A Reformed Bad Boy (2)
The overall atmosphere of a film set is usually determined by one of two people: the director or the lead actor.
Because of this top-down dynamic, many of the crew members joining the production of Pain Walker were convinced it would be a solemn, intense shoot the moment they saw the director's name. Tim Burton was famous in the industry for being incredibly taciturn and emotionally even-keeled.
While some directors asserted their egos by aggressively attacking actors and staff to whip the set into shape, the crew began the shoot thinking this set would be heaven by comparison. But before long, they faced a situation they had never anticipated.
"Come on, everyone, eat up!"
Out of nowhere, the lead actor, Sion Lee, brought an ice cream truck to the set. And he was the one driving it.
November 30th. Los Angeles. In front of the Warner Bros. soundstage.
Everyone stood dumbfounded by the sudden event during their break.
"..."
"..."
"Whoaaaaaa!"
Only Jeffrey, who was severely obese, ran forward in pure excitement.
"Here you go, Jeffrey. You mentioned you liked chocolate ice cream last time, right? Here, with extra toppings."
"Thank you, Sion! You are the greatest actor I've ever known!"
"I guess a single scoop of ice cream is all it takes to win over a top fan. Oh, Misha. There's coffee too."
"C-coffee too? Then..."
Misha, a stylist and self-proclaimed caffeine addict, scurried over to grab a cup.
One by one, keeping a wary eye out for the director, the crew members began drifting toward the ice cream truck Sion had brought, happily indulging themselves.
It was a bizarre sight for a film set, but it breathed vibrant life into the atmosphere. Crew members laughed and chatted, with Sion smiling warmly in their midst.
"Tim... is this really okay?" the director of photography whispered, watching from the sidelines.
Tim avoided answering, slipping away into the shadows with a gloomy expression. "I'm going to take a quick break."
Sion followed him, holding out a wrapped ice cream bar. "Did I overstep a bit?"
"..."
They were a good distance away from the truck. Once Tim felt they were safely out of the crew's line of sight, a faint smile touched his lips.
"I like it. Though I never imagined you'd be an actor who 'acts' even off-camera."
"A true actor should know how to act in daily life as well."
"It's wonderful. Thanks to you, everyone is starting to believe this movie is 'real.'"
Just like the character Sion Lee was playing in the film.
Sion was seamlessly carrying the bright, gentle, and occasionally playful mood he showed the crew into his actual performance. The crew members had already fallen head over heels for him. It was inevitable.
A handsome, young superstar who remembered every single staff member's name, looked after them, and showered them with treats at every opportunity—how could they not?
"I didn't quite expect the ice cream truck, though."
"It was all calculated. When I asked around earlier, they said people crave sweets when they're working hard."
"Oho... Should we set up some marshmallows as a snack for the crew?"
"They get thirsty too, so ice cream is probably the best choice."
"Incredible. It's like you're always several steps ahead, Sion."
As they conversed with satisfied expressions, Tim's brow furrowed slightly as he voiced a different concern.
"I do wonder if Mr. Rourke is doing alright, though."
"I assume you don't mean Skywalker."
Sion cracked his trademark dry joke as he glanced toward the set.
Sure enough, as Mickey Rourke slowly emerged from his deep immersion, the atmosphere around him instantly turned icy. He remained an outsider, unable to mingle with the rest of the crew. Part of it was his character, Pain Walker, who exuded the heavy aura of a lonely outcast, but his habitually silent, gruff demeanor didn't help.
He was the perfect actor for the role, but as a colleague to work with, he was close to a nightmare.
Sion gave the director a reassuring wink and walked back toward the crowd.
"Wow, honestly, I'm a little disappointed!"
Everyone flinched and turned to look at Sion.
It was a sudden, bratty tone. For a split second, it sounded exactly like the old, reckless Sion Lee who would throw tantrums whenever things didn't go his way. But when they actually turned around, Sion was smiling like an angel.
"Have you ever seen an actor drive an ice cream truck onto a set before? And this is all the reaction I get? Everyone, let's hear some applause!"
"And hand over some ice cream and coffee too!"
As Sion spread his arms wide, Jeffrey and Misha, as if they had been waiting for this exact cue, hurried over and placed an ice cream and a coffee cup into his hands.
The crowd erupted into cheerful laughter, and the heavy mood instantly evaporated. Mickey Rourke, who had been silently observing the scene from a distance, turned and retreated into his trailer, shutting the door behind him.
Well, that much was expected.
Sion had barely spoken a word of personal conversation with Mickey Rourke throughout the shoot. He believed it was better for both of them to maintain their distance to stay fully immersed in their respective roles. Even so, he understood the director's worry.
