Chapter 8: After the Second Interview Comes Special Training
“Annie, let me introduce you. This is Vivian, Isa’s mother, Vivian Carlson.”
“Vivian, this is Joanne Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, uh…”
Jesse faltered, raised an eyebrow, and said in a strange voice:
“My introduction seems a bit redundant, doesn’t it? I think you probably know her, right?”
“Oh~ who doesn’t know Harry Potter’s mother now?” Vivian extended her hand proactively, smiling, and said, “Hello, Ms. Rowling, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too.” Rowling responded with a smile, “Vivian, I can call you that, right?”
“Of course~”
“I truly envy you, because your daughters are all super amazing…”
It’s the same in every country; when adults and juniors are together, the former will always become the topic leader.
Today’s dinner was indeed prompted by Isabella, and after meeting, Vivian and Rowling were the most lively in conversation. Although it was their first meeting, there was no awkwardness between them. Their high emotional intelligence, like seasoned professionals, was certainly key, but more often, it was their similar circumstances.
“Vivian, I’ve heard your story. I’m very sorry about Eric, but your strength truly impresses me.”
“Thank you.”
“I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I’m also a single mother. When I chose to divorce back then, I didn’t have a stable job. Writing was my profession, but before I became famous, it was essentially self-deception. During that time, my daughter and I lived on government welfare. Looking back now, it was truly a nightmare.”
“But God takes care of everyone who works hard, doesn’t He? You found your new life with your own hands.”
“Yeah~ you’re right, God bless.”
Vivian was widowed, and Rowling was divorced.
While there were significant differences between the two, their independent spirits were the same.
And this was the best topic to bridge the distance between them.
Of course, while chatting casually, everyone didn’t forget the main business. After noticing that the little one, who had been eloquent during the interview, had now transformed into a ruthless eating machine, burying her head in her food, the conversation naturally shifted to the main subject.
“Isa?”
Rowling called out to her with a smile.
“Hmm?”
The hand that was cutting the steak paused.
The little girl looked up like a groundhog, “Auntie Annie, did you call me?”
“Yeah~ because I feel like you’re a bit different now than you were during the interview.”
“How am I different?”
“You were very confident in the video, but you’re very quiet now.”
“…”
At these words, Isabella immediately looked around.
Seeing everyone staring at her, the hand holding the cutlery did an outward swirl, and she said helplessly, “Auntie Annie, you are elders, and my mom is also here. If I were still laughing and joking at this moment, I would definitely get scolded when I get home.”
“My mom would say I don’t understand manners, that I’m ill-mannered, and that I’ve embarrassed her. So…”
Isabella paused, shrugged, and said, “To avoid being scolded, I can only be quiet.”
“Right, Catherine?”
At this point, Isabella even poked her sister with her elbow.
“Uh… Yeah~”
The sudden ‘speak up for me’ made Catherine pause for a second, then she nodded vigorously.
Their honest words and lack of coordination made Rowling and the others burst into laughter.
Vivian, on the other hand, covered her forehead with one hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Very well, you said it yourself. I’ll deal with you when we get home.”
“Sigh~ Look at that~ It’s so hard to be a child~”
Isabella spread her hands.
“Hahahahaha—”
Everyone laughed even louder.
Of course, no one took the jokes seriously.
After shifting the topic to Isabella, Rowling also openly expressed her fondness for her.
“Isa, this dinner tonight is actually an invitation for a second interview. I have two questions, and as long as your answers satisfy me, I can directly let you proceed to the final interview. So, are you ready?”
Isabella put down her knife and fork and used her napkin to wipe the stains from the corners of her mouth.
“I’m ready.”
“Okay, first question, I want to know why you secretly came to the audition behind your mother’s back.”
“Second question, I want to know if Hermione Granger is the only role you want to play? Or, if I choose you, but I don’t think you’re suitable to play Hermione, what would you think?”
As the questions were asked, all eyes in the room focused on Isabella.
Curiosity filled the eyes of Rowling, Susie, and the others.
Vivian and Catherine’s eyes, however, showed complexity.
Isabella, though, shook her head and sighed softly—
“Auntie Annie, these two questions you asked are actually one question in my eyes. If you think I’m not suitable to play Hermione, then I’ll be very sad, because playing Hermione is the biggest reason I came to the audition behind my mom’s back.”
“There are two reasons why I came to the audition. First, I genuinely like Hermione Granger. Second, I believe playing Hermione can change my destiny. And the second reason is more important than the first.”
“My family has encountered difficulties, and my sister and I both want to help our mom. In my opinion, only Hermione Granger can achieve all of this. My words might sound a bit utilitarian, but I still want to say… if my family wasn’t in trouble, I might not have come.”
After she finished speaking.
The large private room was silent.
Catherine bit her lip with her pearly teeth;
Vivian closed her eyes;
Susie and Jesse looked at Rowling;
Rowling, who had been looking at the girl, smiled, a little emotional, “You are very honest.”
