Great Actor in Hollywood

Ryan was sitting alone in the Grey Goose Blue Door lounge and drinking a diet pepsi. The wooden chair and fireplace nearby provided a cozy atmosphere that was much welcome after Camila's article. He saw Zachrary walking in wearing a yankees cap on and said, "How much you paid for that article. A grand? Three grand?" 

"Ha. I didn't pay any money." 

"Oh. No money." Zach looked around the empty lounge and whispered, "Any favors? Possibly, that needed to be performed in a hotel room?" 

Ryan took a sip from his pepsi, wishing he had mentos mint on him. "Tell me. Did the deal go through?" 

"Hell no. They offered 250,000 upfront and they got an 80/20 split. Ridiculous. At that point, they should have just told us that the movie would only be able to stream on pornhub." 

Ryan chuckled and teased, "Well, isn't that your dream? That's absurd though".

"Another Earth was offered one million! And don't get me started on the ending. Rhoda sees her duplicate self standing there. What does it mean?" 

"I haven't seen it. Been too busy reading reviews about me in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post." Ryan smiled and saw a glint of mischief in Zach's eyes. 

"You wish, more like Karen's Trailer Reviews, CouchRotten.com, or hell did you look in the comments in XVid—" 

"Okay. l got it." He smirked. A person at the other end of the lounge was nearly shouting on the phone. 

Then, there was a comfortable silence that only good friends experience; the simple joy of being in each other's presence. He looked at the falling snow hitting the roof of the Jim Santy Auditorium. 

He looked back to Zach and said, "When is the next one?"

"Don't remind me. Like in 45 minutes"

"Lionsgate?" 

"Yep" 

The rest of the thirty minutes was filled with meandering, hobo-bobo chit chat that ranged from a slew of topics: a deep conversation about Ezekiel 25:17 speech, Spielberg's annus mirabilis in 1993, Zach debating whether he should join the series American Horror Story, and a surprising transition to Ryan's childhood. 

"Yeah. I home hopped a lot. When l met Tess it was heaven. I used to hide food for the next day for the other kids and me out of habit. When she realized what l was doing she shoved me in the pantry and told me, 'All of this is for you'. She gave me a hug and picked me up. I didn't know what it was but it felt good." Ryan looked down and swirled the small amount of soda in the can. He looked much younger.

"That must have been hard man." 

"There are so much worse stories." 

Zachary leaned back on the uncomfortable chair. He admired so many things about Ryan: his work ethic, the way that he couldn't accept any type of praise, and most of all, his maturity. Though, he worries that his strong drive is kind of hiding his experience as a child. 

'He deserves so much'

He stood up and stretched his skeleton arms. Ryan said, "Spock has to go." 

"Yep. I see you later" 

"Ok, man". 

As Zachary's footsteps faded down the quiet hallway, Ryan remained seated, the soft glow from the fireplace casting shadows across the worn wood of the Blue Door lounge. Outside, the snow continued its gentle descent, softening the world beyond the glass and creating a serene stillness to the evening. The night was crisp and clear, the sky a deep indigo saturated by the distant stars. The warmth of the room was a sharp contrast to the cold that seemed to seep deep into his bones—an echo of memories that seemed to spawn on Zach's chair. The laughter and chatter from earlier conversations felt distant now, replaced by a quiet heaviness that settled in his chest. The sound of the festival outside; the flashing cameras, the murmurs of guessing which star was that, was far removed from the timeless lounge. 

***

In the next few hours, Ryan found himself tucked into a high stool on the small makeshift press stage at the Variety Studio inside the Waldorf Astoria Park City. A row of mounted lights glared into his eyes, softening his features for the camera, and a silver mic with a bright red "VARIETY" cube on it was inches from his mouth. Across from him sat a sharp-featured host with a clipboard, dressed in all white and smiling with the easy polish of someone who had interviewed dozens of actors already that day.

But this was different. The energy in the room was slightly electric. Just a few nights before, Margin Call had brought great excitement in the Eccles Theatre. The claustrophobic offices, the rattling dialogue, and the all-star ensemble cast had gotten people talking. But what surprised a few was Ryan Stone. An unfamiliar face playing Seth Bregman, the junior analyst with sad eyes and a narcissistic personality His scenes weren't long, only a few minutes. But they lived on the audience's mind, especially the one in the bathroom with the CEO.

"So, Ryan," the interviewer began, smiling. "You're kind of the unexpected breakout of Margin Call. You've been called the film's emotional anchor, even in just a few scenes. What does that feel like, waking up to reviews like 'A Debut Worth to Look Out For'?"

Ryan smiled bashfully, then laughed rubbing the back of his neck. "Honestly, it's weird. I still don't think they're talking about me. I keep expecting someone to say it's a typo or a mix-up with one of the other cast members."

The interviewer chuckled. "No mix-up. And people have noticed. Did you expect Margin Call to hit like this?"

"I knew it was special when I read the script," Ryan said. "But I didn't expect it to connect with so many people this fast. It's a quiet movie. It's not sexy at all. I tried though. l asked J.C if there should be a sports competition between all the people in the company. Winners keep their jobs. I guess it didn't make the final cut. Ha. But in all seriousness, l think the movie hit something deeper."

"Your scene with Simon Baker has been singled out. That moment where your character, Seth, says, 'This is all I've ever wanted to do.' It's simple, but there's something more. How did you approach that?"

Ryan paused. "I didn't want to act it. I just… said it. I thought about all the times I almost caved in, moving a lot as a kid, doubting whether I had anything worth saying. So, when Seth says that, it was me too. I've wanted this—acting, storytelling, all of it—since I was little. So that line didn't feel like a line."

There was a second of silence. The interviewer's face softened. "Thank you for sharing that."

Ryan gave a sheepish shrug. "It's the only way I know how to do it. If it doesn't come from something real, it doesn't work."

"What was it like being in a cast with Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto? That's no small list."

"Intimidating at first. Terrifying, actually," Ryan said, grinning. "But they were generous. Zach especially. He made space for me. I'll never forget that."

"And now that you've been noticed, what's next?"

Ryan shifted slightly. "I playing the lead in Looper. Im so excited to work with legends like Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt." The long nights of mimicking Bruce or talking to friends about time travel came to him. 

The host smiled and said, "Anything you'd say to other young actors trying to break in?"

Ryan looked off for a second before answering. "Yeah. I'd say… Your pain isn't a weakness. If you know how to hold it, it becomes a tool. . And people can relate to that. Even in five-minute roles."

The crew clapped softly off-camera. The interviewer smiled wide. "Well said. Ryan Stone, everyone. Thanks for your time."

As the segment wrapped and the lights dimmed, Ryan stepped off the stool and shook the host's hand, still blinking under the afterglow of heat and nerves. He was not use to environments like this but he wasn't scared of it.

He stepped outside into the cold mountain air, zipping up his coat. People passed him with coffee cups and lanyards, but now, a few heads turned. Someone whispered, "Hey, that's him. Seth from Margin Call." Ryan didn't stop. He just grinned, breathed in the icy Park City air, and kept walking.

'Lets go back to work'