After the awkward moment between Lucas and Christopher, the director and the two writers then discussed with the casts of "Modern Family" of their characters. And that, of course, included Lucas...
The casts can suggest their opinion about the character, though, but the writers actually wrote the character of Phil Dunphy according to Ty Burrell himself. As a result, Ty Burrell doesn't have to act complicatedly, since the character is basically written for him.
When Ty Burrell heard that from the writers, respectfully, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, two people that are quite influential in Hollywood, Ty Burrell felt honored.
To be honest, Ty Burrell was quite grateful towards Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. If not for them, he would not even be casted... Ty Burrell still remembered that the ABC Network wasn't really leaning towards him previously. However, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd convinced the ABC Network, and to convince them, Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd set up mocking scenes of Ty Burrell and Sarah Hyland, the father and daughter scene. Only then did the ABC Network trust the vision of the two writers...
While Ty Burrell seriously yet lightly discussed his role with the two writers, Lucas has been quietly observing...
From what Lucas heard during the discussions of the "Modern Family" characters, the writers admired Ty Burrell's determination and were inspired by his energetic and optimistic personality. As a result, they rewrote the character of Phil Dunphy to be just like Ty Burrell. The writers were really impressed by Ty Burrell, and hearing that Ty Burrell, initially considered for a different role, captivated the show's creators with his comedic timing and improvisational skills during the audition process. This led them to see his potential beyond the original character they offered him.
While the creators of "Modern Family" didn't specifically look for A-list actors and actresses, they aimed for a cohesive ensemble cast. The goal was to have actors and actresses who could naturally portray the quirks and dynamics of their characters within the family unit. Finding individuals who genuinely embodied the characters' personalities and had chemistry with each other was paramount.
During the discussions, Lucas felt somewhat left out, to be honest. The writers primarily engaged with the main cast, including Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, and the one young actor along with two young actresses.
Considering Ty Burrell's pivotal role as Phil Dunphy, the writers sought his suggestions and ideas to further shape the character into a nuanced and relatable figure. The same approach extended to Julie Bowen's role as Claire Dunphy and the three young talents—Ariel, Sarah, and Nolan.
While Lucas was seldom to say his opinion, it appeared that the two writers didn't regard his role as highly as the main roles. Even when Lucas tried to join the discussion by offering ideas from his perspective of "Modern Family" in his previous life, his suggestions were welcomed, but he still felt more like an outsider or a spectator. This feeling arose because his role wasn't as central as the main roles.
While Lucas didn't particularly feel good about it, he swallowed his discontent. After all, he was in a supporting role and didn't require as much in-depth attention compared to the main characters. Additionally, Lucas didn't have much say in the production, and it seemed like the director and writers were treating him merely as an extra.
This experience wasn't unfamiliar to Lucas; he had encountered similar feelings in his previous life. As a small-time actor on set, he often felt overlooked, with the crew, directors, or writers treating him indifferently. In those situations, he would be given orders as if he were in a military setting, and his opinions were deemed irrelevant.
Even in his previous life under an agency, with a manager and agent, the treatment from the production made him feel as though he were not truly acknowledged as an actor.
And right now in this life, Lucas didn't even have an agency yet, no agent, and no manager. He was basically just like an extra at this time. The treatment he received as a small-time actor in his previous life was much worse compared to now, that's why Lucas didn't react negatively too much about the director and writers basically ignoring him most of the time in the discussions. And to be asked of his opinions or suggestions once in a while made Lucas feel a bit better, and at the same time, he wasn't too surprised by the treatment towards him anyway.
As the network behind "Modern Family" just gave Lucas a contract limited to the pilot episode.
Which means, that even if the "Modern Family" became quite successful, it was unsure whether he'll receive a full-time contract, since the character may not appear in future episodes since the extent of his role, the character "Marshall Dylan" hasn't been fully mapped out yet, and the network or the production was still thinking whether "Marshall Dylan" will be as much relevant as the character was written, as the character was quite relevant in Haley's storyline, but that still depends on the audience response to the character of "Marshall Dylan" and that's why the production writers held their regard on the supporting character, as everything hasn't been quite finalized yet.
But Lucas was quite sure that "Marshall Dylan" would be well-received as a character in the successful pilot of "Modern Family," though ABC, the network behind "Modern Family," and the production obviously weren't aware of that.
What Lucas didn't know was that, as the writers or creators of "Modern Family" had actually been rejected by other networks, they tended to be careful yet creative in their work. They were doing their best as they had been accepted by ABC, aiming to stay on the channel. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd had already modified the scripts several times to ensure the show's best outcome.