“Thank you.”
Isabella nodded and asked, “So… Auntie Annie, are you satisfied with my answer?”
Rowling did not give a direct answer, but instead asked, “Do you know why I was so eager to see you?”
“Because… you’re also a mom?”
“You are very smart. The reason I divorced my ex-husband was because he abused me. The worst time was seven years ago, when he kicked me out of the house and wouldn’t let me see my daughter. At that time, my daughter was only four months old.”
Rowling recalled, “After he pushed me out of the house, I only had one thought in my mind, not divorce, but that my daughter couldn’t live without me, because he was an alcoholic at the time and couldn’t take care of a child. Then I called the police and got my daughter back.”
“I love my children very much, just like your mother loves you.”
Before she finished speaking, Vivian had already blown her nose.
As if not wanting her daughters to see her vulnerability, she immediately turned her head away.
Susie thoughtfully offered tissues, and Jesse smiled, moving past the painful memories.
“Okay, Isa, we are very satisfied with your answer. Congratulations on passing the second round of interviews.”
“Next, you will face the final interview.”
“We can inform you in advance about the examiners and content of the final interview. On the day of the final interview, in addition to Annie, the film’s producer David Heyman and director Chris Columbus will also be present. The content of the examination will be actual acting.”
“Since you have no acting experience, and we like you very much, we have decided to hire an acting teacher for you to provide pre-interview coaching, so that you can better face the final interview.”
“So…”
“Good luck.”
To be honest, after learning that J.K. Rowling wanted to treat her to dinner, Isabella understood that she had already become the top choice for Hermione Granger in the other’s eyes, at least at that moment.
Therefore, the result of passing the second interview and going straight to the final interview did not surprise her.
But at the same time, she also admitted that she was very happy.
Because when even Rowling liked her, she was just one step away from changing her destiny now~
Isn’t that right?
At 6:30, the group sat down for dinner.
It was almost 8 o’clock when everyone finally got up to say goodbye.
Susie stood her last shift on the project, choosing to retire successfully;
Jesse had to submit Isabella’s audition materials and results to Warner, and still had to work like a dog for a while;
Rowling had to go home to take care of her child; she had come out for dinner during a break, and her daughter was only three years younger than Isabella;
And Isabella and her family…
After passing the second interview, Isabella was happy.
She was laughing and joking at the dinner table.
But after returning home…
Vivian called her two daughters in front of her.
Her mom’s gaze immediately made Isabella wilt.
Her behavior of admitting her mistake, accepting punishment, and asking for a lighter scolding left Vivian a bit speechless.
After a long silence, in the end, all the lessons turned into a sigh.
“Mommy loves you, and Mommy knows you love Mommy, so if you have any thoughts, you can tell Mommy directly.”
“Don’t do anything that makes Mommy worry again, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.” Catherine nodded in agreement.
“Mm.” Isabella simply hummed in response.
Their obedient demeanor made Vivian feel a little better. “Alright, you’ve been busy all day and must be tired. Go back to your rooms, wash up, and rest.”
“Okay.” Catherine nodded again.
Isabella, on the other hand, perked up her ears like a Usagi and scurried away.
“Alright, Mom~ Love you~ Goodnight~”
Before she even finished speaking, the little one had already darted upstairs.
The trailing sound of her mad dash made Catherine’s eye twitch.
No?
One second you were looking all wronged and pitiful, and the next you just ran off so lively??
Do you not even finish your acting???
If Isabella knew her sister’s thoughts, she would definitely roll her eyes and say—
‘Sister! Mom has already let us off, and you’re not running? Staying to wait for her to change her mind?’
In Isabella’s eyes, escaping when Mom was in a good mood was the best way to avoid a scolding, but…
Vivian took a deep breath.
Her youngest daughter’s ‘escape’ made her feel like she had figured everything out.
“So it was Isa’s idea today, right?”
“No—”
This question brought Catherine back to her senses, and she decisively shook her head. “It was my idea.”
She still remembered the bet.
The blatant favoritism left Vivian speechless.
“Alright, alright, your idea, your idea. I’ll remember it.”
Vivian gave up.
Heart tired.jpg
………
Warner acted quickly.
The night before, Jesse had only just mentioned wanting to hire a teacher for acting, and by noon the next day, Vivian received a call saying that someone had already been arranged.
The person was Dame Maggie Smith, who swept the European and American film industries in 1970 with “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” winning both a BAFTA and an Oscar. Yes, she was the Professor McGonagall personally chosen by J.K. Rowling.
As a national treasure in the British acting world, Maggie Smith generally did not take students.
Therefore, after receiving Jesse’s call and realizing that such an opportunity was rare, Vivian immediately sprang into action, chose a small token of appreciation as a gift, and had her ‘grown-up’ daughter get herself ready.
Vivian was still a bit resentful.
Isabella, however, didn’t mind any of this, as she was very excited by the news. Not only would solving the acting problem help her secure Hermione Granger, but the acting teacher Rowling had found for her was none other than the dear Professor McGonagall?
