Great Actor in Hollywood

The air conditioned room of the 42nd floor in the One Penn Plaza building was chilly—an atmosphere aptly suited for the scenes that would follow. Ryan has never been fired in a room full of his co-workers before, but the feeling of being looked down upon by his more successful colleagues, their eyes filled with fake pity as he tried to survive, was all too familiar. 

Zachary and Ryan were sitting down in front of the computers preparing for J.C to say action. Zachary looked perfectly calmed and looked every bit of Peter Sullivan: smart, hard working, and reclusive. Zachary's production company, Before the Door Pictures, was one of the producers of the film so he was very aware of the script and goal of the film. 

'I learned a lot about analysts during my interactions in Wall Street. They don't care if the people around them are getting fired as long as they're good. Survival of the fittest' 

"Okay, everybody. Action." J.C called out 

Four Human resource people come out the elevator carrying large file boxes. They walked down the trading floor. The camera pans to Zachary first who gives a knowing glance towards Ryan. 

"Is that them?" Seth said. Then Peter nods back.

"Jesus Christ. Are they going to do it right here?" 

"Yeah". Peter replied, looking down at his keyboard. 

Their boss Will Emerson, played by Paul Bettany who is a fine actor, leans over Seth and Peter and asks, "Have you guys ever seen this before?"

'I need to make Seth look real. He shouldn't just be surprised but also scared. He wants flashy cars and a big paycheck. He is not one of the losers, he's different ' 

"No". Ryan decides to anxiously look over the room and fidget with his mind, keeping the camera on Ryan a second longer. 

"Umm… am l safe?" Ryan looks like a kid watching a wave roll in, helpless as it crashes towards his sandcastle. 

Paul Bettany, doesn't miss a beat over the improv line and goes with it, replies with "You're good. Best to just ignore it. Keep your head down and get back to work… and don't watch." 

Frank G. DeMarco, the cinematographer, decides to pan the camera to Ryan's hypnotic face, which carries a half smile—and the most compelling of all, his glacial eyes: filled with deep hunger to prove himself against his colleagues. 

J.C Chandor shouts "Cut" causing the DP, actors, and extras to shuffle out to prepare for the next scene. J.C's mind is still thinking about Ryan's performance which was flawless and surprising because Seth Bregman was a small supporting role but Ryan outshined both established actors. Since this was his Chandor's first feature-length film,he decided to put the burden on the veteran actors: Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, and Jeremy Irons. He had little faith in his directorial ability so he casted these stellar performers to elevate the movie. But now, J.C wanted to add something to test Ryan

***

As the crew reset the lights and wheeled out a dolly for the next shot, Ryan stepped off set and leaned against the wall near video village. A PA offered him water, which he accepted with a quiet nod. He didn't want to talk. Not yet. His adrenaline hadn't worn off, and part of him feared breaking the spell. 

Paul Bettany walked past, tossing Ryan a nod. "Nice instincts, mate" he said in that dry British tone that made everything sound vaguely noble. 

Ryan smiled back and was a bit stunned. He wasn't used to getting noticed by actors he admired.

Zachary approached next. "Hey, that line?" he said with a smirk. "That wasn't in the script, right?" 

Ryan chuckled, "Yeah that just sort of came out."

"Well it worked," Zachary said. "Keep doing that"

Before Ryan could respond, the AD called for a second setup. J.C wanted to shoot a transition scene: Seth walking past the firing line, holding a report that he doesn't fully understand yet. He decided that Will Emerson would put a report over his desk to scare him. It would be a quick scene to show Seth's delicate position in the firm and his attitude towards his co-workers. 

Frank adjusted the camera for a tracking shot. He liked how Ryan moved which was not overly theatrical. Just natural. Real. 

As Ryan got back into place, J.C approached him quietly. 

"You good?" the director asked.

Ryan nodded, then added, "I was wondering if…l could try a version where Seth watches someone get escorted out and realizes it could never be him." 

J.C paused, then smiled. "Sure. Do it. But if you screw it up it's your fault." 

The camera rolled again. 

Ryan walked through the sterile hallway lined with glass offices. A man in his mid 40s, loosened tie, cardboard box in hand-is escorted past him. For a second, their eyes meet. The man's face is blank. Ryan continues to walk with some sort of stiffness but it is the brief look he gives to the man that is most impressive. He looks down on him and his confident eyes show no remorse. 

"Cut" J.C said, almost quietly

Frank lowered the camera and muttered, "That was it". 

Back at the monitor, the playback showed Ryan's performance in that moment—small, but layered. 

That night, Ryan sat alone in his hotel room near Times Square. The city outside was loud, bright, buzzing with ambition; just like him. He thought about what just happened. A no-name actor in a small supporting role, and yet he got the director's attention. He started reading scenes he wasn't even in. Jared's monologues. Sam's final scene in his ex wife's house. 

'I want to show the overconfidence of Wall Street. The power. And the eventual collapse.'

He looked up at the starry night thanking whoever gave him a second chance. He went to bed and slept like a baby.