The Greatest Showman

“Jonas, thank you for your help.”

Renly closed the passenger door, and the truck, fully loaded with goods, wobbled away down the street. Turning around, Nathan stood two steps away, rubbing his hands with an awkward expression, unsure of what to do. This made Renly smile. “If you walk across the next street, the subway station is right at the corner. Or would you prefer I help you call a taxi?”

“No, no need.” Nathan quickly shook his head but then realized it might sound impolite. “I mean, I can get back on my own, you don’t need to trouble yourself.” He hesitated for a moment. “I…uh, the subway is fine, the subway is great!”

In truth, Nathan didn’t really know where to go. He had come to New York on a business trip with Fischer, but now that he’d been fired, he was suddenly at a loss. Still, Nathan knew he couldn’t trouble Renly any further. They had both been left stranded on the highway, with no signs of civilization nearby. If Renly hadn’t flagged down a truck, Nathan might still be walking, and it would be dark before they even reached the city.

“Thank you, I haven’t properly thanked you for helping me earlier.” Coming to his senses, Nathan quickly expressed his gratitude, but then he noticed Renly’s gaze moving past him, focusing on something behind him. Nathan instinctively turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a suit and tie.

The man had a slightly plump figure, with a round beer belly and a friendly smile that made him seem approachable. Even though it was the middle of August and stiflingly hot, he was fully suited up, which made Nathan sweat just by looking at him. The man pulled out a blue and white checkered handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Noticing Renly’s gaze, he waved amicably.

“You always make such a surprising entrance. This time, it’s a truck. I wonder what it’ll be next time?” The chubby man said with a smile as he slowly approached.

Renly chuckled lightly. “Maybe a white horse.”

The “white horse” was, of course, a playful reference to a prince on a white horse, and the joke made Nathan laugh too, though he immediately realized it was out of place—he and Renly weren’t exactly friends.

Sure enough, the man’s attention shifted to Nathan, and he asked, “And this is…?”

“Nathan, this is Andy,” Renly introduced them. “Andy, this is Nathan.”

Standing before him was none other than Andy Rogers. Just like last time, Andy was waiting for Renly outside his apartment. But today’s situation was clearly unusual, and it was unclear how long Andy had been waiting there. It seemed like Andy had even looked up Renly’s flight details, which made Renly feel a little uneasy. He had assumed his personal information was secure, but now he wondered how many other people could access it.

“Were you waiting here just for me?” Renly asked directly, voicing his concern.

Sensing Renly’s wariness, Andy smiled and explained, “I’ve been in New York for two weeks now. I saw a photo of you with some flight attendants on Facebook just now, and that’s how I knew you were back. So, I thought I’d take a chance and try to catch you before you collapsed from jet lag.”

Confident but not overbearing, all of Andy’s sharpness was hidden beneath his words. As a top agent, Andy’s style was completely different from Fischer’s. Then again, maybe it was just Renly’s preconceived notions, and he hadn’t yet discovered another side of Andy.

“Renly, I’ll be heading out now.” Taking advantage of a break in the conversation, Nathan spoke politely. “Thank you again for today.” Renly nodded with a smile, and Nathan turned and began to walk in the direction of the subway Renly had pointed out. His shoulders, however, seemed weighed down.

After taking two steps, Nathan looked around in a daze and let out a long sigh. He had only worked this job for less than two weeks before Fischer fired him. Even before he started, he’d heard that Fischer was becoming increasingly picky, changing assistants faster than he changed his bed partners—his previous assistant had lasted just half a month. Still, Nathan hadn’t expected his own tenure to be even shorter than his predecessor’s.

Renly noticed Nathan’s confusion. Although his encounter with Fischer today hadn’t been pleasant, Nathan had only been caught in the crossfire. It wasn’t necessarily Renly’s fault that he’d lost his job, though he had certainly played a part. “If you’re unsure, you can go back to the hotel to get your luggage first. Then maybe find a hostel, or even fly back to Los Angeles.”

Nathan, hearing the voice behind him, came to his senses and turned around, offering Renly a sheepish smile. “That’s a good idea.” He took a few more steps, then turned back again and shouted, “Thanks! And yeah, Fischer really is a jerk!”

Renly couldn’t help but laugh. As he turned his attention back, he saw Andy’s puzzled look. “Morgan Fischer came to see me earlier. That was his assistant.”

After a brief explanation, Andy understood. But rather than inquiring about Renly’s conversation with Fischer, Andy shifted the topic. “I heard you just got back from Europe. How was it? What did you gain from the trip?”

