The Best Director

Chapter 287: Chapter 287 He is Always So Interesting

On January 25, the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel welcomed the 61st Golden Globe Awards ceremony. The event was broadcast live by NBC, with hundreds of millions of viewers from over 160 countries and regions tuning in to watch the spectacle.

Security and confidentiality measures at this year’s Golden Globes were as tight as ever, leaving nothing to chance both at the Hilton Hotel and with the envelopes containing the winners’ names. Yet the media and general public did not expect much suspense regarding the final results, as almost everyone’s predictions aligned: “The Lord of the Rings 3,” Charlize Theron, and Sean Penn. Nevertheless, the star-studded Golden Globes were still the center of attention.

Film fans and enthusiasts could spot celebrities of all ages among the nominees, presenters, and those walking the red carpet: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman… as well as the extremely popular engaged couple Wang Yang and Jessica.

“Yang, Jessica, hi! Wow, what a sparkling ring.”

The 3,000 square meter red carpet buzzed with voices. While the celebrities in attendance change each year, the lively scene remained consistent, especially in the absence of the shadows of war. Around the hotel’s red carpet, adorned with “GOLDEN-GLOBE-AWARDS” signs, fashionable stars took photos, gave interviews, and conversed. Photographers and interview teams from NBC and other outlets scurried about searching for focal points and scoops.

Wang Yang, who had been the center of attention last year with four major film nominations for his work in “District 9” and “The Hangover,” was a side character this year with no nominations for individual film awards. His only nomination was for the television award “Best Television Series – Drama” for “Prison Break,” so he did not attract as much attention. Most of the flashes directed his way were for gossip tidbits, of course, all because of his upcoming marriage.

However, the person who stopped the couple was not a reporter but Natalie, dressed in a black evening gown and radiating a cool elegance. She came over with a smile and greeted them, only to be “blinded” by the gleaming engagement ring on Jessica’s left hand. Realizing what it was, she exclaimed with a smile, “Wow! What a sparkling ring!”

“Thank you.” Jessica, looking stunning in a white off-the-shoulder gown, immediately expressed her gratitude. Her brown hair was styled into a tall, perky ponytail, revealing her forehead, and she wore round earrings that showcased her confident and elegant demeanor. At the compliment, she naturally lifted her left hand and cast a happy glance at Wang Yang beside her.

While the women’s evening gowns varied greatly, Wang Yang stuck to his inflexible choice of a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. His tall, imposing figure and charming appearance after makeup did not diminish his reputation as an “idol director” but rather dispelled the image of the “BABY director.” Were there any babies as rugged and huge as him? The fans’ screams earlier were proof enough — unless they were screaming for Jessica instead.

“Your man looks really good!” Natalie commented appreciatively, having given Wang Yang a once-over. She added with a laugh, “Cool! But I have one question: does his wardrobe consist entirely of black ties? I swear! I’ve never seen him wear any other color.”

“I don’t dare.” Before Jessica could respond, Wang Yang, adjusting his black tie, chuckled and glanced around at the crowd, “I’m afraid of ‘matching ties’ with someone else—oh heavens, why does everyone wear black… I should have gone for the transparent one.” The three shared a light laugh, and then Rachel McAdams, wearing a purple evening dress, approached with a smile from not too far off. She was one of the presenters for the night.

Rachel quickened her pace towards the group, greeting with a laugh, “Hi! Natalie, Jessie, such a flashy ring… and look at this young, handsome Yang, here to collect another award.” Natalie covered her mouth with amusement, Jessica smiled at him, and the teased Wang Yang exclaimed, “Looks like Rachel has seen the winner’s list?” With a “of course” expression, Rachel nodded and chuckled, “This morning, it was all over the newspapers.”

“Actually, I know the results for Best TV Drama Series without even looking,” said Rachel, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, then continued with a smile, “As a TV fanatic who’s been watching for years, this year the award must go to ‘Prison Break,’ otherwise I wouldn’t even want to come.” Natalie also nodded, “Prison Break, of course ‘Prison Break.’ Can you tell me why not?” Wang Yang expressed his thanks repeatedly, “Thank you for the compliments, I must say I really enjoy it.” Rachel laughed, “Yang, tonight you’re definitely going to take the award home yourself!”

