"Heath Ledger is the best clown actor, and everyone else plays the clown, it's all a poor imitation."

"Jackie. Phoenix should understand that he is not suitable for this classic role. ”

"Jackie. Phoenix is losing weight, and he wants to show us a skinny clown. ”

"What a terrible choice, Phoenix is arguing with fans on the street, he has a quirky temperament and has no sense of responsibility."

"Phoenix is so grumpy and eccentric, he's not fit to play a clown at all."

"Li is a Chinese, and he can't understand the cultural heritage represented by the clown."

"Except for De Niro, everyone else's choices are very bad."

……

The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and Los Angeles is getting more and more dreary.

In such heat, many people are upset and they need to vent their emotions.

The news reported several zero-yuan purchase incidents, as well as ghost fire teenagers racing on the streets, and people playing with gas cylinders on the streets, causing quite a few fires.

There is more social news, and relatively less entertainment news.

There is even less news about the crew of "Joker", and even if there is, it is some negative news.

Warner's ability to manifest in the hype of the film made Lee a little disappointed.

However, this does not affect the nature of cooperation.

He didn't say anything more.

What's more, the Warner family has a big business, and the internal struggle must be fierce.

"Joker" was promoted by Emmerich, and other Warner Pictures executives were not necessarily happy that "Joker" would turn public opinion.

Li Shengyao didn't understand the competition within Warner, but he knew very well that there was nothing new under the sun, and it was naturally impossible for a large company like Warner to unite internally.

In order to avoid putting pressure on Emmerich, he negotiated work with Emmerich with little involvement in rivalry within Warner.

At noon on this day, Lee Shengyao and Emmerich got together again, or Emmerich drove, and they came to Jackie again. The entrance to Phoenix's small courtyard.

Probably because the sun is too big, the strong light is not suitable for shooting, and there are no bloggers who broadcast live today.

There was no one outside the courtyard.

However, Lee Shengyao and Emmerich did not look good.

Outside Phoenix's house, there stood a woman with a serious face.

This woman is Phoenix's nutritionist Tracy.

It was she who sent messages to Lee Shengyao and Emmerich.

At this time, she saw Li Shengyao and Emmerich, and immediately greeted her happily, "Li, it's better for you to communicate with Phoenix, he doesn't care about me at all now." ”

Li Shengyao's face was serious, he walked over and knocked on the door.

"Phoenix, are you there?"

No one in the house replied.

Li Shengyao looked left and right, made sure there were no live bloggers, and then said: "You don't want to wait until the time to turn on, you are hospitalized because of illness and can't go to work on the set, right?"

I think we should have a good talk. ”

He came here because Phoenix had kicked the dietitian away.

The Hollywood freak thinks the current weight loss plan is too slow to achieve the desired effect when the movie starts.

Maybe you can try something else.

Lee Shengyao and Emmerich rushed over.

At this time, Li Shengyao shouted.

Phoenix's voice finally rang out, "Lee, don't worry, I understand my body very well, there will be no problem." ”

"Man, I trust your instincts, but you can't chase Tracey away, we need her to keep an eye on your body.

Don't worry, we're not trying to change your mind.

We just want you to understand that we care about you and we need to make sure you're 100% healthy. ”

In Li Shengyao's previous life, Phoenix played the clown, and in order to look more thin and decadent when he was on camera, he lost 47 pounds.

In the beginning, it was a dietitian with weight loss.

Later, he disliked the dietitian's plan being too slow, so he used his own weight-loss method.

This weight-loss plan is to eat one apple a day.

Yes, a small apple a day.

And he really succeeded.

Some Hollywood actors enjoy such a change of being fat and thin.

Jack Queen. Phoenix is like that, Christian. The same goes for Bell.

Li Shengyao is very clear about Jie Kun. Phoenix's execution, but after all, it was a different time, and he was still worried that Phoenix would hurt his body like this.

He hopes that when Phoenix is carrying out his crazy weight-loss plan, he can get a nutritionist to follow, at least to prevent accidents.