For instance, the initial focus of the TV series "Modern Family" was the crew of the mockumentary living in Jay's family. The fictitious filmmaker would gradually document his family, but the two writers felt the plot was off, so they revised it.
Meanwhile, Lucas mostly observed the discussions of the director, writers, and main cast members. Nolan, surprisingly, provided his own suggestions and ideas, and to Lucas's surprise, even the kid seemed to have more influence than him, as the two writers took the kid's suggestions seriously.
Afterward, the crew prepared, and the discussions ended. It seemed like the filming was about to begin. Seeing this, Lucas also prepared himself.
The crew prepared the filming, Lucas felt a bit overwhelmed, and then he reads the script once more while the casts were preparing.
The production team was quite meticulous. For instance, the production team keeps track of even the smallest items, like the fruits on the table, coffee mugs, and so on, creating a sense of realism and lived-in spaces.
The cinematographer and gaffers are adjusting the lighting and camera angles to achieve the desired visual aesthetics, often collaborating with the director to fine-tune the shot.
The sound crew monitors audio levels, captures dialogue and ambience, and adjusts microphones to ensure clear and consistent sound recording.
As Lucas was reading the script and occasionally glancing at the scene surrounding him, he felt his heart beating quickly, but he calmed himself and just continued reading the script. As he was reading, a woman with glasses approached him.
"Hello? Are you Mr. Lucas?" The woman's soft voice sounded.
Lucas, who was re-reading the script, raised his head as he heard his name.
Then, he saw a good-looking woman with glasses appear before him.
Lucas just nodded and said, "Well, that's me. Anything you need my help with?"
As soon as Lucas said that, the woman, who seemed to be in her 20s, appeared a bit surprised hearing that from Lucas.
But then the woman just shook her head and said formally, "No, Mr. Lucas... I don't need help from you. In fact, I am your makeup artist for today. Nice to meet you."
"Oh," Lucas could only make that sound because he had completely forgotten that there's still the makeup artist to assist him.
The woman just smiled at him, thinking, 'He is an inexperienced actor, alright...' while giving Lucas a look.
When Lucas saw the makeup artist's expression, he knew that the woman must think he was a clueless actor who didn't know the filming preparation.
Lucas could only smile a little. Despite being a small-time actor in his previous life, he gained quite a bit of experience. He was just quite dumbstruck at this moment, and his mind was in a state where he had forgotten the basics.
Makeup is quite helpful in filming after all, as the camera magnification tends to amplify everything, including imperfections like blemishes, uneven skin tone, and dark circles. Makeup helps create a more even and flawless appearance on camera. Different lighting setups can cast harsh shadows and emphasize wrinkles or flaws. Makeup helps balance out the lighting and create a more consistent, flattering look. Also, makeup can subtly reflect a character's personality, age, social standing, or even emotional state. For example, light and natural makeup for a young student, while heavier, aged makeup might be used for an older character.
Lucas followed the makeup artist into a room with a mirror, seats in front of it, and one seat occupied by the young actor Nolan facing the mirror with the makeup artist working on his face.
The young actor turned his eyes to Lucas, who had just arrived, before returning to read the script while the makeup artist attended to Nolan.
Lucas then took a seat, and the makeup artist prepared to work on his face.
While the makeup was being applied, Lucas reflected on his previous life...
He remembered his first acting experience.
His initial role was actually just a 'tree' in a theatre production.
Recalling the time he performed on the theater stage, during a practice, the director instructed him to go left.
Being inexperienced at that time, with almost no acting background, Lucas thought the director wanted him to move to his left side.
The director then shouted, "Not to your left! To stage left!"
It was at that moment that Lucas felt pretty confused, realizing that "Stage left" refers to the left side of the stage from the perspective of the actors facing the audience. It's a directional term used in theater, performance spaces, and film production to designate positions and movement cues.
After that, Lucas remembered learning about the nine positions on the theatre stage. It was a gradual introduction to the world of acting, at least in theatre.
The inexperienced Lucas continued his journey to become an actor, eventually getting a chance to play a small role in a TV series. Lucas seized the opportunity, but along the way, he made several mistakes. Difficulties with cues and timing, missing camera cues, rushing dialogue delivery, and failing to maintain pace with other actors disrupted the rhythm of the scene.
Additionally, he struggled with a lack of awareness of camera presence, being overly conscious of the camera or forgetting to project his voice in specific directions during his natural performance.
And then there's also Lucas under-rehearsing or insufficient script analysis, not fully internalizing lines, character traits, or motivations, which led to inconsistencies and a lack of depth in the portrayal.
