A Reformed Bad Boy (3)
December in New York was far colder than expected.
"Damn, I'm going to freeze to death..." Frederic Patterson muttered, shivering like a frozen bell pepper as he sniffled continuously.
They were in front of Lincoln Center Plaza, where preparations for the shoot were in full swing. Steam rising from the manholes obscured their vision. The gloomy weather made the entire city feel depressing. If it weren't for the hot chocolate truck Sion had called in, Frederic felt he would have caught a cold long ago.
Frederic moved to get his second cup of hot chocolate. Just then, a massive cheer erupted from behind him. It was the sound of the extras reacting to Sion appearing on the platform.
"Ah, can you hear me? Then let me hear you scream!"
Sion stood before the microphone, speaking with effortless ease, which only made the cheers grow louder.
"Ah, that's better. I don't think the director will like this very much, but I certainly do. What should I call it... a little pre-shoot hype? To everyone who gathered here today, let's do a great job together. It's freezing, so let's finish up early. And thanks to the fans watching from the back. Have a great holiday season~."
Watching him step down from the platform after speaking like a seasoned politician, Frederic smiled with a gentle face, as if he had completely let go of their past ill will.
I could never do that.
His eyes held a mix of resignation and surrender, yet also recognition and motivation. Easily accepting his current position—where he could only appear as a supporting actor rather than a lead in AAA-grade projects—Frederic ordered another hot chocolate topped with raw chocolate shavings from the truck.
Just then, he overheard the voices of the crew members standing next to him, also clad in padded coats and sipping hot chocolate.
"Wow, seriously... he could go into politics later and do great."
"Right? President Reagan was an actor too, after all."
"Did Sion Lee really send this hot chocolate truck?"
"Yeah. Only a big-hearted actor like him could pull off that kind of popularity."
Sion Lee continued to dominate the atmosphere of the entire set. The director and the lead actor, Mickey Rourke, tended to be quiet outside of actual filming, so Sion—who was always generous and cracked funny jokes—was bound to be incredibly popular among the staff.
Interestingly, jokes like this often popped up regarding the flow of the set:
"I feel like we're being manipulated by Sion Lee. Just like in the movie."
"But if it's a 'Lucid' like him, I'd follow him to the end."
"Exactly. He makes us dream in reality. And if this is reality, it's pretty good, right?"
"The shoot is comfortable, and there are tons of snacks!"
Hearing that, Frederic felt a slight chill run down his spine. Lucid, the supervillain whose concept was ruling reality by giving people the dreams they wanted. At this very moment, to say that such an entity was actually manipulating people in real life... would that be a stretch?
No, surely not...?
With his body slightly warmed by the hot chocolate Sion had provided, Frederic fell into an inexplicable emotion and quietly stared at the platform.
Right before the actual shoot began, an indescribable tension flowed through the crew.
"All staff, standby."
Tim Burton's voice echoed through the walkie-talkies at each location. The 'massive crowd speech scene,' meant to demonstrate Lucid's ability to instigate and manipulate the public, was incredibly important to the film. He was a supervillain, but at the same time, he was a figure of grand ambition and charisma who constantly questioned the superhero, Pain Walker. This sequence was the most impactful way to convey that dynamic.
At the same time, from a business perspective outside the film itself, this scene was crucial. It was slated to be used repeatedly in various media and trailers to showcase that the scale of this movie was on a completely different level.
Unfortunately, the opportunities to shoot this scene were extremely limited. Controlling hundreds of extras, the unpredictable weather, and the rental time of the location—making everything align perfectly required an astronomical amount of capital and a perfect combination of probabilities.
A moment later, Tim Burton took his hand off the walkie-talkie and looked up at the gloomy sky.
We'll have to get this in one take.
The entire crew was trembling with anxiety. A single mistake on their part could cause catastrophic financial damage to the film. As the director, Tim Burton felt that trying to comfort his colleagues with half-hearted words would only add unnecessary pressure. It was best to wait stoically until Sion, who bore the heaviest responsibility of anyone in this moment, got into character.
In the midst of this, a smooth voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkies.
"I have some bad news."
Sion was speaking into the walkie-talkie held by a crew member standing right next to him.
"The hot chocolate truck is running out of raw chocolate. Apparently, an actor dressed as a police officer drank three cups in a row... You'll have to run over as soon as we wrap if you want a taste."
