Next to him, Aasif Mandvi was rubbing his hands together.
This Indian-British actor, born in Mumbai, had been working in Hollywood for over fifteen years. Although he had never landed a leading role or even a major supporting part, he was a consistent presence in smaller, yet memorable, roles with lines. His acting portfolio boasted over fifty projects, including classics.
"CSI," "Law & Order," "The Sopranos," "Die Hard with a Vengeance," and many more.
In Hollywood films, there often comes a need for an ethnic minority character, and Aasif had become the go-to face representing Indian characters on both big and small screens.
Naturally, it made sense that Aasif would land a role in "Spider-Man 2" as well.
The crew needed a pizza shop owner, not an authentic Italian, but a regular guy running a so-called authentic Italian pizzeria in Lower Manhattan—
Thus, Aasif beat out a crowd of competitors and secured the part.
And now, he was about to act in a scene with Anson.
Aasif thought he would be calm, entering the set with a professional attitude. After all, he had been in Hollywood since 1987 and had seen all sorts of situations. Anson, to him, was just a young kid.
Yet, despite his confidence, Aasif couldn't sleep the night before.
Who knows? Maybe "Spider-Man 2" wouldn't be the turning point of his career, but at least his family would see him performing on the big screen, and those pesky relatives would finally stop talking.
All night, his mind was racing, filled with endless thoughts.
He imagined his parents seeing him, those relatives being speechless, no longer treating him as the family disgrace, and instead, trying to cozy up to him and using him as bragging rights.
These thoughts surged through his mind, leaving him restless and dazed.
Then, Anson appeared before him.
His heart pounded like a drum, his mouth went dry. He was even more nervous than when he saw Bruce Willis on the set of "Die Hard with a Vengeance." A wave of dizziness washed over him.
At that moment, Aasif realized for the first time what it meant to be in the presence of a superstar.
Greetings. Handshakes. Conversation.
Blocking. Running lines. Rehearsals.
He was there, experiencing it all, but Aasif felt none of it was real. It was as if his soul had left his body and was watching the scene unfold from a distance.
This was something Aasif had never experienced in his fifteen years as an actor.
He knew he needed to snap out of it, to pull himself together. Otherwise, the crew could easily replace him with another Indian actor in minutes, without a second thought.
But the more nervous he got, the worse things became.
It was turning into a disaster.
"Aasif, Aasif..."
The call came closer, like a thunderclap in his ears, jolting him back to the present with a racing heart.
Aasif shut his eyes tight. "I'll do it right, I will. Just one more chance, one more."
They were on take four or five now—every mistake was Aasif's fault.
He knew what this meant. The first scene of a shoot should be the easiest, meant to start things off on a good note.
But now, he had messed it all up.
If his performance ruined a project like "Spider-Man 2," he didn't even want to imagine what would happen to his career.
A shadow loomed silently over the set.
Out of sheer desperation, Aasif curled up in a ball, trembling.
"Hey, Aasif, calm down. Everything's fine here."
Anson had noticed Aasif's tension.
Director Sam Raimi, looking frustrated, took off his headset and was about to storm over, wondering what was going on with such a simple scene.
But Anson raised his hand, signaling to give them three more minutes.
Anson had been through this himself. Sometimes things just felt off, regardless of the role's size or importance.
As the saying in the industry goes: there are no small roles, only small actors.
Anson believed this wasn't a big deal. All Aasif needed was to find his rhythm again.
"Just breathe, Aasif. Breathe."
"People often think breathing is the simplest thing, but once life tests you, you realize it's not that easy."
"Here's a secret: before every performance, I always remind myself to breathe and not forget it."
His words were calm and soothing, helping Aasif regain a bit of composure.
Aasif stared blankly at Anson, not speaking.
Anson gestured: inhale, exhale; inhale, exhale.
The action was simple, but when focused on, it quietly brought his attention back to the present. Slowly, Aasif began to feel like himself again.
Without saying much, Anson's presence helped Aasif follow along with the breathing exercise.
Gradually, his soul returned, and his clarity along with it.
Aasif finally calmed down. "Sorry, I ruined everything."
Anson chuckled. "No, you just cost us fifteen minutes. Don't worry, we're not in a rush."
Aasif couldn't help but laugh. "I was just... nervous, excited and nervous. I didn't even recognize myself."
"Totally normal." Anson shrugged lightly. "In Hollywood, who isn't like that? Every morning, the first thing I do is make sure I still exist."
"Sometimes, I scare myself looking in the mirror."
Plastic surgery? A hangover?
Or maybe, makeup removal?
"Ha ha ha." Aasif burst into laughter.
Anson handed him a bottle of water. "Need a little more time? Or are you ready to give it another go?"
No deep words, no motivational speeches, but Aasif's anxiety and unease had dissipated.
"Hey, you're the boss here. I'm the one who should be nervous." Anson added with a grin.
Aasif finally felt fully relaxed, flashing a wide smile. "If not for this movie, when would I ever get the chance to boss Anson Wood around?"
"Scolding Spider-Man is much tougher than scolding me." Anson threw in a lighthearted joke.
Aasif's smile blossomed without restraint.
Taking a deep breath, Aasif called out toward Sam, "Sorry about that. I'm ready to go again."
Sam didn't respond—he was already feeling the pressure, and the first shot of the day had turned into a string of failures. How could he possibly continue with this?
He glanced at Anson, who gave him an "OK" signal. Only then did Sam relax, raising his hand to signal they would try again. If things didn't go well this time, then maybe it would be time to get upset.
Aasif took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Just like Anson said, don't overthink it, just focus on breathing. Pull all the attention back to where it needed to be.