At that time, Lucas attempted excessive improvisation or deviating from the script. While some improvisation can be delightful, going off track without prior discussion with the director would disrupt the flow of the scene and create editing challenges—another mistake from Lucas.
In this life, while Lucas did have acting experience from his previous life's memories, it didn't guarantee he wouldn't make mistakes now. In his previous life, he was nothing but a small actor in the eyes of others.
Although Lucas's experience as a 'Small Actor' in his previous life helped him in auditions and ultimately landed him the role, he knew he still had room for improvement.
While Lucas was deep in thought, the makeup artist, Erica, was finally done. It only took a few minutes as there wasn't much makeup needed on Lucas's naturally good-looking face.
Even Erica, the makeup artist, admired Lucas's handsome face. Of course, she remained calm. After all, in Hollywood, working on good-looking faces is quite common, as many aspiring actors and actresses are pursuing careers in the industry.
After the makeup artist finished, Lucas took a drink of water. Soon after, the crew called for Nolan.
It seemed the kid's role was about to start, and the staff also reminded Lucas to prepare. Lucas nodded in acknowledgment and then walked out of the house.
In the first scene, he would be ringing the door bell in front of the door. During that, the scene inside the kitchen where Claire is calling the kids for breakfast began.
However, as Phil also called the kids with a cracked voice, it made Julie laugh, breaking her out of character. Because of that, the scene needed to be repeated.
The director and writers didn't really mind, finding Ty Burrell's cracked voice amusing, to be honest.
Due to the repeat in filming, after changing clothes in the changing room, Lucas just waited for his time for a few minutes. The crew hadn't reminded him yet, indicating that the filming of the main cast in the house was still ongoing.
Lucas already wore the clothes of "Marshall Dylan" in the changing room as he was preparing, and all he has to do now is to prepare for a moment to embody the character of "Marshall Dylan" and analyze the personality of "Marshall Dylan".
From what Lucas sees in the character of "Marshall Dylan" so far, although his character is just a supporting role, "Marshall Dylan" has depth. Dylan may appear laid back, but he is smart enough to compose a song in the episode "The Incident."
To be honest, after reading the scripts several times, Lucas is quite sure that if the original owner of this body were to read the script, the original owner would at least relate to the character of "Marshall Dylan."
Why? The character of "Marshall Dylan" was also kicked out by his mother several times.
Although the original owner of Lucas's body was kicked out by his father due to the influence of his stepmother, and Dylan was kicked several times while the original owner of Lucas's body was only kicked once, there is still similarity in the situation.
When Lucas realized that, he thinks from the original owner of his body's perspective. He thought that by taking the perspective of the original owner or the original soul of his current body, it would be much easier and more relatable for him to act the character of "Marshall Dylan," and it might be natural for his body to act the character.
What Lucas didn't expect was that it actually works.
Although Lucas has to admit that he thought he would struggle with the characterization by taking the perspective of the original owner of his current body and thinking that it may not even work at all, he was quite surprised by the result.
Lucas could feel that his body was actually effectively reacting by taking the perspective of the predecessor of his current body.
He could feel the emotions overflowing. It seems like the emotions of the previous 'Lucas,' the owner of his current body, were being released.
The feeling of grief from the predecessor's body was vividly experienced by the current Lucas.
"This grief?" Lucas thought in surprise, then memories of the predecessor's body flashed in Lucas's mind.
The memory was of how the previous Lucas searched for jobs in New York. Then, no one was willing to take him in.
After that, there was also the moment when the previous Lucas had a conflict with his father and the discord he had with his father before being kicked out of the house...
Although the previous Lucas had no recollection of his own mother, he always had complex feelings when seeing other kids with a mother or scenes of parent-child bonding.
Despite the mixed emotions, the current Lucas knew it was a negative one; perhaps the grief and depression were evident feelings that the previous Lucas was experiencing.
Following that sense of grief, the current Lucas then felt emptiness, the feeling of abandonment, as if there were no people in this world he could truly rely on, except himself.
That's when the previous Lucas became independent and tried his best to mask his complicated feelings by numbing himself with the aspiration of achieving something in life.
The previous Lucas didn't want to succumb to sorrow or perish because of his depression. Instead, he chose to live with it, opting to set goals for himself, aspiring to live independently, and aiming for success in life. The previous Lucas seemed determined to surpass his father, attending auditions in the hope of becoming an actor. His roommate, Paul, also an actor, accompanied him to auditions.
The previous Lucas dreamt of becoming a successful actor, leaving behind his half-brother, who was also an actor. However, that aspiration was never realized due to the untimely demise of the precious Lucas.
