Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 175: First interview

Gavin Hunter fumbled with the clasp of his briefcase, but in his hurried state, he couldn't get it to fasten properly. After several failed attempts, he gave up entirely. Checking his watch, he realized there were less than five minutes left until his scheduled meeting—there was no time to worry about the briefcase now.

Earlier that day, he had been engrossed in watching "The Pacific." To prepare for today's exclusive interview, he had spent the previous night compiling information about Renly, but there was so little available online that he decided to watch the entire series. He had just finished the eighth episode before heading out, so captivated that he lost track of time.

Sprinting into the hotel, Gavin managed to slip into the elevator just before the doors closed, finally catching a brief moment to catch his breath. He quickly flipped through the files in his folder, confirming his list of questions and related materials. But before he could relax, the elevator reached his floor.

Gavin stepped out briskly, ready to pick up his pace again, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks, even stepping back half a step. The hotel corridor was packed with people—at least thirty, by his rough estimate. For a usually quiet and serene hotel, this was unbelievable, as if someone was throwing a party in one of the rooms. But it was only ten in the morning; who would be hosting a party at this hour?

Surprised by the crowd, Gavin reflexively thought he had the wrong floor. But after a closer look, he realized that the people in the corridor were all carrying cameras, briefcases, and press badges, engaged in hushed conversations, occasionally punctuated by low laughter.

Clearly, these were all journalists, here to interview the cast of "Buried"—or more specifically, Renly. Just like him.

Such scenes were common at film festivals. Popular film crews might face thirty media interviews in a single afternoon, some conducted collectively with five or six media outlets at once, and others as exclusive one-on-one interviews for major media. While the crew was being interviewed, other media waited patiently in the hotel corridor.

However, for an independent film like "Buried," this was extremely rare.

Gavin hadn't expected this. He thought that seeing five media outlets would be a big deal today, but the reality was far different. Gavin was relieved he had scheduled his interview before the "Buried" premiere. Otherwise, given the professional and authoritative stature of "US Weekly" and his own position—he had been in the industry for less than two years—getting an exclusive interview ahead of these media would have been nearly impossible. Given the current situation, even getting in on the collective interviews might be tough.

Hesitating a bit, Gavin started walking. Instantly, all eyes in the corridor turned towards him, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and suspicion. This made Gavin's legs feel weak as he nervously walked forward, feeling like he was walking a gauntlet, with malevolent spirits on either side, ready to pounce on any mistake.

A mere twenty-yard walk left Gavin sweating and blushing, unsure if it was from his earlier run or the immense pressure.

Stopping in front of the hotel room door, Gavin cleared his throat, wiped the sweat from his palms, and knocked. Instantly, he felt a hundred sharp eyes stabbing into his back, all wondering: who was this person getting the first exclusive interview with Renly?

What Gavin didn't know was that after the "Buried" premiere, at least thirteen media outlets had tried to schedule Renly's first interview with Andy. Including requests before the premiere, the number exceeded thirty.

An exclusive interview is different from a regular promotional interview. Regular interviews, whether for one media outlet or several, tend to focus on promotional content and are more like social events, often lacking depth. Exclusive interviews, however, are more professional and delve deeper into both the project and the interviewee, covering behind-the-scenes stories, actor anecdotes, gossip, controversies, and more.

In regular interviews, subjects can often dodge questions, but in exclusive interviews, journalists are persistent, sometimes breaking down the interviewee. Afterwards, publicists and agents might need to do damage control, or the information might just be published outright.

These two types of interviews are worlds apart. Moreover, exclusive interviews are more common in magazines, with newspapers featuring them less frequently.

"The Pacific" crew's interview with "Vanity Fair" was a typical regular interview. Although Daisy Lucas asked some in-depth questions, the published portion was limited—because the real stars were Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, not an unknown.

Even at the Toronto Film Festival, with its vast number of films and celebrities, exclusive interviews are limited. But this time was different. The film had shone brightly on the international stage, capturing attention, and Renly's prior elusiveness meant he had not yet given an exclusive interview.

This realization caused a media frenzy. Appointment requests for exclusive interviews flooded in, but no one could secure the first slot from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. The "New York Times" got the second slot, and the "Hollywood Reporter" got the third—both top-tier media—but neither secured the first slot, leaving everyone in shock and wondering who did.

A reporter recognized Gavin and quickly approached, patting his shoulder. "What are you doing? Everyone here is waiting to see which media outlet got the first exclusive. Don't cause trouble."

Gavin turned to see Cornell McGregor from "Entertainment Weekly." "If you're trying to schedule now, you'll probably have to wait until tomorrow. I'm just here to see if I can sneak in during the group interviews later. The whole crew is doing a group interview this afternoon, scheduled for three hours. We'll be waiting a long time."

To Cornell, it was clear Gavin wasn't qualified. "US Weekly" might be authoritative in gossip news, but at the Toronto Film Festival, it didn't have much clout.

Gavin opened his mouth to explain, but the room door suddenly opened, revealing Andy Rogers, the top-tier agent many had dealt with before. The noise interrupted Gavin and Cornell's conversation, and they both looked over. Cornell grabbed Gavin, ready to step back, but Andy spoke up, "Gavin Hunter?"

Gavin quickly nodded, handing over his press badge. Andy glanced at it, nodded, still smiling, and teased, "You're late."

Gavin flushed with embarrassment, "Sorry." The jealous stares from the corridor felt like they could melt him.

Andy didn't say much more, nonchalantly commenting, "The wasted time is yours, not Renly's." By 10:30, the "New York Times" journalist would cut off the interview. Then Andy opened the door wider to let Gavin in.

Gavin, now extremely nervous, patted Cornell's shoulder and, without further explanation, entered the room. Cornell watched in stunned silence as Andy smiled and closed the door, leaving him bewildered.

Gavin walked briskly into the room and saw Renly sitting on the sofa reading a book. Today, Renly wore a dark blue polka-dot tennis shirt paired with light gray casual suit pants. A burgundy cardigan draped over the sofa arm, completing the simple yet elegant look, evoking images of Cambridge or Oxford.

"Sorry I'm late. Gavin Hunter." Gavin approached, and Renly stood, extending his right hand. They shook hands briefly before Gavin hastily set down his briefcase and materials, a bit flustered, making Renly chuckle. "Don't worry, this is my first exclusive interview. I'm more nervous than you."

Gavin chuckled softly, glancing at the book Renly had on the table—Jean Henri Fabre's "Book of Insects." "Is reading your hobby?"

"Oh no, just a way to pass the time," Renly waved it off. "You know, waiting for planes, subways—a book makes the time go faster."

The casual tone helped Gavin relax a bit. "I thought you might be an avid reader because you look the type."

"Maybe it helps with the public image, but I don't want to be burdened with such a label. It's too tiring." Renly's playful tone made Gavin laugh again, reminding him of Natalie Portman. Her Harvard degree was always highlighted in her PR, and Emma Watson, who enrolled at Brown University last year, seemed to be following the same path.

Gavin was both surprised and not. He had only scratched the surface of Renly over the past few days, hadn't he?

"Well, I should start with the basics. What kind person are you, really?"

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A/N: Had fucked up the order so had to delete them for a while. Sorry :(