Page 12 of I Did Something Bad
He tries to avoid my gaze again, but this time, I lean over to the side and prop my chin on my fist. Realizing what I’m doing, he releases a low chuckle likeOkay, fine, you caught me.
“Sometimes,” he answers, and without either of us meaning to, we’re locked in a stare-down. One of the first big journalism rulesI learned was to not jump into the silence; if you let it linger long enough, eventually the other person will speak first, and you’d be surprised what people will blurt out to fill the quiet. After a long period of this, he blinks first. “But hey, no such thing as a dream job under capitalism, right? I guess to sort of answer your earlier question, I’m trying to make sure whatever roles I take from now on, they’refun. A feeble attempt at recapturing the magic, I suppose. I know people write off genres like rom-coms because they’refunand aren’t the titles you see on the ballots when awards season comes around, or the ones that get the three-minute standing ovations at Cannes, but I don’t see what’s wrong with wanting to make people laugh, to bring joy to the fans. If I have fun while I’m filming, and they have fun while they’re watching, then surelythat’swhat we should all be aiming for, right?” he says, and finishes the last bite.
“Right,” I say, allowing the silence to resettle as I turn his words over in my head.
What would be more “fun” for a young actor than getting to be the next James Bond? What would bring more joy to fans than finding out that Tyler Tun and May Diamond are, in fact, best friends turned lovers?
Although I still can’t see even the outline of this vague thing I’m searching for, I would bet my entire wardrobe that thereisa thing here.
My gut has never failed me. Not ever. Some people’s do once or twice, but not mine. It’s why I’m so good at what I do. And right now, it’s telling me that Clarissa was right: Tyler Tun is hiding something. Something really big. Something that might very well be big enough to get me a job atVogue.
Four
The movie is a rom-com about two private bodyguards, Nanda and Mra, who work for the same security company but loathe each other’s guts. Despite their history, they both end up being assigned to protect the crown princess of a fictional European country while she’s on vacation in Myanmar. But on her first night in Yangon, the princess escapes her protection detail, gets kidnapped, and it’s obviously up to Nanda and Mra to find her. They track her down across the globe, and as they rush to save her before political chaos erupts, they get close, realize their hatred for one another is actually misplaced passion, have sex in the bathroom of their company’s private jet, et cetera, et cetera.
I have to admit, it sounds (as Tyler noted) like afunmovie. Obviously, it’s also cool because it’s the first romantic comedy backed by a major Hollywood studio that’s directed by a Myanmar directorandstars two Myanmar actorsandis (partly) shot on location here. But allthat aside, even though I haven’t read the script, the synopsis alone makes me want to watch it.
At 3P.M., we’re in the backseat of Tyler’s assigned car on the way to the first day of shooting, which is apparently supposed to go late. I’ve never been on a movie set so I don’t know if this is normal, and while I’m notthrilledat the idea of hanging out with the mosquitoes and bugs in the park until midnight or whatever “late” is, my curiosity and that familiar journalistic rush override my disdain for all insect life. Additionally, if I don’t get theVoguejob, then I’m probably never again going to get the chance to be this close to a movie set, let alone a movie this big.
Today’s scene will take place in Kandawgyi Park. This is the inciting event where, in the middle of a night market, the princess gives Nanda and Mra the slip. Tyler gave me a peek at the storyboards, and it looks like rows of vendor stalls with white canopies will cover approximately a third of the grounds, complete with fairy lights and hundreds of extras—a near one-eighty from the usually lush but sparsely populated grounds. When I asked what was going to be the hardest part of this scene, his sincere answer of “trying not to trip while I repeatedly run through a park on command” made me smile.
“So why was this one of the scenes you wanted to shoot in Yangon?” I ask as I consult my notes. “Surely you could’ve replicated it closer to home back in the US, say, in Central Park? All you need is literally a park.”
He nods, vaguely distracted by something on his phone. “True, but parks are different, even within a single country, but especially across continents. The main differences are the flora and fauna. The trees and animals that you’ll find in Central Park are completely different from what you’re going to find here.”
“Will that matter to most viewers, though? Unless you’re a professional botanist and/or ornithologist, will you even notice?”
“It matters to us. To me,” he replies, and although he says it with a smile that (I think) is meant to assure me that he wasn’t being mean, I am nonetheless left feeling the most professionally ignorant I’ve felt in a while. “We’re actually going to do all of the scenes that require Myanmar extras here, mainly because, unsurprisingly, it’smucheasier to find the correct attire and props here than in LA. Turns out American costume departments, as lavish as they can be, don’t exactly stock an array of hta meins and taikpons.”
After taking another five to recover fromthatinternal embarrassment, I mentally rummage through my list of questions from the other night. “Tell me why you picked this movie.”
“What do you mean?” Tyler asks, his eyes shifting sideways toward me.
“You have your pick of projects. This must’ve thrown a wrench in your schedule, having to come out to Myanmar to shoot and all.” After studying him, and keeping Clarissa’s theories in mind, I venture casually, “I thought you were going to be the new Rolex spokesperson just in time for their holiday campaign, so shouldn’t you already be shooting ads for that?”
His chest puffs slightly as he chuckles. “Is that so?”
“That’s what the internet says.”
“And you believe everything the internet says?”
“Would the internet ever lie to you?”
He leans his head back as he laughs. “I signed up to do this movie for many reasons, but will you be disappointed if I say that the main one is because I wanted to work with May?”
“Have you wanted to work with May for a long time?” I’m tempted to ask if there’s ever been something more between them, but I also know that tons of people before me have asked them some variation of the same question and that his answer has always been a firm “no.”If thereissomething going on between them now, I need to get it out of him another way.
“Kind of.” He nods. “I was approached first, but as soon as we did the chemistry read together, I told the producers that this movie neededbothof us. I know it’s not a particularly juicy or deep answer, but that’s kinda it. I wanted to make this really fun movie with my best friend in our hometown.”
It’s such a simple answer that I don’tentirelybuy it. He was abrupt in shutting down the May conversation the other night, but he seems to be more open to it today. “How’d you two become friends?” I ask.
“Hollywood connections. Met at a party. The usual.”
“And—”
“No, we didn’t hook up that night. We haven’t ever hooked up.”
I frown at his assumption, a little offended that he thinks I would ask such a tactless question. “That’s not what I was going to ask at all.”