"...Pfft!"
The director of photography burst out laughing. "Hey, Tim. This Sion Lee guy is really something, isn't he?"
"...Indeed."
Even Tim Burton couldn't help but laugh freely at the humor that popped up in such a tense moment. The staff scattered across the set laughed in disbelief, and the tension eased slightly.
Feeling the shift in the atmosphere, Sion looked around the set, took a light breath, and signaled that he was ready.
"Action."
The shoot began with the director's cue. In this scene, Sion was actually going to talk about things completely unrelated to the movie's plot. This was a deliberate choice to prevent spoilers from leaking. The speech, which was roughly about a corporation investing in public welfare, would later be edited and dubbed over with the original dialogue during post-production.
Because of this, Sion Lee was granted a significant amount of creative freedom.
The director, Tim Burton, had only one request for this performance:
"Make the crowd fall deeper and deeper into your speech."
As long as he didn't break character and didn't spoil the movie, he could say whatever he wanted.
This will be fun.
Recalling that request, Sion slowly climbed onto the platform.
Although he had already appeared on stage once, the atmosphere was completely different now. He had a gentle, soft smile. The people closest to him in the crowd were momentarily startled by how completely the aura of the man with the exact same face had transformed.
A first-class actor's performance always made people feel as if the person themselves had changed.
Soon, Sion took a light breath and spoke.
"Nice to meet you, citizens of New York."
Huh...?
It was an ad-lib from the very first line. But the hundreds of extras and the people beyond the barricades, unaware of this fact, were instantly captivated by the compelling tone of his voice.
Sion Lee spoke with a voice like a benevolent angel. Because his usual way of speaking was so light, it was an easily overlooked fact, but Sion Lee actually possessed an incredibly beautiful voice. Like his face and physique, it was a talent born of blessed genetics. When a man who had trained his vocal projection and acting as a professional spoke on that platform with absolute conviction, presenting a completely different side of himself, everyone had no choice but to focus as if under a spell.
Dozens of cameras positioned throughout the area captured the faces of the crowd from various angles.
"I know everyone is going through a difficult time at the end of the year. I hear that everything is rising except for your wages. Our company provides various benefits to our employees to match the rate of inflation, but unfortunately, it has always been a source of regret that we cannot share those benefits with everyone here today."
As one of the greatest cities in the world, New York was never an easy place to live. Taxes, inflation, healthcare and insurance structures, housing costs, transportation, education, and so on. Any American who called this place home had to fight desperately to survive day by day, and a speech that deeply understood and validated that anxiety naturally drew their undivided attention.
Thus, the hearts of the people, frozen by the cold, began to melt.
In a way, it was like a festival, the kind of event Americans loved. A chance to see one of the hottest actors in America deliver a speech right before their eyes. Furthermore, some of them were even thinking of selling this footage to the media for extra income.
Sion understood even those desires.
"I believe this America was built on the sacrifices of great workers. If anyone asks me what America is, I would show them the photograph of 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper'. That image, which perfectly captures our fathers' spirit of sacrifice to feed us when we were young, brings tears to my eyes every single time I see it."
Sion even mentioned the famous photograph of workers precariously eating lunch on a steel beam of a skyscraper under construction.
Frederic could only watch in sheer dumbfoundment, holding his rapidly cooling hot chocolate.
What kind of crazy bastard is he?
He had seamlessly woven an ad-lib to build the atmosphere before the actual script. And he delivered it flawlessly, without a single mistake, naturally wearing the mask of 'Lucid'. There was no gap in his performance, and it even resonated with the hearts of the public.
Everyone involved, both crew and onlookers, was overwhelmed by his acting in that moment. At the same time, those who were sensitive felt a slight, subtle sense of dread.
Every single extra in the crowd looked genuinely moved by Sion Lee's speech.
Crazy. People are actually being overwhelmed.
It feels like he's actually manipulating the extras...
A capable businessman and a sinister instigator. Sion Lee—no, Lucid. He promised the people. He promised that his company had not forgotten those who built this great America. And that they, too, must not forget. So fight back. Because we are waiting for you—
The speech continued in a gentle tone until the very end. With his final declaration, Sion raised his fist above his head and clenched it tightly.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhh-!!"