Everyone chuckled, as Wang Yang was the presenter for Best TV Drama Series that evening, and while it was common to be a nominee and presenter simultaneously, it was rare for different categories; the likelihood of “presenting the award to oneself” was small but could spike the ratings for less followed TV award segments, especially when that person was the stage comedian Yang who wasn’t afraid of embarrassment, and the organizers dared to set it up given his suggestion.

“This is going to be fun!” After a couple of staff members passed by, imagining the scene of going up on stage, Wang Yang couldn’t help but burst into laughter, jokingly saying, “But that’s for the audience. I’m starting to regret it now, I don’t even know why I agreed, it’s going to be embarrassing no matter what! If it isn’t ‘Prison Break,’ the winner is giving their acceptance speech and there stands Wang Yang, grinning like an idiot; if it is, people will think, oh really? Did he purposely read it wrong… and then there’s Wang Yang, having to excitedly thank everyone, another idiot.”

Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson elegantly approached the red carpet in a pale yellow strapless evening gown, drawing an immediate eruption of flashes from the photographers and shouts from fans and admirers, “Scarlett!” “Scarlett, come sign for us!” Scarlett Johansson, striking poses for the cameras, threw an exaggerated air kiss with a laugh and made her way over after seeing Wang Yang and the others.

“Why did you even agree? You can’t back out now.” With a playful smirk, Natalie teased as if he was surely going to embarrass himself that night; Rachel nodded with a smile, “Right, he can’t.” Jessica laughed, “He won’t!” Wang Yang scratched his forehead, saying, “Hmm, I won’t. In fact, I’ve got everything prepared; you’ll see me coming up to present with Oscar from ‘Sesame Street’ in tow…”

Oscar is a character from the children’s puppet show “Sesame Street,” a rather grouchy resident. Pretending to wear Oscar’s puppet glove, Wang Yang moved his left hand incessantly, making strange voices as he mimicked the character, “Hey, everyone! This is Wang Yang, I’m Oscar, I… I want to kick his butt…”

“Haha!” The three glamorous beauties were all amused to laughter, with Jessica unable to hide her delight, showing off her pearly teeth and squinty eyes; Rachel’s sweetness was on par with the sweetheart angel next door, her charming dimples intoxicating, and she pursed her lips with a smile; Natalie initially stared with a straight face, but burst into the loudest laughter upon hearing the last line, “Hahaha!”

Scarlett, spotting their uncontainable amusement as she arrived, also broke into a bemused grin, greeting, “Hi, what’s going on?” Photographers had begun to take notice, capturing their smiles from the best angles; the interview crew nearby seemed ready to come over as well.

“Hi! Haha…” The lovely ladies greeted Scarlett, and Wang Yang, sensing trouble with the impending interviews, quickly interjected, “Guys, I got it wrong! It’s the Golden Globe Awards tonight, not the Oscars!” Only then Jessica, Natalie, and Rachel realized the true meaning behind his “Sesame Street” joke, and their laughter grew louder. Wang Yang made a gesture of tossing his Oscar puppet glove to the ground, saying with a chuckle, “Ladies, you chat, I need to get ready again, switch to Hoots the Owl on the front lines. Oh, I was still wondering why Oscar would be at a TV awards ceremony…”

In the midst of the women’s laughter, he again manipulated his left hand a few times, imitating the fierce voice of Hoots the Owl, “You look down on TV shows!? And this is the Golden Globes, not the Grammys! You should have let Cookie Monster come! OK, OK… ‘We want cookie!'”

“Hahaha!” While Wang Yang gradually moved away, the women were still struggling to contain their laughter, and Scarlett too could only smile somewhat perplexedly; despite being accustomed to his antics, the women who’d just laughed heartily admired his ability to crack jokes off the cuff—it was probably called humor. Hoots the Owl and Cookie Monster were also “Sesame Street” characters, with the affectionately vain Hoots the Owl loving to sing, much to everyone’s dismay, and “We want cookie” being Cookie Monster’s catchphrase, given his fondness for sweets. The Golden Globe Awards, being a dinner-format ceremony, added context to the joke.