The deeper an actor immerses themselves emotionally—especially in dark, negative emotions—the worse the psychological rebound tends to be.
So, Sion approached the young man who was currently rummaging through the ice cream freezer with an excited grin.
"Hehe, do they have paprika-flavored ice cream?"
"Hey."
"...Huh? Sion?"
Frederic Pederson.
Surprisingly, the co-star from The College Player was also cast in this movie. He played a minor recurring role as a police officer who gets deceived by Lucid into tracking down Pain Walker.
And the one who had recommended Frederic—who had been deeply obsessed with the word "paprika" since their last shoot—was, of course, Sion Lee. Frederic had a decent face, solid acting skills, and his schedule happened to be wide open after the wrap of the sitcom's third season.
"I have a job for you."
"W-what is it? Every time you say that, something terrifying happens."
"Don't worry. It's a good thing for you too. Don't you want to get close to Hollywood superstars?"
"Oh, absolutely! Just as close as I am with you!"
"..."
"...Wait, are we not close?"
Frederic pouted and hung his head, looking like the very definition of the word 'sullen.' He looked like a golden retriever whose favorite toy had just been snatched away.
Sion slung an arm over Frederic's shoulder, smiling brightly and waving to the crew to put on a show of 'Look how close we are!'
Then, in a voice completely detached from his warm expression, he whispered an order like a mob boss instructing a corrupt cop.
"Go over there and get close to Mickey Rourke."
Frederic stared at Sion as if he had lost his mind.
"I'll be checking in on your progress in a week."
Sion paid no heed to his protests and walked away.
Of course, Sion Lee wasn't a complete monster.
"So, how did it go?"
A week later, in December.
Sion had invited Frederic to a private bar in the city. He watched with an amused, affectionate smile as Frederic knocked back shot after shot. Frederic was ordering incredibly expensive whiskies, gulping them down without taking a single moment to appreciate their complex aromas or flavors.
As he reached for his fourth shot, he paused, casting an anxious glance at Sion.
"Y-you're really paying for this, right? Promise?"
"Do you think I'm a scammer?"
Having turned twenty-one earlier this year—the legal drinking age in California—Sion took a leisurely sip of his cocktail.
"But seriously, what's gotten into you? Inviting me to a classy place like this instead of a club."
"As I get older, I find myself preferring quiet places. They're better for conversation."
"...Older? You? Getting older?"
Frederic tilted his head, utterly baffled by Sion's words.
"Anyway, tell me. How did it go with Mickey Rourke?"
"Oh, well... Uh, he actually asked for my name yesterday. We've gotten pretty close."
"We're splitting the bill."
"Hey...! L-listen to me! I really did try my best! I'm serious!"
Frederic slammed his whiskey glass down in protest. Even though he made a decent amount of money as a lead in The College Player, paying for these top-shelf drinks out of his own pocket was clearly painful.
"Right after you told me to, I went straight to his trailer, didn't I?"
"You did."
"But I literally couldn't bring myself to say anything. The vibe around him is just... so gloomy. When he looks at you, you can practically feel him screaming 'stay away.' So that first day, I just stood there awkwardly, mumbled an introduction, and then it was time to shoot, so I ran back out to act."
"And the next day?"
"I brought vodka!"
"..."
"What? A single sip during a shoot is fine!"
"...I suppose so."
Sion, who had his own fair share of past sins, couldn't bring himself to lecture Frederic on this. A moderate amount of alcohol could indeed serve as a tool to unlock one's emotions. It only became a problem when abused.
"So I asked him, 'Want a sip?' and he told me he doesn't drink while working. And then he looked at me with... I don't know, this look of absolute disgust. So I just backed out again..."
Frederic's long-winded story continued, but it could be summarized as follows:
"...So you two bonded by badmouthing me?"
"Yeah!"
Frederic beamed like a golden retriever begging for a treat, practically asking, 'Didn't I do great?'
This guy's personality has completely flipped since our last shoot.
Unlike when they first met on the sitcom set, Frederic was remarkably docile now, obeying Sion's words with surprising compliance.
I guess it's because he's out of his comfort zone. He's not on a sitcom set where he's the main star anymore; he's on a massive blockbuster set.
Actors were creatures whose personas could shift entirely depending on their role and the atmosphere of the set.
Well, it makes him easy to use, so I won't complain.
Still, having a fully grown man act like this around him took some getting used to.
"At first, I told him, 'That guy relies way too much on his face! He's so cocky!' And Mickey said, 'If he were that kind of actor, he wouldn't have survived this long.' So I replied, 'I bet he's just going to play handsome roles for the rest of his life.' But then, for some reason, that really seemed to strike a nerve. He just stood up and walked out of the trailer."
"..."
