404 Higher salary ceiling

Andy's unusual reaction wasn't all that common, but anyone observant could discern that this wasn't the first time it had happened over the past half-year.

The corners of Renly's mouth gently lifted into a smile. "Weren't you looking forward to me breaking free from the constraints of my image, stepping out of the usual mold, and showing more versatility? That was one of the original intentions for choosing comedy."

"Indeed!" Andy felt the pent-up air in his chest was somewhat stifling. "But that doesn't mean you have to shave your head! The sacrifice is really too great; and besides, now is just not a good time."

Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, those actors shaved their heads out of necessity, mainly to uphold their tough-guy image. Besides them, actors in Hollywood who willingly shaved their heads were truly a rarity. This was because it could be a fatal blow to an actor's appearance. Not to mention bald, even actors with Mediterranean hairstyles fought tooth and nail to preserve whatever hair they had left.

This breakthrough in appearance was truly too visually striking. Even someone like Andy found it hard to stomach.

It was hard to imagine that Renly, only twenty-one years old, would suddenly become bald. Andy suddenly felt like crying without tears. Why did he feel like he had dug a pit and buried himself?

"I've had a buzz cut before. Now I'm just taking it a step further. There's no need to worry," Renly said calmly. He was referring to the era of "The Pacific". Hairstyles weren't that important to him. "I didn't get these roles by relying on my appearance. I hope not to cultivate such a tradition in the future either."

For actors, appearance was part of the role, just like in "The Pacific". Actors couldn't be clean and neat every day, that would be absurd. For the sake of their roles, they would lie in the mud for days, reeking, but they had to persevere.

Hairstyles were the same.

Renly didn't think hairstyles were anything special. They were also part of the role. As long as they fit the character, they must serve the character. So, Renly never considered shaving his head a problem.

But Andy's perspective was different. He was worried about "Fast 5", or more accurately, Renly's commercial value.

The release of this movie marked Renly's first foray into commercial films. It could test his commercial value and market appeal. However, at this critical juncture, if Renly suddenly shaved his head, it wasn't very friendly to female viewers. It disrupted Andy's plans.

Why couldn't Tom Cruise shave his head? Experts had predicted that if Tom shaved his head, his market value might drop by half, or even more. His audience would decrease significantly, and the roles he could play would be reduced. Just look at Tom Hanks, his hairstyle had remained almost unchanged for twenty years.

Now, if Renly shaved his head, although it wouldn't lead to a 50% drop in his commercial value – whether Renly even had commercial value now was still a big question mark – it was certain that it would affect his future development plans. For instance, superhero movies wouldn't consider him anymore. He couldn't possibly play a superhero wearing a wig or a bald cap, right?

Wait, didn't Thor's long hair use a cap?

Andy's thoughts wandered slightly, but he quickly snapped back. He knew Renly had a point.

Originally constrained by his age, Renly's options for scripts were quite limited. If he added the constraint of his handsome appearance, his range of roles would only get narrower. After the filming of "50/50", it was likely that Renly would take on the role of "Detachment".

The latter film wouldn't mind Renly's hairstyle too much. After all, the role of a down-and-out teacher didn't have any strict hair requirements. Even if it did, there was no need to worry. There were at least two months before "Detachment" started filming, and his hair would have grown back by then.

Yes, hair doesn't disappear forever; it does grow back. Even so, Andy found it somewhat amusing.

Shaking his head gently, Andy spoke earnestly, "Renly, you're a handsome, witty, and charming man. Please don't be so indifferent to your appearance, alright?"

"Then you shouldn't worry either," Renly responded with a smile.

The confidence in his casually spoken words left Andy momentarily stunned. He didn't know how to counter it, so he could only laugh wryly and nod. "My mistake."

Renly was destined to be a unique actor, so he shouldn't plan things according to conventional wisdom. Andy realized he had imposed his own views on Renly.

Moreover, the reason he recommended "50/50" to Renly wasn't just because of Seth, nor was it solely because of Seth's ties to the artist management company. Most of the members of Seth's gang were clients of Innovative Artists Agency, so Andy didn't need to worry.

There was another reason, too. He had simply skimmed through the first five pages of the script and had talked with the screenwriter Will for almost twenty minutes, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the character. Andy believed that Renly was indeed suitable for the role and that it would provide a platform to showcase his acting skills. It was only that his conception of displaying acting skills and what Renly had in mind had some differences.

Thinking about this, Andy could only sigh lightly. "No matter what I say, you've already made up your mind, right?" Andy rubbed his slightly aching temples. He had been the one who brought up "50/50" as a suggestion, and Renly had agreed. There was nothing he could do now.