Oh~
This was her favorite Hogwarts Headmaster~
Uh…
One of them?
Because Hogwarts also had Headmasters Dumbledore and Snape, after all~
True Harry Potter fans should love the old Headmaster and the Half-Blood Prince.
Maggie Smith lived in South Kensington, and it was only a half-hour walk from Mayfair, so even though Vivian had bought the gift at the last minute, they still arrived at Professor McGonagall’s residence at the appointed time.
With J.K. Rowling as the intermediary, Maggie Smith naturally extended a warm welcome to their arrival.
She also politely thanked Vivian several times for bringing a gift.
Since learning is a long process, Vivian couldn’t stay long and it wasn’t appropriate for her to do so. Therefore, after agreeing on the class end time, she wisely took her leave. It was only then that Maggie Smith seriously observed Isabella, and after just a few glances, the sixty-six-year-old lady was also captivated by the beautiful figure.
“I think I know why Joanne recommended you so highly, Isa. You look even better in person than on DV.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Dame Smith.”
“Just call me Maggie.”
“Okay, Teacher Maggie.”
“Joanne said you’ve never studied acting, but I’ve seen your audition materials. You articulate quite clearly when reading the novel Joanne gave you. In industry terms, your line delivery is pretty good. So, before we start formal teaching, I want to know, do you really not know any acting at all? Do you have no understanding of acting?”
“Uh… I really haven’t studied acting, but…”
“But what?”
Maggie Smith became interested.
“But I know about Method Acting, Experiential Acting, and Representational Acting…”
Isabella answered truthfully.
The old lady chuckled.
“Okay, okay, I believe you haven’t studied acting now. And then, I want to say, this is actually a good thing. As long as you haven’t studied acting, our teaching should go very smoothly.”
“What? Why?”
Isabella was a little confused. “Do you mean that a blank slate is easier to draw on?”
“Something like that…”
Maggie Smith blinked, then shook her head—
“Because, in my opinion, Experiential Acting, Method Acting, and Representational Acting are not things children should learn. Or rather, teaching acting techniques to minors is, in my eyes, a harmful thing.”
“Take Method Acting, for example, Isa. Since you can name it, you should know that this technique emphasizes emotional memory. Actors in training need to constantly search their minds for past, memorable experiences, and these memories must be associated with a strong emotion…”
“For example, fear. Some People are afraid of insects. When they see certain insects, they feel as if countless compound eyes are staring at them, and that fear makes goosebumps break out all over their bodies. Method Acting is about having the actor remember such a scene and, each time they use it, hypnotizing themselves into facing that terror again. This approach can indeed help actors quickly get into character, but…”
Maggie Smith paused, then continued: “This technique is also very harmful. From a psychological perspective, conquering sadness is what allows you to grow and live happily, while repeatedly reliving fear can only lead to depression.”
“Experiential Acting is the same. Thinking what the People think? Feeling what the People feel? This is indeed the best way to play a role, but this kind of thing is difficult even for adults, let alone children?”
“That can easily lead to mental fragmentation.”
“Representational Acting is the simplest of the three. It doesn’t require you to recall emotions, nor does it require you to become the character, but dissecting a character and then designing actions and inner feelings for them is also not something children should learn.”
“So…”
Maggie Smith drew out her words.
She looked at Isabella with bright eyes.
Isabella felt like she understood what the old lady meant.
“Teacher Maggie, are you trying to say that there are other acting methods in this world?”
“Of course.”
“Are you trying to make me guess?”
“Do you have an answer?”
Although Isabella had never studied acting, she felt that she seemed to have heard of a fourth major school besides Experiential, Method, and Representational, and that was— “Playing yourself?” She frowned slightly, a little unsure.
Because even she herself found the answer a bit funny.
But—
“Yeah~ Miss Granger~ Congratulations, you got it right~”
Before Isabella’s words had even faded, the old lady had already put away her smile.
She straightened her back, her expression serious, her eyes like an ancient well, without a ripple.
Not only that, but her proper tone made Isabella feel as if she had come to a classroom.
At this moment, she was not facing a kind old lady at all, but a strict Head of House, like a stepmother.
Very fierce~
“Miss Granger, do you have any other questions?”
The calmly delivered question made Isabella’s mouth slightly open.
After a two-second pause, she chose to shake her head, instinctively replying, “No, Professor McGonagall.”
If Isabella had a mirror in front of her, she would have noticed a certain ‘timidity’ in her shaking head.
It was the carefulness one shows when facing a superior;
And even more, the genuine emotion when facing someone serious.
This display made the old lady smile again.
“Okay, Isa, you performed very well.”
At this moment, she was Maggie Smith again.
That sudden immersion into a role and equally decisive withdrawal left Isabella a little dazed.
However, after a few seconds, Isabella became happy again.
Because she found that the other party’s teaching seemed more interesting than she had imagined.