Phoenix heard Li Shengyao's words, was silent for a moment, and then said, "Li, I need a quiet environment. ”

"I understand what you mean, but I have a principle that the life safety of an actor is above all else, and if you insist on losing weight alone, then we can only say goodbye.

We're going to cancel the contract, and I don't want anyone to do irreversible damage to their bodies because of my play.

Of course I understand your concerns, and rest assured, I can assure you that Tracey is just checking on your body and she won't be babbling anymore. ”

In the past, Tracey taught Phoenix like a serious teacher, and any shortcomings he had would point out afterwards.

It's completely understandable that a person with a personality like Phoenix can't stand such discipline.

Of course, Lee Shengyao can't let Phoenix lose weight without restraint and without anyone's supervision.

If there is any damage to Phoenix, it will be too late to regret it.

There was no sound in the house, and just when Jiang Weidong was thinking about whether to say something big, Phoenix opened the door.

Compared to the last time they met, Phoenix was thinner and his face was worse, except for a pair of eyes, still full of thought.

The moment the door opened, the sunlight poured into the house, and Phoenix squinted his eyes for a moment to adjust to it, and then came back to his senses.

"Please come in."

Li Shengyao walked into the house and found that the inside of the house was quite clean.

Phoenix sat down across from Li Shengyao, and he saw that Phoenix's eyes were bloodshot and a little red and swollen.

"Are you crying?"

Emmerich also found out about Phoenix, and then asked.

Phoenix looked at Emmerich silently, but didn't reply.

Seeing this, Emmerich thought that Phoenix was distressed by the recent news, and couldn't help but smile bitterly, "I've urged them to filter the news and stop negative news related to you, but it doesn't have much effect."

But I can immediately provide you with a quiet and beautiful villa, where you go and prepare, you can block a lot of bad messages. ”

When Phoenix heard this, he didn't react, he seemed to be looking for form.

Li Shengyao didn't say much, he believed that Phoenix had adjusted, and there must be something to ask him.

Sure enough, after about ten minutes, Phoenix slowly said to Li Shengyao: "Lee, what kind of person is Arthur?" ”

Arthur is the name of the Joker.

Li Shengyao thought for a while, "It doesn't matter if it's good or bad, he is a bottom of society, he used to believe that hard work can climb up, and he once believed that smiling can bring happiness to others."

It didn't, he worked hard to live, but work, his lover, and his mother left him in turn.

Eventually, he discovers that instead of living according to the rules, he should indulge in indulgence.

Arthur's background doesn't matter whether it's good or bad, in this world, his kindness has been destroyed again and again, and he is falling and dying step by step, all of these things can be traced. ”

When Phoenix heard this, he looked at Li Shengyao in a daze, and after a while, he nodded slightly, "I understand, I know where the real difficulty of this drama is." ”

"Joker" doesn't have any big scenes, but it has high requirements for the actors' acting skills.

Especially Arthur, the contrast between the front and back is very large, Arthur who is submissive, Arthur who is wanton and indulgent.

Showing such a contrast, the film is half the battle.

Lee smiled, and then he left with Emmerich.

Once in the car, Emmerich fastened his seatbelt and started while looking around the car.

He suddenly said: "Lee, in a state like Phoenix, I'm really worried that he will have physical or mental illness, should we prepare in advance, in case Phoenix can't do it, we can immediately replace other actors." ”

When Li Shengyao heard this, he shook his head, "I think we should believe him, Phoenix is not a person without a plan, he has a very strong self-control ability."

There's a lot of black material out there right now, and I'm sure Phoenix is in the eye.

If we have other thoughts in mind at this time, then no one is on Phoenix's side, which is unfair to him. ”

If it weren't for Phoenix's success in losing weight in his previous life and his excellent performance, perhaps he would have considered a second choice.

But now that there is a nutritionist to follow, Li Shengyao feels that there is no problem.

When Emmerich heard this, he looked over in surprise.

This style doesn't match Li Shengyao, when did Li Shengyao not put commerciality first.

Li Shengyao ignored Emmerich's gaze, and he suddenly thought of the news he had seen in his previous life.

On the set of "Joker", Phoenix broke down and cried many times.

