A Biography?
Anson was momentarily stunned before he realized—
"Catch Me If You Can! The game of cat and mouse!"
"Frank Abagnale was different. The real-life person always hid himself, refusing to appear publicly, so he allowed me to create the character based on my imagination. The general public didn't have a fixed image of him."
"Plus, when Steven was directing, he consciously added absurdity and humor, giving the story and characters a candy-colored, unreal quality. It left space for imagination and freedom in performance."
"But Johnny Cash is a completely different story, a standard biographical film."
Lucas half-understood, gently raising his chin, his eyes focused on Anson. "So, you're saying this is a challenge?"
Anson pressed his lips together. "Yes, a major challenge."
Lucas nodded, "Then you should take it."
Anson looked puzzled, "Huh? Did you not hear what I just said?"
Lucas replied calmly, "I did. But that's exactly why you should take the role."
"You've said it yourself—what makes acting fun is facing new challenges, the unpredictability of each day."
"If you're tired of risks and want to settle into a routine job, there are countless options for that. No need to complicate things here."
"As for the script—"
"If it can be improved, great! If not, that's fine too. Someone once said, 'What actor hasn't been in at least one bad movie?'"
"And besides, no matter how bad it is, could it really be worse than The Princess Diaries?"
Anson couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, protesting loudly.
"Hey! Don't say that about The Princess Diaries! That was my breakout role!"
Lucas remained expressionless, "Are you sure it's not just a black mark on your record?"
Anson laughed out loud, "A proud black mark! Facing the harshness of life head-on!"
After a brief pause, Anson reflected for a moment and nodded slightly.
"You're right, I need to rethink this."
"Lately, I've become more cautious in picking roles, overthinking everything. The more I have, the greedier and stingier I become, making it harder to just enjoy the simple joy of playing a role or reading a script."
It's lonely at the top.
Because of his position, he began to fear mistakes, fear falling, fear decline. And when it came to choosing projects, that carefree attitude was gone.
Especially after working on The Butterfly Effect and Spider-Man 2, Anson found himself becoming more involved in adjusting scripts and characters, naturally wanting to offer suggestions to improve the script—
Of course, this was normal and necessary. Everyone wanted the project to improve, and positive, constructive discussions led to a healthy cycle, giving the film positive feedback.
But it didn't always go that way.
Actors are actors, not writers. Constantly trying to revise scripts or interfere with others' work flips things upside down.
Moreover, not every discussion leads to positive outcomes; often, workplace discussions can end poorly.
The key is balance and clarity.
But that's the hardest part.
Lucas looked at Anson, "Do you like this role? If so, take it. If not, just pass on it."
It didn't seem so complicated.
A smile appeared in Anson's eyes, "This is Johnny Cash—it's not just any role."
Lucas responded, "But in the movie, he's just a character. Even if Johnny Cash himself wrote the script, the character on screen is not 100% him, but an artistically crafted version."
"If anyone believes that the character on screen is the real Johnny Cash, they clearly know nothing about Hollywood."
Anson laughed, "When you put it that way, it really does seem simpler. We often make things complicated for no reason."
After a moment of contemplation, he let go of his overthinking and really listened to his gut—
The answer surfaced.
"I like the challenge," Anson said.
Lucas didn't react much, "Then you should seize the opportunity."
Anson nodded in agreement—
Challenges are always there. It doesn't matter if Anson has lived two lives; the challenges are the same. He should embrace them.
For instance, with Spider-Man 2, even after rewriting the script, was there any guarantee the movie would be better? Or that it would perform well at the box office?
No, it wasn't certain. Anson couldn't predict it, and everything was new.
The same goes for Walk the Line. If Anson accepted the role, he couldn't be sure whether he could deliver a performance as brilliant as Joaquin Phoenix's, or whether the film would gather award nominations like in the past.
Everything was uncertain.
But Anson wanted to embrace the challenge.
So, with a smile on his lips, his mood brightened.
"The Captain will be disappointed."
Lucas glanced over, "Why? Doesn't he like the project?"
Anson shook his head, "Not exactly, he just has some reservations. But if I take this project, I won't have time to audition for James Bond."
Lucas didn't hide his surprise, "James Bond?"
Anson nodded, "Yes. Pierce Brosnan is fifty this year. Though he still looks dashing, his agility is fading, and he might not be able to continue in the role."
"And the Bond series has a tradition of bringing in new faces. Pierce has done four films, and now it's time for a fresh face."
"So, they're looking for a new James Bond."
Lucas imagined it for a moment, "That would suit you perfectly."
Tuxedos, sports cars, Bond girls.
There was no doubt that Anson's vibe and image matched James Bond, and their collaboration would surely spark some magic.
Anson replied, "The Captain thinks so too."
Lucas noticed the hesitation in Anson's voice, "You don't agree?"
Anson paused briefly before organizing his thoughts.
"In theory, it should be an incredibly fun project. Everyone has fantasized about being James Bond at least once, right?"
"I'm no exception."
"But I don't think they'll choose me."
"First, I'm Peter Parker. You know how much effort Sony Columbia has put into getting audiences to associate me with Peter Parker? If I suddenly show up as James Bond, audiences would be confused."
"MGM and Sony Columbia would probably fight over it."
"Even if MGM wanted me as Bond, they'd likely wait until the Spider-Man series is finished. Otherwise, there would be unnecessary conflict between the two characters, whose on-screen images couldn't be more different."
In Hollywood, actors playing different roles is common. But playing leads in different film franchises is another story.
Franchise films bind actors to their characters because it involves brand identity, image value, and marketing strategies. Both MGM and Sony Columbia would have their concerns.
So, this was the biggest obstacle to Anson playing James Bond, at least for now.