. “Dude, lay off the smokes, will you?” he said.
Once the coughing finally subsided, Wang Yang pointed behind with his thumb and said, “Look, I’ve got to go.” Two steps down the hallway, Wang Yang turned around with a smile and said to Michael Pitt, “Hey, you’re smoking in school. Aren’t you afraid of getting caught? You’d better watch out!”
“What does the school care?” Michael Pitt replied in good humor. Did that young director really think he was a student there? He looked at Wang Yang as he walked off into the distance. Thinking about his circumstances, he put his cigarette to his mouth and sucked it up. Then, he threw what was left of the cigarette onto the ground, grinding it under his shoe, and chased after him with his hands tucked in his coat’s pockets.
A few yards later, Wang Yang realized Michael Pitt was still following him. He stopped dead in his tracks. “Dude, is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked Pitt, who was standing a few feet away.
Michael Pitt went up to him and stared into his face with his pale, round eyes. There was a hint of desperation in his ashen face. In a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded to him, “Mr. Wang, please give me a role. Any role.”
It was never easy to turn down a begging man. Wang Yang took a moment to consider it seriously. But in the end, he shook his head and said, “Sorry, I really can’t think of a role that’s suitable for you.” Lost for words, he threw his hands up and said, “I’ve really got to go now.” With that, he went on his way to the parking lot. The sun was going down. He had to get back to his hotel.
But Michael Pitt tailed him all the way to the parking lot. Wang Yang tried his best to ignore him. There was not a gloomy character in High School Musical, and there was nothing he could do about it. He got in the car that he rented from the hotel and pulled up slowly next to Michael Pitt. He looked out of the window and said to him jovially, “See you, Michael. Remember to lay off the cigarettes!”
Michael Pitt looked on silently as the car drove off until it was completely out of sight. He sighed and took out that crumpled pack of cigarettes. He rapped the pack a good few times to get a cigarette out. The bud of the cigarette glowed orange, and a wisp of smoke rose into the air.