Steven was seriously scrutinizing Anson before him.
Even though Anson was the actor Steven had personally flown to Paris to audition for, even bringing Tom along, at this moment, he had to admit:
He had misjudged.
Clearly, he and Tom thought they had thoroughly understood Anson, which was why they chose him to play young Frank Abagnale. But now, it seemed, they had underestimated this "pretty face."
He was so close—just a tiny bit away—from missing Anson.
A spark of inspiration flashed in his mind, and Steven couldn't help but say, "Maybe we could work together again next time."
"My pleasure," Anson immediately replied.
Steven had only said it on a whim, but he hadn't expected such a direct response from Anson. "What, you're not worried about the script or the role?"
Anson spread his hands. "No, I'm more worried about not being able to challenge different roles."
Steven raised an eyebrow slightly. "Even if the work fails, or becomes a disaster?"
Anson nodded. "Making mistakes is better than being boring."
Steven paused, mulling over Anson's words carefully. Unconsciously, he thought of himself fifteen years ago.
At the time, he had already achieved numerous successes on a commercial level with "Jaws," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "E.T." He had transformed all his childhood fantasies into a magnificent world on the big screen. But he wanted to try something different, to explore more possibilities on the big screen.
So, he chose to adapt the novel *The Color Purple*.
Everyone said he was crazy, including his close friend George Lucas. People believed he was burying his directing career with his own hands.
Nevertheless, he still did it.
Because he believed that making mistakes was better than being boring.
If an artist is afraid of making mistakes and stays within their comfort zone, the only outcome is to slowly strangle their own career.
Looking at Anson again, a hint of approval crossed Steven's eyes as he nodded slightly.
Before Steven could speak, Anson added, "Besides, even if I'm naive and foolish, I wouldn't be so stupid as to refuse Steven Spielberg to his face."
That should be something for the agent to take the fall for.
Steven immediately understood. Unable to hold back, he burst out laughing, "Hahaha."
"So, what joke are you guys telling? Mind sharing it?" came a teasing voice from behind. Turning around, they saw Tom waddling in like a penguin.
Steven's smile hid behind his beard. "I was just telling Anson that he completely stole the spotlight in that last scene."
Anson: Me? Wait, what?
Seeing Anson's innocent expression, Tom generously spread his hands. "I admit it. Buddy, that was an outstanding performance."
As he spoke, Tom moved forward and gave Anson a hug, laughing and saying, "You killed me, utterly, didn't leave me a shred of dignity."
Thump, thump, thump.
Tom patted Anson heavily on the back, almost gritting his teeth as he spoke—
Obviously, it was a joke.
Anson responded with a "polite but awkward" smile. After Tom pulled away, Anson acted as if he was "coughing up blood from exasperation," then wiped the corner of his mouth and looked at Tom and Steven nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
Tom was dumbfounded.
Steven burst into a fit of loud laughter, "Haha, finally, you've met your match."
"Anson, let me tell you, everyone thinks this guy is honest—all because of *Forrest Gump*—but in reality, he loves playing pranks behind the scenes. The problem is, everyone's afraid of him and doesn't dare fight back, so he always gets away with it. A true bully. Finally, someone stood up to him."
But turning around, Steven noticed Anson frantically blinking with a nervous and awkward expression, signaling Tom with his eyes, "Director, I just joined the union."
This, of course, was still a joke, implying that Tom was all-powerful in the actors' union and that Anson needed to stay in his good graces—a plea for Steven to intervene.
One second, two seconds.
"Hahaha," Tom burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "Steven, you should've seen your face."
Steven couldn't hold back either, "Haha." He glanced at the calmly composed Anson, "Hahaha."
The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
Anyone with eyes could see that Anson was thriving in the presence of these two big shots. Such a scene was not something you came across every day.
Then, Tom finally refocused his attention. "I'm serious, Anson. Your performance just now was brilliant. Some of your timing choices were really outstanding. I think I should adjust my own approach as well—tighten up the emotion a bit more and create a contrast with your calmness. That would really bring out the comedic effect."
There's a reason why legends become legends.
Anson didn't let the praise get to his head; instead, he followed Tom's train of thought. "Which parts specifically?"
The essence of a scene involving two actors lies in how their performances interact with each other. Even without direct eye contact or overlapping dialogue, the energy conveyed through emotions, timing, and tension needs to interact, forming a complete picture.
Hearing their conversation, Steven interjected, "That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Both actors turned their attention to the director.
Steven continued, "The scene we just did was great—really, really good. We don't need to reshoot it; that take was perfect. But we do need to get some additional shots—some close-ups."
"Anson, the way you handled your eye movements was excellent. I want to capture a few close-ups. Just keep your current approach and state of mind; you're doing great."
"As for you, Tom, I'm not worried about you. Continue discussing things with Anson. You could tighten up your performance just a bit, and I think that would work perfectly."
With that said, Steven prepared to walk away, but the actors weren't done yet.
Tom called after him, "Wait, wait. Anson's eye close-ups—what specific parts? Where am I positioned? What's my spatial relationship to the camera?"
"Steven, I need to make some adjustments too."
Ideas were bursting forth.
Because of Anson's excellent performance, Tom also found himself rethinking his understanding of the character and the scene. His mind began to overflow with new ideas.
The same went for Steven. He contemplated how to use the camera to capture the nuances of the performances and how to build the entire scene around these shots. His original concept was evolving, giving rise to even more creative possibilities.
Word by word, Tom and Steven dove deeper into their discussion.
And Anson?
He was all ears, fully focused.
Anson had to admit that his understanding and execution of acting were still in the preliminary stages. Much of his performance was based on instinct, reacting to the storyline he had outlined for his character. He couldn't see the bigger picture like Tom or Steven could, nor could he understand how to extend his acting in relation to the camera's movements.
Experience was the missing ingredient.
But that was okay. Unlike his experience with *The Princess Diaries*, where he was mostly an observer, this time he had the opportunity not just to learn from the masters up close but to also put what he learned into practice.
Even just by listening, Anson could learn a lot.
Indeed, *Catch Me If You Can* was turning out to be an invaluable opportunity.
Filming and inspiration were sparking off each other, much like the process of creating art.