Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion

Amy Adams smiled slightly and poured him a drink, "You’re a road worker, right?"

"Yes, and I’m also a boxer."

Link added with a bit more confidence on his face.

"Oh, I heard you’re a stepping stone?"

Amy Adams laughed.

"I’m not a stepping stone."

Link emphasized.

"They use people like you to let other boxers climb up."

As a guest came over, Amy Adams got busy at the bar again.

Link’s face showed a hint of shame as he clenched his fists and said, "I’ve lost a few fights before, but that’s not my real strength, I’ll show my true ability in the next match."

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"Sure, he’ll still lose the match in the end."

A drunkard at the bar jeered at him, slapping a bill on the countertop, "Carly, a soda and a whiskey, one of them’s on you, now get your sexy ass moving, hahaha~"

"Buddy, show some respect when you speak."

Link shouted angrily, grabbing the drinker’s collar.

"Hey, don’t hurt your hand, you’ve got a fight next week."

Christian Bale, playing the role of brother Dicky, burst into frame from behind.

"Cut!"

"Take it again, Link, when you’re angry, tone down the expression a bit, and don’t act too dominant; Micky’s character isn’t dominant."

Director David O. Russell called from behind the monitor.

Link nodded, exchanged a few words with Christian Bale and Amy Adams, and continued with the shooting.

"David, how’s Link doing?"

Producer Darren Aronofsky approached the director’s area to ask.

"Not bad, better than expected,"

Director David O. Russell said, staring at the camera.

"Oh?"

Darren, with his arms crossed, watched the performance of the trio on set.

Christian Bale had won multiple awards for "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" and was extremely skilled at acting.

Amy Adams had received two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress for "Junebug" and "Doubt" in 2006 and this year respectively; her acting was also very good.

Link, an amateur actor, was in danger of being overshadowed by the two of them.

"Yes, before we started filming, I had looked over Link’s information; he was flamboyant, domineering, all sharp edges. My first impression was that he definitely wasn’t the right choice for Micky.

But after we started shooting, his performance was surprising. He was understated, taciturn, introverted, and did you see it? Just now, the shyness he showed, his awkwardness at flirting, seemed so genuine, without a trace of acting.

If it weren’t for his face, I would have mistaken him for actually being that way, which is pretty interesting."

Director David O. Russell said, stroking his stubbled chin.

"Really?"

Darren frowned, watching Link’s performance with even more focus.

Using Link as the lead actor had been extensively debated within the production team and was still under discussion until just before filming.

The focal point of the debate was whether Link was suitable for the role, and whether casting him was worth it.

Initially, he had supported Link, but then he was convinced by others that, as an amateur actor, having Link as the lead would lower the quality of the entire film, affecting its chance at the Oscars.

Just when he agreed to replace him, Relativity Media suddenly changed their stance, determined to have Link play the lead.

Because Link was a real-world boxing champion, having him play an ordinary boxer was highly topical and would draw in boxing fans.

Second, Link’s fame in the entertainment industry grew day by day, and his fan base kept increasing.

Taking advantage of his low fee, casting him in a movie would yield a high return.

Moreover, he was very handsome and had a great physique; he was the epitome of good looks.

He was an actor with extremely high cost-performance.

As for acting skills, Relativity Company believed that pairing a few veterans with a newcomer was more interesting than a cast full of veterans.

For this reason, the supporting actors hired by Relativity Company were all strong performers.

In addition to Christian Bale and Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, who played their mother, received a Best Actress nomination at this year’s Oscars. The old man who played their father and coach had also been a stage actor for over twenty years.

A group of seasoned actors leading a newcomer like Link in performance meant that even if Link’s acting wasn’t great, the impact wouldn’t be too significant.

Producer Darren and Director David O. Russell were convinced by the people at Relativity Media.

Even though convinced, Darren kept worrying about this film while he was busy preparing his new project, "Black Swan," concerned that Link’s acting might drag down the crew.

But after watching for a while, he realized that Link’s acting wasn’t so bad. His interactions with the two actors were effective, not amateurish or jarring.

Seeing this, Producer Darren felt somewhat relieved.

"David, be stricter with Link,"" we’re still targeting the Oscars with this film, and we can’t let him affect the quality of the entire movie,"

Producer Darren said.

Director David O. Russell nodded.

For filmmakers, they too wanted their works to achieve high box office revenues and win major film awards, but such films were rare.

When box office success was not guaranteed, they would shift their focus to film awards.

Take "The Fighter" for example: the protagonist was not a world-famous boxing star like Ali or Tyson. Micky Ward was just an ordinary champion, without classic matches or many old boxing fans, which meant the film’s selling points were not sufficient.

Furthermore, the film’s plot centered around family, kinship, and love, without any grand scenes or explosive performances. It wouldn’t attract many viewers by story alone, being a niche within niche films.

Even with Link, the box office wouldn’t be too high.

Therefore, setting higher standards for the performances and firmly aiming for the Oscars was safer than expecting a high box office yield.

"Cut!"

"Take it again! Link, it’s your issue. I need a better performance from you,"

Director David O. Russell shouted.

"Okay!"

Link nodded, apologized to Amy, Bale, and the other actors. Having shot for seven or eight days, he averaged over 20 NGs (No Goods) per day, indicating failed shots in filming.

The others combined didn’t even reach 20 times.

This made him feel ashamed, and an apology was necessary.

"Link, it’s alright. Your performance isn’t the problem. Maybe Director David O. Russell has just raised his demands for the whole scene,"

Amy Adams said, leaning against the counter.

Amy was not very tall, around 165 cm, but she had a great figure, smooth pale skin, and was wearing a V-neck T-shirt that revealed half of her ample bosom, exuding a sexy aura.

"Keep it up, Link. It’s easy to be an actor, but not so easy to be a good one,"

Christian Bale patted his shoulder and swung back to his seat.

To be part of this movie, Bale lost over thirty pounds, transforming from the muscular Batman to a gaunt junkie with a balding head and rotten teeth, tottering when he walked, nothing at all like the handsome figure he cut in Batman.

Seeing the extent to which the other actor was willing to go for an Oscar, and how Leonardo had become an obese middle-aged man for the same reason, Link wondered whether he too should wreck his image for an Oscar?

Link felt that the Oscars acting awards were so hard to win because these people kept upping the ante.

"Scene 34, Shot 3, Take 4!"

"Action!"

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