Jennifer Connelly was also looking at Landon.
Her surprise went a level deeper than the others.
She had seen Landon's gentle, smiling side in private, his focused look when earnestly asking about language, and had a vague sense that his acting should be decent.
But she hadn't expected at all that he would work so hard for a supporting role with limited screen time.
That face, which could make sunlight pale in comparison, had turned into the ordinary face of Charles.
Clearly, Landon wasn't satisfied with just being a piece of eye candy who made people walk into theaters and marvel at how handsome he was.
He had greater ambitions for acting and higher pursuits.
This realization caused the last bit of distance in Jennifer's heart, born from their difference in age and experience, to quietly dissipate.
She felt a trace of anticipation for Landon's upcoming performance, and perhaps some other emotions she hadn't yet realized.
Landon felt everyone's gaze, but he didn't pay it any mind.
He walked to the door of the designated dormitory, closed his eyes slightly, adjusted his breathing, and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his elegantly lined upper body.
Unfortunately, due to the space constraints of the dormitory, most people couldn't see him up close. Even so, many stood at a distance outside the doors on both sides of the dorm, wanting to see Landon's state during the actual filming.
Jennifer Connelly, however, by virtue of her status as the female lead, had the opportunity to observe from behind the director. Thus, when Landon unbuttoned his shirt, Jennifer Connelly's eyes visibly brightened.
When Landon opened his eyes again, the expression in his pupils had changed, becoming cynical and tinged with a hazy drunkenness.
He was no longer Landon; he was Charles Herman, the prodigal roommate in John Nash's mind who would never grow old and was forever full of temptation and solace.
The lights were in place, and the camera began to roll silently.
Ron Howard sat behind the monitor, leaning forward slightly.
Russell Crowe had already entered Nash's state, sitting alone at a desk by the dormitory window.
Then, Ron Howard's shout of "Action!" rang out.
Charles (played by Landon) pushed open the dormitory door, carrying a suitcase. With a slight lightheadedness from a hangover, he walked to the marker on the floor.
He spread his hands and loosened his fingers, and the suitcase hit the ground with a thud.
Charles looked up at Nash (played by Russell) by the window, coughed, cleared his throat, and said boastfully:
"I am your prodigal roommate." As he spoke, he raised his spread arms in an exaggerated gesture, as if to embrace the whole world.
Nash stared blankly at this roommate who had suddenly appeared, his eyes full of confusion as he muttered to himself, "Roommate?"
"Oh, heavens!" Charles didn't care about his muttering at all. He walked over and turned off the music on the gramophone. "Do you know that a so-called hangover is just not having enough water in your body to perform the Krebs cycle?"
As Charles spoke, he walked to the bedside and sat down, beginning to take off his shoes, then his shirt and trousers.
When he took off his shirt, exposing his well-defined upper body, Jennifer Connelly's breath hitched slightly behind the monitor, and she almost let out an audible gasp.
She quickly regained control, glancing to both sides with some embarrassment. Finding that everyone's attention was firmly gripped by the performance in front of the lens, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. However, her gaze remained fixed on the figure completely immersed in the role, unable to look away.
"It's exactly the same as dying of thirst. So, dying of thirst feels the same as a hangover; either way, you can't escape death in the end."
Charles, bare-chested, seemed to sober up a bit. He then stood up gracefully, walked toward Nash, and extended his hand: "Nash?"
"Yes," Nash said, shaking hands with Charles.
"My name is Charles Holman." Charles held his hand, his smile deepening, his eyes sparkling with the light that Nash's subconscious craved. "Nice to meet you."
"Cut," Ron Howard's voice came through the intercom.
About half a minute later, his voice rang out again, "Print it!"
Passed in one take.
The set was quiet for a moment, and then a round of applause broke out.
Even Russell Crowe, who had just finished the scene with him, clapped with an appreciative smile.
The previous concerns within the crew about whether this young actor was up to the task vanished at this moment.
A somewhat proud smile appeared on Ron Howard's face. Clearly, he was once again convinced that his original choice was not wrong.
Of course, this applause wasn't exclusive to Landon. For an actor's first shoot or an important scene, the crew would usually give encouraging applause. It was just that Landon's applause was more enthusiastic this time; after all, passing the first major scene in one take was a great start for any actor.
Landon stood in the center of the set, bowing slightly to acknowledge those around him. His expression was calm, without too much excitement.
He knew the real test was yet to come. When Nash realizes that Charles is just a hallucination, the intense conflict between the collapse of trust and mental dependence would be the hardest core of the character to grasp.
Ron Howard had originally set aside plenty of time to polish this debut. He thought that even if Landon's audition performance was good, the official filming would inevitably involve a few NGs. He had always been patient with young actors.
He hadn't expected Landon to give him a surprise by passing in one take.
This deepened Ron Howard's good impression of Landon even further.
After Landon got dressed and recovered from the scene, Jennifer Connelly naturally walked over to him.
But unlike their usual small talk, Landon sensed a different light in her eyes.
Her behavior was also more intimate than before, her shoulder lightly brushing against his arm.
In the distance, the veteran actor Christopher Plummer, who had been observing with great interest, took all of this in, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
The old gentleman had no scenes for the past few days, but he enjoyed staying with the crew to soak in the atmosphere. Especially today, for Landon's first shoot, he had made a point of arriving early. As one of the few bystanders who had witnessed Landon's entire performance, he could see the spiritual talent for acting in this young man.
The crew's filming schedule for the day was completed ahead of time.
When they finished work, Jennifer walked directly up to Landon and invited him to have dinner at an Italian restaurant she was familiar with nearby. Landon readily agreed. He didn't notice the strange "just as I thought" expression on Zoe's face nearby.
When he arrived at the hotel lobby at the appointed time, washed and changed into casual but decent clothes, he realized that only Jennifer Connelly was waiting for him.
Only then did he realize in hindsight that this wasn't a common work meal; this was a clear date.
Landon was only slightly stunned for a moment before stepping forward composedly and very gentlemanly offering his crooked right arm.
Jennifer looked at him and, without the slightest hesitation, naturally reached out and took his arm.
The two smiled at each other and got into the private car arranged by the hotel.
The restaurant environment was elegant and private, and the food was delicious.
The flickering candlelight on the table reflected the outstanding faces of the handsome man and beautiful woman. They talked about acting, their favorite movies, funny stories from Jennifer's school days, and Landon's interest in music.
The subtle attraction between a man and a woman, catalyzed by alcohol, quietly fermented, gradually blurring the boundaries between them.
By the end of dinner, a tacit understanding had already formed.
Back at the hotel, the elevator was so quiet they could hear each other's breathing.
The elevator doors opened on the floor where Jennifer was staying. She glanced at Landon, and he naturally followed her out.
When the hotel room door closed softly behind them, isolating everything from the outside world, the silently surging passion instantly broke through the final veil of reserve.