The complicated feelings of the previous Lucas overwhelmed the current Lucas.
After experiencing all the emotions from the previous Lucas flooding into his body, he felt like he embodied the previous Lucas rather than "Marshall Dylan."
Sitting while grappling with the intense emotions of the previous Lucas, he tried to suppress them, aware that the crew might notice an overwhelmed expression.
He massaged his forehead to calm himself, and gradually, the feelings and emotions of the previous Lucas calmed down before disappearing.
"Damn... I didn't expect to encounter such a weird moment," Lucas thought to himself, sighing in relief when he realized his turn to act was still not in place.
"Although taking the perspective of the predecessor didn't fully embody the character of Marshall Dylan, it enlightened me quite a bit. It will surely help me embody Marshall Dylan more effectively and accurately," Lucas thought as he gulped water from the bottle provided by the production.
Despite the fact that the previous Lucas, the original owner of his current body, faced more harsh treatment in life compared to "Marshall Dylan," it also provided valuable insights for the current Lucas.
At least now, Lucas has a better understanding of the character "Marshall Dylan" or, to be more accurate, Lucas has gained more insight into the experiences of people who feel abandonment, the sensation of having no one to rely on.
Honestly, Lucas can also relate to this feeling. In his previous life as a struggling actor, he faced discrimination from fellow actors and actresses, who sometimes treated him like an errand boy.
Interestingly, some assistants of successful actors would even order him around, asking for coffee, with the promise that if Lucas complied, they might introduce him to the successful actor. The hope was that the successful actor would then recommend him to other directors, potentially securing a project for Lucas. Despite having no connections, Lucas chose to gamble and believe these assistants every time.
Hence, the feelings of loneliness and a lack of care were not unfamiliar to Lucas.
Now given a chance in life and the opportunity to act in one of the most successful TV series, "Modern Family," Lucas is committed to portraying his role as "Marshall Dylan" to the best of his ability. Despite the role being a supporting one and seemingly uncomplicated, he aims to bring his interpretation and perspective to the character in line with both his own understanding and the vision of the writers.
In this process, Lucas internalizes his role, and soon, his eyes take on a touch of laziness. This is in line with the writers' discussions, which emphasized that "Marshall Dylan" should appear lazy. The writers mentioned a character backstory, leaving Lucas to decipher it on his own. Based on his interpretation, derived from the script and his knowledge of watching "Modern Family" in his previous life, Dylan's lazy demeanor hides the untold story of a broken family. This background shapes his character, steering him towards the dream of becoming a singer and composing songs to make it big in the music industry—particularly evident in the early seasons, though the character's goals eventually change in the later seasons.
Gradually embodying "Marshall Dylan" with laid-back movements and eyes conveying indifference, Lucas infuses a sense of rebellion into his actions. Contrasted with his initial performance as "Marshall Dylan," there's now a noticeable edge, and observers might easily mistake him for a rockstar.
After Lucas' characterization of his role, when Lucas looked in the small mirror from the table, he felt his characterization of "Marshall Dylan" was similar to the character "Rodrick Heffley" from the "Diaries of a Wimpy Kid".
Despite the rebellious sense he felt from his own movements, it was relatively toned down quite a bit.
Although the showcase of the "Bad Boy" archetype can be fun, it can also be quite one-dimensional. So, Lucas only added the sense of rebellion or the bad boy feeling, but it was actually just to mask the true Dylan—the character that thirsts for friendship or a happy family. His family was a broken family, to the point that he was kicked out of the house by his own mother just because of her boyfriend.
So, Lucas exhibited awkward movements, although he concealed them with a bad-boy persona. It wasn't mere pretense; Dylan genuinely had reasons to be rebellious.
Being well-acquainted with portraying a bad boy from his past roles, Lucas drew inspiration from films like "The Godfather," "Scarface," and "Once Upon a Time in America." In his previous life, Lucas often took on the role of a villain, and while he didn't reach the level of top actors with sophisticated methods, his portrayal of a bad guy was commendable. It was more simplified and closer to a real-life thug or gangster.
Lucas embraced simplicity in acting after watching "Once Upon a Time in America." Unlike films like "The Godfather," where bad guys were romanticized, "Once Upon a Time in America" depicted them more realistically—straight-up evil without the complex moral code of characters like Vito Corleone. As Lucas contemplated and characterized "Marshall Dylan," the crew interrupted, urging him to prepare as his scene was about to begin.
Lucas nodded, assuming the role of "Marshall Dylan" after exhaling his nervousness.
"I hope the director and writers will appreciate my interpretation of Dylan's character..." Lucas thought as he closed his eyes.