Renly just smiled and said nothing. Andy's resigned voice was genuinely amusing.

"I've already discussed the remuneration," Andy quickly regained his composure and got back to business. "$800,000 plus five percent of the box office profits."

Andy casually dropped a bombshell.

The "50/50" production team was quite sincere. The budget was around $8M, mainly due to Seth's influential connections, which easily secured support from two independent production companies. Furthermore, three distribution companies had expressed interest, so the budget was more than adequate.

This was a film that didn't require computer-generated effects. All the funds could be invested into the movie's production. So, the movie had an impressive cast. Anna Kendrick, who had been rising in the last two years; the acclaimed independent film star Anjelica Huston; and Bryce Dallas Howard, who had independently ventured into Hollywood, concealing her lineage to Ron Howard...

Adding Seth Rogen and Renly Hall to the mix, for an independent film, there were indeed many selling points.

As a producer, Seth chose not to take a fee but to participate in the film's production through a share of the box office profits. This gave the actors more space in terms of their remuneration.

"50/50" had found Renly at the eleventh hour and he had taken on the role in a time of crisis. Andy had also hinted that Renly would need to adjust his schedule. Seth didn't hesitate at all over the eight hundred thousand remuneration. He even voluntarily gave away five percent of the box office profits, hoping that Andy would quickly sign the contract so Renly could appear on the set in Seattle.

Objectively speaking, considering Renly's current status, a remuneration ranging from $800,000 to $1.5M was within a reasonable range. $800,000 for remuneration was standard, not high, not low. However, considering "50/50" was an independent small production, offering one-tenth of the fee to the lead actor was already a generous offer, especially given that the pay for the supporting actors was also not low.

This was the highest remuneration Renly had received in his acting career so far.

As for the box office profits, that was an additional bonus.

To be honest, even Andy found it somewhat surprising that Renly had smoothly made his way into the ranks of those eligible for box office profits. Four consecutive films all qualified for this status, but in fact, each of the four films had its special reasons.

In "Fast 5", Renly had sacrificed his fee. Amidst power negotiations, he had found a good opportunity and opened up a crack. In "Like Crazy", it was thanks to Drake Doremus sacrificing some of his share and giving it to Renly. In "Detachment", it was due to Tony Kaye's relaxed attitude; in reality, within the crew, Renly was almost like half a producer. The share of the profits was an encouragement and motivation for him.

As for "50/50", he had stepped in at the last moment, and the other side had specifically requested Renly. The box office profits seemed more like compensation and appreciation.

Moreover, the profit-sharing ratios for the four films were not high. Three of them were independent films, and the final profits were estimated to be not that substantial. All in all, it was likely that when summed up, it might even be lower than the average remuneration for actors at Renly's level. If Renly were to take on commercial films now, the box office profits would probably still be insufficient.

Even so, Andy still found it incredible that Renly had consecutively qualified for box office profits in four films. And it hadn't even been a full year since Renly appeared on the big screen.

"This is a good thing. At least, I won't have to worry about not being able to pay Nathan's salary," Renly's joking words revealed his lightheartedness.

Andy could tell that Renly still wasn't overly concerned about his remuneration, maintaining his consistent style.

This made Andy shake his head gently, his smile tinged with helplessness. "I'll give the contract to the lawyer to review today. After confirming there are no issues, I'll send it over to Nathan. Then, I'll call Tony and arrange the schedule. You can focus on preparing for the filming of this project."

First, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", then "Detachment", and now "50/50". In just a few days, Renly's work had undergone a drastic change. What Andy didn't say was that he had originally intended to compete for the male lead role in "The Hunger Games". But now it seemed, the schedules didn't align, and he had missed the opportunity even before he started working on it.

"Work?"

After hanging up the phone, Renly saw Paul walking out. He had changed into the T-shirt and sweatpants that Renly had given him earlier. He looked much fresher.

Renly stretched lazily and nodded in confirmation. "Time to start working again." The relaxed smile on his face showed his mood. "You weren't hiding in the bedroom all this time, were you?" Renly had been on the phone for at least half an hour over the course of several calls, and Paul didn't look like the type to spend half an hour in the shower.

Paul chuckled playfully, scratched his head, and didn't say anything.

Renly couldn't help but chuckle. "You can treat this place like your own home. There's no need to be formal." Then he stood up and teased, "But that doesn't include the upcoming period. I'm going to take a shower. It's probably best if you don't wander around."