Even before the PAs of each team could raise the signs reading 'Cheer' according to the cue, a massive roar swept over the plaza. The extras, already deeply moved by the actor Sion Lee's speech, were moving according to his intentions without even realizing what they were doing.
Watching this cinematic moment unfold, many felt a shiver run down their spines.
This is it.
Tim Burton looked away from the monitor and smiled as he watched the crowd with his own eyes.
Sion, you bastard, what on earth are you doing?
Frederic couldn't even comprehend how things had turned out this way.
...Interesting. Truly magnificent.
Finally, Mickey Rourke grinned from afar as he listened to Sion's speech.
The shoot, which had so much riding on it, ended in a single take.
When they returned to Hollywood, the media was in a frenzy.
SION LEE! ACTING EXPLOSION!
First Step Toward Hollywood Superstardom...! The Birth of the Next 'Robert De Niro'?!
An In-Depth Look at the Massive Crowd Scene Filmed in New York!
"..."
On a rest day from shooting, Sion lowered the newspaper he was holding onto the table and looked at the man sitting across from him.
"Why are they sucking up to me this much?"
"Because you're 'Sion Lee'." Charlie Kang raised his thumb. "Seriously, you never know how life will turn out. I couldn't have imagined this a few years ago, but to think the day would come when you'd receive such rave reviews from the Hollywood press."
"Even if I've had consecutive hits, is there any reason for them to treat me like this?"
"To be honest, The College Player and the European tour broadcast with MJ helped a lot. Thanks to that, you got a lot of public exposure and built up a great image."
"Still, it feels a bit gross how quickly they flip like a coin."
"Isn't that just show business? And honestly... is there anything about you to criticize right now? Your private life is clean, you make people laugh, you don't act like a pretentious artist, and you're the most handsome guy in the world."
"What about my acting?"
"That reminds me of the saying that an actor ultimately proves themselves through their acting! And yours is perfect! Hahaha! If things keep going like this, I'll have nothing left to wish for!"
"I'm starting to feel a bit sick of Hollywood. Maybe I should take up boxing too."
"...Yi-siony. We're in this together for life, right?"
"It's a joke. A joke."
Sion chuckled, looking at Charlie, whose face had turned pale as he likely recalled Mickey Rourke's current state.
In any case, things were working out the way he wanted. Sion was an actor who frequently appeared in the media, even in a place like Hollywood, which was built on show business. Especially lately, he was receiving quite positive reviews due to various events.
But there was no telling when that would flip or crumble. That was just the kind of place Hollywood was.
People's psychology is truly ironic.
If a person who always did good deeds made one mistake, people would tear them apart, saying, "I knew it!" On the other hand, someone like Sion, who had a history of acting out, would be praised as "at least he's honest" as long as he didn't cross a serious line, and if he showed even a little bit of goodness, people would think, "He's actually a decent guy."
It was a reality that mirrored the unrighteous parts within each person.
Well, thanks to that, I can focus on acting for a while without having to play the reckless brat, which is convenient.
However, Sion felt that pretending to be a good guy all the time didn't really suit his nature. So, rather than being restricted by trying to maintain a good image forever, he decided to intentionally carry this "virtuous" character only until the movie was released.
"Ah, by the way. You're preparing for that, right?"
"...Of course I am. Who do you think I am? So, what is it?"
"Isn't it a bit contradictory to ask what it is right after saying you're preparing for it?"
Charlie chuckled and reminded Sion of the schedule he had forgotten.
"Michael Jackson said he's hosting a year-end charity party. A lot of stars, including you, are attending... and you can assume almost all the main production team of Pain Walker will be there. We're also planning to subtly leak the information that Michael Jackson is participating in the movie then."
"Ah, that."
"You didn't forget that you agreed to donate an auction item, right? I was thinking of using a prop from one of your past movies."
"I was thinking a simple signed T-shirt would be enough. Or a one-day date pass."
"This isn't a fan event. And we're already planning to include a one-day set visit and a dinner."
"Hmm, I see..."
Rather than the item itself, Sion was only thinking about how he should behave at the charity event to leave a favorable impression.
But at this moment, he did not know.
He did not know that not only the host, the King of Pop, but also a legendary method actor, and finally, a legendary Russian-American actress who was currently dominating NBC, were scheduled to attend this charity party.