Now that the movie has not officially started filming, Phoenix has not been brought into it so deeply, and when it is filmed in the future, I am afraid that Phoenix's psychological problems will be more serious.

Maybe he will have to hire not only a dietitian, but also a psychological counselor.

Like Arthur, he once met a counselor.

He has a confiding path that alleviates psychological problems.

Such a counselor needs to be invited in advance.

Lee then told Emmerich his thoughts.

Emmerich wondered why Lee Shengyao supported Phoenix so much.

However, since Li Shengyao didn't explain, he didn't ask, and he still chose to believe Li Shengyao.

……

After returning to the hotel from Phoenix's house, Lee then closed the door, then took out his notebook and listed the psychological problems that he might encounter during the filming on the set of Phoenix.

He soon discovers that Arthur is really too bitter, and there are too many points that can induce Phoenix to break down and cry.

Arthur was beaten up in a remote alley as soon as he appeared.

Then he met three drunkards molesting a woman in the subway, and when he was still hesitating, three drunkards came over and beat him.

Then the fat Randall betrayed him.

And his mother, who has paranoia, has narcissistic personality disorder, and everything that his mother insists on is wrong.

From this, he also knew that he was not his mother's own son, but adopted in an orphanage.

Although he left the orphanage, he did not do well, and his mother's boyfriend often abused him without her knowing it.

Arthur's idol Murray also teased him and made fun of him.

All these things, Arthur is really pitiful.

Not to mention the sentimental and delicate Phoenix, it is estimated that a nervous actor will be a little depressed if he comes over.

Li Shengyao listed these episodes, and then turned on the computer to find a solution to the psychological problem.

After some operation, although he is still not as good as a person majoring in psychology, he knows some professional terms that he didn't understand in the past.

I learned a little.

Lee then thought about the consequences of Phoenix's collapse while filming.

First, it will delay a lot of filming time.

The second will make the set more tense.

Third, there will be some bad rumors.

When he thought of this, he couldn't help but take a deep breath, he remembered the filming of "Joker" in his previous life, which seemed to be successfully completed in more than three months.

Then now it's his turn to shoot, because there is interference from extreme clown fans.

Is more than three months enough?

Li Shengyao plans to think about it, make a good plan, and complete the previous work as efficiently as possible.

Just as he was thinking, there was a knock on the door.

But the assistant hurried over.

"Boss, we just saw the news that you will not participate in the Huabiao Awards and Golden Rooster Awards in China, but you will participate in the Toronto Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.

Many netizens scolded you for admiring foreign countries. ”

The assistant then unfolded the phone and handed it to Li Shengyao to see.

I saw that there was an article that spread rumors that Lee Shengyao would participate in the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival, and said that Lee Shengyao pointed to this "Joker" to enter the beautiful country and want to become a filmmaker resident in the beautiful country, and there were already 6,000 comments at this time.

"Boss, what should I do?"

Li Shengyao thought for a moment, "We will arrange a press conference here, and I will explain the next plan to the world."

I won't go to Venice or Toronto until I'm done filming on the set of Joker, and I'm not going to Yanjing or Shanghai.

Then it's a matter of finding him and suing him. ”

The assistant nodded, thinking that Li Shengyao's response was reasonable.

"Boss, do you want to go back to China for a press conference, so that the domestic audience can hear your thoughts more easily."

Lee Shengyao thought of Phoenix's state, and he didn't want to leave at this time.

Phoenix doesn't go off the beaten path if he leaves Los Angeles.

Emmerich will not necessarily fully support Phoenix, and it is easy to affect Phoenix's form.

He still wanted to make sure that Phoenix would not be disturbed, would not be distracted, and could devote himself to preparing the movie.

"No need, I'll just hold a press conference in the beautiful country, this press conference doesn't need to find foreign reporters, just a few domestic reporters."

The assistant then hurried away.

Li Shengyao sat on the chair, looking at the white clouds in the distance, bathing in the sunshine and listening to the sound of the summer breeze.

But the heart is very tired and tired.

After a moment's sitting, he stood up, then found his notebook and thought again about how to improve efficiency.

He wants to finish the filming of "Joker" before Christmas this year.

(End of chapter)