“He’s always so funny, isn’t he?” Natalie laughed, unaware that she was glancing at the diamond ring on Jessica’s hand. With him, life must be filled with joy every day. Boredom? Suffocating? Those gossip magazines are far-fetched. Rachel, beside her, nodded in agreement with a smile, “Yeah, he’s always so funny.” She subconsciously looked at Jessica’s diamond ring. Jessica and Yang together must be filled with joy and sweetness every day. Boredom? Suffocating? Those gossip magazines are far-fetched…

“Yes! Yang really is a lot of fun.” Scarlett, not thinking too much, chimed in with a chuckle. She turned to Jessica, glanced at the ring, and, with the wedding date approaching, offered her congratulations again. “Jessie, congratulations! You’ve found a very, very perfect man. I’m so envious!”

Seeing the genuine envy in Natalie and Rachel’s eyes, that look of “why isn’t he mine?”, as well as Scarlett’s “if only I had a man that perfect in every way”, Jessica didn’t quite know what to feel herself, other than a deep sense of luck and happiness: “Sorry ladies, this man is mine!” Just the thought of going to San Francisco to register the next day made her feel so incredibly sweet she almost melted, and she experienced a slight breathlessness in her chest as she smiled, “Thank you! He is quite funny.”

“Where are you planning to go for your honeymoon?”

It was certainly fun to make a beautiful woman laugh, but if they were not well-acquainted or if she had a boyfriend, and the boyfriend was standing right beside her, Yang wouldn’t be so amusing. He acted very decently, lightly embracing Charlize Theron, and said with a smile, “Charlize, your performance in ‘Monster’ was incredible. Congratulations on your Golden Globe award.” Accompanied by her boyfriend Stuart Townsend and holding a silver clutch, Charlize was surprised and responded with an ‘oh’, smiling, “Thank you! But don’t say that…”

“The winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture is… Tim Robbins, for ‘Mystic River’.”

“The winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture is… Renée Zellweger, for ‘Cold Mountain’!”

Bursts of applause and cheers erupted in the Hilton Hotel as the 61st Golden Globe Awards ceremony got underway. Celebrities were enjoying a lavish dinner while keeping an eye on the stage, as one after another walked up to either receive or present an award amidst joyful surprise.

This was Meryl Streep’s umpteenth time sitting here. Just last year, she had won another Best Supporting Actress award, and this year she was competing for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Chatting lightheartedly with an old friend at her table, she clapped from time to time, completely at ease. For Wentworth Miller, this was his first time sitting here. Last year nobody knew who he was, but now, as he walked down the street, people often called him “Michael Scofield.” From obscurity to competing for a leading role on TV, he felt quite nervous and uncomfortable amidst the surrounding laughter and applause, as if something about his body was off.

“Phew!” When Sarah Jessica Parker won for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series for ‘Sex and the City’, Yang stood up and clapped vigorously, out of respect not just for her impressive acting but also for the seven years she gave to Robert Downey Jr. Jessica beside him also stood up to clap. This was their third time attending the ceremony together. They had felt somewhat nervous at first at ceremonies like the MTV Awards and the Oscars, but over the years, it had come to feel like a party he was throwing.

The night unfolded predictably, with the awards being handed out matching almost exactly with media predictions. The Best Musical or Comedy TV Series went to the British show ‘The Office’, while Best Miniseries or TV Film went to ‘Angels in America’, earning Meryl Streep another trophy for “Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Film”. After Jeffrey Wright took home the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film, it was time for the Best Drama TV Series.

This award, equivalent to the Best Drama Film category, is perhaps the most watched TV award. ’24’, ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’, ‘Prison Break’, ‘Six Feet Under’, and ‘The West Wing’ were all contenders, and the presenter for this award was…

“Hahaha!” The banquet hall erupted with applause, and loud laughter and cheers, as everyone warmly welcomed the “guest host” to the stage. Meanwhile, the television ratings monitored by Nielsen suddenly climbed, an unusual highlight and focus of the awards show. It was time for the magical Wang Yang to present! He was one of the most entertaining and popular presenters, to the delight of audiences in front of their TV screens. Smiling, Wang Yang confidently walked onto the stage with an envelope in his hand and approached the microphone at center stage.