“I filmed a low-budget indie movie. It took eight days, with a Spanish crew.” Renly thought carefully before giving his verdict. “The experience was far more rewarding than I expected.”

Andy grinned, his small eyes narrowing into slits. “Sounds like this acting challenge really satisfied you. It must have been a tough role. I’m already a little curious.”

“The director has already submitted ‘Buried’ to the Toronto Film Festival, and it’s currently in the review stage. We’re still waiting for the notification to see if it makes the cut,” Renly said eagerly, sharing the news about ‘Buried’. This wasn’t just his first project on the big screen; it was his first real step out of his comfort zone, exploring new possibilities and pushing his limits.

“Toronto? Then you’ll probably hear back by the end of the week. The shortlist is being announced next week,” Andy said, clearly well-versed in awards season. “Venice’s list just came out last weekend, so I guess you missed the deadline for Venice.”

To participate in a film festival, you have to submit your entry ahead of time, including a final cut for review by the festival committee. Unless you’re a renowned director like Martin Scorsese, and the festival makes exceptions, missing the deadline means missing the opportunity altogether.

Renly nodded in confirmation and regretfully said, “If it had been Venice, I wouldn’t have come back. I would just go to Italy. This time of year, Tuscany is beautiful.”

“Well, you missed Venice, but there’s always the Emmys. Trust me, you don’t want to miss the Emmys,” Andy replied with a grin. Even though he’d always believed in Renly’s potential, an Emmy nomination was still a pleasant surprise.

This year, the competition in the Emmys’ miniseries and TV movie categories was particularly fierce, with ‘The Pacific’ continuing the momentum from ‘Band of Brothers’ in technical and overall aspects. However, when it came to acting, they fell short in that department. So. now that Renly had been nominated, not just him, but everyone at HBO and across the industry was taken aback.

Renly smiled too. “Of course, I wouldn’t want to miss it. Who knows when the next chance will come if I miss this one?”

“In my opinion, the next opportunity might take some time,” Andy replied unexpectedly but quickly shifted. “Because after this, it’ll probably be harder to get you to take on TV roles. The big screen is where you truly belong.”

Such clever phrasing was both sly and sharp, and Renly couldn’t help but smile.

“So, how about we find somewhere to sit down?” Andy looked around and then at the suitcase in Renly’s hand. “I know you need to adjust to the time zone and that long flights are exhausting. I’m also sweating like crazy and could use a place with air conditioning to avoid looking more dishevelled.”

It was clear that Andy had more on his mind, and Renly could easily sense it. “I thought you were in a rush today, and that this conversation could be wrapped up in ten minutes,” Renly remarked, recalling how their past two meetings had been brief.

“Haha, not this time. Today is different.” Andy wiped his forehead again with his handkerchief. “For the sake of my potential superstar for the next twenty years, I can’t afford to rush things.” Then, without warning but not surprisingly, Andy laughed heartily and looked seriously at Renly. “I’d like to represent you. I want to be your agent in Hollywood and help shape the next phase of your acting career. Are you interested?”

This was Andy’s third visit, and he had been patient, methodical, and sincere, never rushing but always confident and composed.

“A superstar? That’s not a height just anyone can reach,” Renly laughed lightly as if he just heard a joke.

Andy remained unfazed, nodding in agreement. “That’s true. In fact, becoming a superstar in Hollywood is incredibly difficult. Maybe one in ten thousand make it. You need extraordinary talent, the right projects, suitable roles, perfect timing, and a bit of luck. You can’t be missing any of those,” Andy admitted openly. “But I believe you have what it takes to achieve it all. And I believe I have what it takes to help you get there. If we work together, let’s see how our luck plays out.”

It was a unique and compelling explanation.

Renly burst out laughing, looking at Andy’s fox-like smile. He had more questions he wanted to ask, but as he thought about it—Andy’s three visits, his steady yet respectful approach, and their in-depth discussions—Andy had already demonstrated everything Renly could want in an agent. Moreover, Andy was backed by the powerhouse Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the biggest names in the industry.

“Why not? Let’s see how things go,” Renly finally said yes, sealing the deal. His choice of agent had been made—Andy Rogers had successfully won him over and secured his contract.

Andy nodded slightly as if he had expected this outcome all along. There was no excessive emotion, just a calm gesture toward the apartment building behind them. “Once we’ve signed the contract, the first order of business is to get you out of this crumbling building.” His remark made Renly laugh out loud.

“At that moment, my first thought was that I wanted to wring his neck. That damn bastard finally said yes. But at the same time, I also knew I had just made a decision that would change the trajectory of my career, and my racing heartbeat betrayed my calm demeanour.” Andy said this years later, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

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