The scene fell into an eerie silence.
Asher was the first to regain his senses. He hadn’t expected Elisa to possess such a compelling presence, as if she had forcefully shattered some kind of restraint and erupted with sheer intensity. Her eyes were filled with a murderous hatred, her entire being resembling a vengeful demon clawing its way up from hell to claim lives.
Some people were simply born for the camera.
If one were to find someone to rival Elisa’s performance, perhaps only Louis could match her, not be overshadowed.
As Asher observed the intensity in Elisa’s eyes through the lens, goosebumps erupted across his skin. This was the first time someone had brought such immense shock to him.
What was even more terrifying was that nearly twenty seconds had passed, and no one else had reacted, aside from him.
Not to mention Lorelei, who was supposed to act opposite Elisa, was now sitting on the ground in disarray, trembling all over, her face pale, as if she had stumbled into an inescapable nightmare.
In the pressure of the scene, subtly, and without a word, Elisa had led everyone astray.
Who said Elisa was talentless? And who dared to claim her acting was subpar? This was beyond subpar; everyone else couldn’t even be considered as dust beneath her feet.
She had them in the palm of her hand!
Elisa tidied her disheveled hair, quickly braiding it and draping it over her shoulder.
“Is that enough, Mr. Kentala?” In one moment, she was in character, and in the next, she returned to her previous indifference, as if the woman who had cursed vehemently on the ground moments ago was merely a mirage they had witnessed.
Lorelei kept her head down, her face contorted. Her agent belatedly realized the situation and helped Lorelei up, speaking to her in a voice only they could hear, “What happened to you just now?”
Lorelei gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and when she raised her head, she offered a smile of apology to the director’s team, “I’m sorry, I twisted my leg just now…”
“…”
What a lie. It was obvious she was frightened by Elisa’s lines.
Lorelei continued to struggle, feigning composure, “My schedule has been packed recently. I only returned from the shooting location at noon today… so when I was acting opposite Elisa, I was a bit distracted.”
After two seconds of silence, someone chuckled and consoled her, “It’s alright, just adjust and you’ll be fine.”
“Yes, Yanyue, don’t take it to heart. We all know that’s not your usual state.”
“Everyone has days when they’re not feeling well.”
“Miss Morris, don’t worry, your performance just now was great.”
The last compliment was clearly a white lie. How could they praise her acting when it had been overshadowed to this extent?
Only Asher held the script, his eyes fixed on Elisa without a single blink. “Try this scene again.”
Elisa took the script and glanced at it. It wasn’t Clio’s script; it was for the supporting actress, Bay.
The producer beside him began to cough violently. They already had suitable candidates for the supporting roles. What was Asher trying to achieve?
It wasn’t just the supporting actress; even the third lead, Clio, wasn’t supposed to be played by Elisa. It was just to give Lorelei some face, allowing her to run alongside. But they hadn’t expected her performance to be this explosive.
The first four, Ariadne, had performed exceptionally well, but she was merely acting. Elisa, on the other hand, had brought Clio to life; she was Clio.
It wasn’t entirely impossible to assign Clio to Elisa. After all, this character wasn’t particularly likable, and perhaps the audience would resent Elisa, which might add to the immersion.
If they were truly unsatisfied with their casting choices, they could just release this test footage online; it would shock everyone!
Asher seemed to be oblivious to the frantic coughing beside him. He absentmindedly handed Elisa the script for the supporting actress, Zhao Zijin.
“Can you do this?”
“Could I have a few minutes to look over the script?” Elisa requested.
“Of course,” Asher shrugged.
Elisa pursed her lips and took the supporting actress’s script. The role of the supporting actress had fewer lines than the third lead, but the character was more endearing, as she was present throughout the entire story.
Zhao Zijin was originally from a noble family. She once rode into battle in men’s clothing, saving the male lead on the battlefield. Over time, the emperor grew fond of her, eventually bringing her intothe palace to become his empress.
Originally meant for a lifetime of glory, she was ultimately confined within the depths of the palace. The once valiant woman became a caged canary.
As history goes, rulers are often ruthless. The man who once professed a lifetime of love for her gradually forgot her amidst a stream of concubines.
The former female general, who had once commanded armies, had her freedom and pride shattered within the palace walls. After losing two children in succession, she ascended the city walls, wearing a faint smile, and with a light sigh, she leaped off, saying, “I will fly…”
Following Zhao Zijin’s death, her sister, Birdie, who bore some resemblance to her, was brought into the palace to serve as her replacement.
Elisa quickly flipped through the script. It felt as though a heavy stone weighed upon her heart, her nose tingling with an indescribable emotion, crashing against her chest.
She was Elisa, not Aoife. Aoife had at least studied acting and performed in plays for three years, but she had not.
During the audition for Clio’s role, she wasn’t so much portraying Clio as she was expressing herself. It was at that moment that her pent-up resentment burst forth, giving her performance such intensity.
Elisa never considered herself a prodigy, capable of naturally understanding something like “acting” that she had never encountered before.
Furthermore, she had never planned to spend her entire life in the entertainment industry, relying on fans and acting as a means of survival.
However, as she read the supporting actress’s script, it was difficult not to be moved. A strong desire surged within her; she wanted to play Zhao Zijin.
“I’ve finished reviewing it, Director.”
“Just try the part where Zhao Zijin enters the palace,” Asher instructed.
This audition was even more challenging than the previous one because there were no lines throughout. It relied entirely on her expressions, and without anyone to interact with, any deviation in her solo performance would be awkward.
Elisa set down the script, took out a lipstick from her bag, and applied it. Once she finished, as she raised her eyes, her gaze transformed instantly.
She moved a chair behind her to the window and took ten steps back. Immediately, the camera followed her, capturing her gaze.
Her steps were measured, each one altering her expression. Midway through, she turned to look back, in that moment various complex emotions flashed through her eyes. It seemed as though her eyes revealed the images of her parents, as well as the scenes of battlefields with soldiers and horses. From reluctance to acceptance, she let out a light sigh, acknowledging her fate. As she turned back, tears glistened in her eyes, and she ascended the position of the empress step by step.
Zhao Zijin was no ordinary woman. Having seen bloodshed on the battlefield, her gaze portrayed not only the grace of an empress but also the commanding presence of a female general.
The sunlight streamed in through the window. She sat in the chair, radiating a glow, as the sound of birds flapping their wings could be heard from outside.
The room was silent, save for the sound of the camera capturing the moment. Asher’s breath caught. He had not been mistaken; Elisa was born for “acting”! She had a strong ability to embody roles, and within a mere 10 minutes, she had completely grasped this character.
Asher couldn’t fathom how Elisa had managed to conceal such remarkable acting skills all these years.
And was her first film, which scored 2. 5 points, a genuine existence?
Internally, Asher had a myriad of criticisms. It was like finding a diamond in a pile of rat droppings. The rats had never seen a diamond, so they mistook it for a shiny piece of dung. Because they had never seen it before, they looked down on its value.
Asher, on the other hand, experienced the surprise of recognizing a diamond, while everyone else arrogantly held onto their precious pieces of rat droppings, oblivious to the invaluable gem in their midst.