“Here comes the amazing Yang!” What new catchphrase or joke would he deliver this time? Diehard fans like Evelyn and Clair, sitting in front of their TVs, were extremely excited; countless ordinary movie fans were also intrigued. Directing the Best Director award while becoming a comedy star on stage—only this magical BABY could achieve that.

At the Hilton Hotel, Wang Yang adjusted the microphone at center stage. Before even speaking, chuckles broke out from the crowd—many couldn’t help but laugh upon seeing him, perhaps recalling Wang Yang’s previous jokes. At some point, he had mastered the art of eliciting laughs. Facing the audience dressed in suits and evening gowns, filling the tables to the brim, he took a deep breath and said, “Please, don’t do this, it makes me… it puts a lot of pressure on me, a lot. (I-feel-stressed-out, Very-much.)”

“Haha,” “Hehe,” the crowd didn’t believe he felt any pressure at all—his icebreaker joke had relieved them of any stress they might’ve felt, amidst the laughter, several people burst into hearty laughter, reminiscing his “Sesame Street” appearance on the red carpet earlier that afternoon; Natalie, Rachel, and Jessica couldn’t help but applaud and laugh loudly. Where’s Sweetheart Cookie Monster?

“OK, here we are again at the annual Golden Globe Awards, the Best Drama Series.” Wang Yang lifted the envelope in his hand slightly. The organizers hadn’t given him much more time than usual on stage, so he got to the point and said with a laugh, “I am very honored to be part of the competition for this award, and even more honored to present it!” He paused and said, “At least I’m sure I can touch the trophy, while there are three, or maybe four people down there who won’t have the chance to touch it on stage tonight.”

“Hahaha!” The audience erupted into uncontrollable laughter. On cue, the camera swiftly panned to the representatives of “24,” including creator and executive producer Joel Surnow, and Jerry Bruckheimer from “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” among the four nominees. They all wore smiles, taking in the ribbing from their competitor and presenter Wang Yang, who added with a laugh, “It really feels great to the touch.”

Under the smiling eyes of everyone at the banquet and the countless viewers in front of their TVs, Wang Yang glanced at Jessica and the others, who were laughing and proceeded to speak in a manner that seemed both serious and relaxed, “The previous joke was for the 1200 (One-Two-Zero-Zero) audience members here.” He pronounced “Zero” with booming emphasis and continued, “And also for the 1200 viewers in front of their TVs, thank you!”

“Hehe!” As the crowd in the banquet hall chuckled at Wang Yang’s seemingly puzzled and humorous expression, a burst of laughter followed by “clap, clap, clap” applause rang out. He had only mentioned ‘Two Zero,’ again—1200 TV viewers? Was he joking that no one watched the Golden Globes? That no one watched the TV categories of the Golden Globes? Or was it NBC’s ratings? Ironically, “Prison Break” was NBC’s new ace in the hole.

“No, what I meant to say was, ten million (Ten-million) viewers here live.” Amidst the continuous laughter from the crowd, Wang Yang helplessly lifted the envelope and spread his hands, “Like I said, I’m under a lot of pressure! I always misspeak, offending people…” He stood with his hands hanging straight down, silent, waiting as the laughter in the audience gradually subsided, then spoke in a casual tone, “Please, don’t slash our series. Zero, zero, zero, zero, zero… is that enough, how many do you want?”

“Hahaha!!” With that final remark, the banquet hall was once more filled with roaring laughter and applause; the ten million, twenty million viewers in front of the TV all laughed along. Everyone knew that no matter how much fun Wang Yang poked at NBC, they wouldn’t dare cancel “Prison Break.”

On the television screen, Wang Yang smile broadly as he lifted the envelope and said, “They all are excellent series with lots of ‘zeros’. Let’s see the list of nominees.” (