The crew prepared, the director called for action, and the camera was set as Lucas rang the doorbell.
In character as Dylan, Lucas discreetly glanced through the transparent glass near the door, spotting Julie (or Claire) approaching.
Julie, in the role of Claire, projected a maternal aura, ready to protect her child at any moment. Lucas noticed Sarah, playing Haley, hastily descending the stairs, but Claire outpaced her.
Claire, holding a fabric that cleverly concealed her stomach, opened the door and greeted "Marshall Dylan." She seemed visibly surprised by Lucas' portrayal, immediately sensing he brought bad news. From Claire's perspective, it was evident that Haley needed to steer clear of this man, but expressing it directly wasn't an option—that's what Phil was there for.
Claire put on a facade of niceness, shaking Dylan's hand and greeting him, "Hello, you must be Dylan."
Dylan nodded and casually replied, "Yup, that's me. Dylan." His tone was lazy, yet respectful. His eyes carried a hint of intimidation, but his relaxed brows naturally dispelled any sense of threat from the seemingly "bad-looking guy."
Lucas's portrayal differed from the audition, catching the attention of director Jason and the writers. They chose to continue filming, eager to see if Lucas could elevate his character beyond the audition.
Claire introduced herself while shaking Dylan's hand, stating, "I'm Haley's mother." As Haley, who was behind Claire, grabbed Dylan's forearm, she urged, "Hey, come on, let's go," leading him upstairs.
Claire attempted to halt Dylan and Haley, engaging Dylan in conversation and posing some questions. Haley, visibly embarrassed as the one who invited Dylan, felt the awkwardness keenly.
While Claire appeared to be discreetly checking Dylan's background, Phil entered the scene and approached Dylan.
There was a momentary pause as Phil glanced at Dylan, who exuded a laid-back demeanor yet emanated a "bad guy" vibe. Sensing this, Phil tried to appear more intimidating to Dylan, but his attempt at intimidation only made him seem ridiculous and amusing. He awkwardly stated, "Let me meet this playa."
Even Claire, standing near Phil, struggled to stifle her laughter, realizing she couldn't afford to break the scene.
The camera then focused on Phil facing Dylan, while Haley looked utterly embarrassed. She seemed like her parents had embarrassed her significantly, especially in front of her crush.
Despite Dylan's seemingly respectful response to Phil, the atmosphere was tense. Phil stared at Dylan and outwardly expressed positive sentiments, but his eyes told a different story, signaling to everyone in the room that Phil wasn't truly comfortable with Dylan.
Haley found herself even more embarrassed, especially as she could clearly interpret Phil's disapproval of Dylan.
Phil walked past Dylan on the stairs, staring at him and remarking, "You two keep it real, you know what I mean, son?"
Dylan, perplexed, looked at Phil and replied, "Uh... Not really..." His voice carried an awkward tone, and his eyes, genuinely confused, didn't hide Dylan's bewilderment. Despite the awkwardness, the scene turned out to be unexpectedly humorous. Even Sarah Hyland and Julie Bowen, who maintained serious expressions, struggled to contain their laughter, participating in an unintended "Try Not to Laugh Challenge." They couldn't afford to ruin the scene, but the comedic tension was undeniable.
Ty Burrell, although not initially inclined to laugh, couldn't help but feel a chuckle building up when he witnessed Dylan's genuine confusion. Lucas's performance was unexpectedly diverting, considering Lucas performance right now wasn't in the topic of discussion among the crew.
Despite his composed exterior, Ty Burrell, being an experienced actor, understood the humorous side of filming on set, especially when unexpected moments occurred.
Both Sarah and Julie maintained their professionalism, and Lucas's performance, although amusing, didn't push them to uncontrollable laughter.
Ty Burrell, momentarily sidetracked by Lucas's unanticipated response as Dylan, quickly refocused on portraying Phil, recalling the script.
As Phil attempted to exert intimidation on Dylan, he inadvertently strained his back while leaning on the stairs balustrade, relying too heavily on it. The sudden pain surprised Haley and Claire, but Dylan, still perplexed by Phil's earlier question, instinctively caught Phil, preventing him from falling, in a princess carry.
When the camera captured this unexpected scene, the director and writers found it surprisingly perfect. Phil, now in Dylan's grasp, gazed at him with incredulous eyes, a mix of astonishment and clear embarrassment evident on Ty Burrell's face.
Claire and Haley observed Dylan instinctively holding Phil in the princess carry, their expressions shifting from concern to curiosity. They watched as Dylan carefully carried Phil up to the sofa, creating an unintentionally amusing yet oddly captivating moment for the scene.