October 24.
The length of a film.
To Billy's surprise, the footage ran much shorter than expected, so his arrival was already flagged as the moment to begin preparations for his involvement in the finer details of Girl, Interrupted, which was now launching into filming with momentum after Billy's quiet hints about his imminent arrival expected within a day or two. Nothing too demanding, considering the time he had already put in.
-You always seem rather quiet. —Christopher Walken replied, a great actor who had been making films long before Billy was born, which in itself said a great deal. With instinct close to the surface, it could be said that the best years for an actor were in their fifties when, after a lifetime of honing their craft, it became effortless to apply just the right pressure, drawing on years of experience to inhabit any role, at least in essence.
It was only natural that his skills had matured through the steady recognition of his work. For some time now, he had been landing better and better roles, yet there was a shadow in his performances that Billy had noticed a lived intensity. The way he embodied the Headless Horseman, with no words, only the force of his gestures, nothing but his eyes to convey hatred and madness. Billy couldn't overlook that; he had to acknowledge it.
-Then I suppose that's what it means to be an actor. —Billy replied.
-That's what it used to mean. Back then, the public wasn't so fixated on us, and the spectacle wasn't a brand that kept you from walking down the street—unless you were as famous as Elvis. But things changed when everything became media-driven. I have friends, great actors from the '70s and '80s who now live quiet, age-appropriate lives. They take supporting roles every couple of months because that's what they prefer, and they live like people no one recognizes. Imagine making a hundred and twenty thousand in just a few weeks a year, when you already have a home, a wife, and children. You end up caring more about the farm and the animals, which, in a way,y go on without you. —Walken replied, wanting to say more, though his words caught slightly. The truth was, spending could be addictive for some, and opportunities had to be seized—but fortunately for him, fame had never truly burdened his daily life.
Billy understood that old-fashioned perspective hovering over him.
--I think I understand what you mean. But I'm ambitious. I want to impose my will on the world. To me, money is simply what I earn from what I do. It becomes almost breathable, living in a world where everything is defined by money, it pains me to think any other way. I feel like a collector. Like someone who wants a full set of first-generation baseball cards, then realizes he wants the second generation, the discontinued ones, the third generation—the same with basketball, the same with football. Only this time, I'm collecting dreams and goals. Each one is bigger than the last, and money becomes a real struggle. —Billy said, taking a long sip of the drink they shared, a cold lemonade that refreshed them late into the night, almost indulgent in its quiet simplicity.
-Ah, kid, you talk like a young man. You want to trade in the whole world. —Walken replied, fully composed, the kind of man who always carried an intimidating gaze.
-Maybe I have a role for you. —Billy said.
-Ha, did I convince you, kid? —The man asked with that unmistakable smile. He seemed like someone for whom life came easily.
-Well, I've got a character that needs coverage—small supporting roles. —Billy replied, thinking of parts in the Clone Wars series, and another in a third installment, a piece, the right hand of Palpatine, equally intense in ambition, though without the Force. Both right hands: one more measured, reliant on political cunning, Commander Tarkin; Mara Jade; the Inquisitors; and, of course, the Sate Pestage, a figure who would emerge as a rebel villain. From the series closest to Episode III, centered on a more mature Anakin, Yoda, and Sate Pestage—whose proximity to the Emperor makes him utterly unsettling.
During his long conversations with George Lucas, they considered shaping Mas Amedda as a knowing puppet who accepts his place; Tarkin as a blade, unafraid to use politics, violence, or coercion to achieve his aims, backed by formidable military skill. Mara Jade, a shadow-bound Jedi, moving through the galaxy's hidden work, occasionally paired with Obi-Wan—there would be a bond there, ultimately cast aside by him, forming the basis of one of the series.
And then Sate Pestage politically as sharp as Palpatine, though without the Force. Just a man, dirty, calculating, a true politician capable of conspiracies as intricate as Sidious himself. Both agreed Palpatine could not have done everything alone; he needed a hand behind him. That hand was Sate, presenting himself as the left hand—apparently opposed, yet always playing both sides and always winning. He is tortured, left nearly mummified by Dooku, a fate that turns him completely cruel.
-It's not just that I think truly good actors are hard to come by, and if you want to build something big, you need actors of your caliber. —Billy added. He was thinking about steering Star Wars as a vast franchise that connects countless characters, each with their own interests. That complexity made its narratives far more intricate than something like Marvel heroes, villains, and a moral middle ground that always leans toward the greater good. But it didn't yet reach the depth he envisioned with Lucasfilm, at least not for now.
-I'll drink to that. And I'll drink to finishing this film. —Walken replied calmly, pausing to give himself a moment.
-Just like that? —Billy asked, quietly.
-I'll read it, and I'll let you know. But when you hire an actor, you should expect a great performance. If you want intensity, I'll prepare for it. —Walken said.
-It's your eyes—the eyes tell me you'll deliver something powerful. —Billy replied.
-That's true. I do have good eyes. —he laughed.
They both took another drink, waiting for the night to give way to sleep, while they spoke in low voices about the course of cinema, ambitions, and perhaps the future projects Billy should take on. Walken, for his part, hoped he would explore romantic roles for a time, then transition into something more grounded, perhaps a soldier, an office man, while refining his range. But Billy wanted to break completely away from those expectations.
-It doesn't make sense that you're good-looking and don't pursue that angle. —Walken said. —When the opportunity comes, take it. It's time to reshape that image.
-So you think it's a good idea? —Billy asked.
-Of course it is. Just don't let anyone tell you what to do. Always take control of your character—carefully. Don't let them turn you into a clown. Be clear, be honest. —Walken replied.
...