Sion was temporarily left speechless.
Frederic had unwittingly stepped right on Mickey Rourke's sorest spot. Mickey was someone who, much like Sion, had experienced both the blessings and curses of an exceptionally handsome face. He had wanted to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor, but his agencies and studios had insisted on keeping him as nothing more than a pretty sex symbol, leading to endless friction.
And after his face was ruined by boxing, he had fought his way back to rebuild his career as a serious actor.
It was a trajectory strikingly similar to Sion's past life, but unlike Sion, who had failed to reclaim his path, Mickey had completely overcome his demons.
That was precisely why Sion had thought of him for this role.
Pain Walker was a character haunted by an indelible trauma. While Sion's past self understood that psychological state perfectly, his current life after regression was nothing short of a dream. Because of this, Sion felt he was a much better fit for Lucid—a villain who sought to trap everyone in a dream-like illusion—while Mickey, who was still living through the struggles of his past, was perfect for Pain Walker.
Perhaps because both leads had been cast in roles that fit them like a glove, the filming had been progressing incredibly smoothly.
"After that, I couldn't talk to him for about three days."
"..."
Well, that part didn't sound very smooth.
"How on earth did you get the impression that you two became close? Just because he didn't kill you?"
"No, seriously, yesterday was the real breakthrough! Yesterday's shoot was way harder than usual, right?"
"It was. Especially during the wire action, when you had to cling to Mickey's chest like a frightened schoolgirl."
"After that wrapped, I went to his trailer and told him, 'I almost pissed myself.' And he actually laughed! Do you know what he said? He said, 'That's a performance only someone who isn't handsome could pull off!' So I asked him, 'Is that how it is for you too?'"
"..."
To say something like that to a man who had his face ruined in boxing and underwent reconstructive surgery...
I knew it during the sitcom, but this guy really lacks a filter.
And yet, that blunt, thoughtless approach had somehow worked.
"Then he smiled and said, 'It's not so bad. Once people's expectations of your looks are completely gone, you finally become free.' So I told him, 'Well, I want people to have expectations of me.' He burst out laughing and asked for my name. ...And that was just yesterday!"
"Huh."
Sion pondered this for a moment before nodding in approval. "Good job. Keep doing what you're doing."
For a man with a rugged, raw sensibility like Mickey Rourke, Frederic's unpretentious, slightly foolish, but completely genuine attitude was probably far more effective than any calculated flattery. Sion had deployed Frederic as a buffer to prevent Mickey from sinking too deep into his character's isolation, and he was highly satisfied with the unexpected chemistry between the two.
Relieved that things were playing out well, Sion smiled softly and tilted his glass.
Frederic, who was now gulping down his fifth shot, looked at him curiously.
"But hey, why did you ask me to do this in the first place? Just for the set's atmosphere?"
Sion only offered a mysterious smile, leaving the question unanswered.
Because that was what 'Lucid' would do.
Today was an off-day for shooting, but Mickey had still shown up.
The production had relocated to New York for a massive crowd scene. In front of Lincoln Center Plaza, hundreds of extras were gathered, listening to instructions. To prevent leaks, the extras had simply been told that Sion was playing a businessman giving a speech. Several of the key lines were scheduled to be dubbed in post-production or taken from the close-up shots filmed just yesterday.
Incredible.
In a way, this was one of the most critical scenes in the entire movie. The supervillain masks his dark designs behind a beautiful speech, and the crowd, unable to comprehend his true intent, is whipped into a frenzy of support.
Watching from a distance, Mickey's eyes narrowed as he focused intensely.
A dark, damp cityscape. To leave the warmth of California and travel all the way to New York in freezing December just for this scene seemed like the height of inefficiency, but Mickey understood why it was necessary.
This weather, this atmosphere... it couldn't be recreated anywhere else.
The shoot was progressing beautifully.
And as time went on, Mickey found his gaze repeatedly drawn to one man. Sion Lee.
He is definitely not an ordinary actor.
Unlike Mickey's younger self, who had stubbornly and foolishly fought the system, Sion understood the industry's inner workings perfectly, navigating them to secure exactly what he wanted. Observed from a step back, he was far more than just an actor.
Yet, ironically, it was when he was 'acting' that he shone the brightest.
A massive cheer began to ripple through the crowd of extras. Filming hadn't even officially started, but Sion had already stepped onto the podium, wearing a pair of glasses and a sleek white coat, instantly commanding the entire plaza.
Hundreds of extras roared in response to his playful prompt. Even the fans gathered beyond the security barricades joined in the thunderous cheer.
Mickey Rourke watched the spectacle in a daze, a single thought crossing his mind.
He is a born instigator.
Both in reality, and in the movie.