When Ryan saw that there was a toddler role in the commercial script, he immediately thought of someone. Compared to other two-year-old children, this little one was much smarter. Moreover, both he and her parents had recorded plenty of childhood videos for her as keepsakes.
From this perspective, she could be considered a rare child with some filming experience.
As for who this little one was, there was only one child around that age that Ryan knew.
After getting off the car and switching to a studio electric cart heading toward the soundstage, Ryan couldn't help but feel curious about how Pat Kingsley had managed to persuade her parents.
"Pat, didn't Mrs. Andrea oppose it?" he asked.
"It wasn't that simple," Kingsley gave him a glance without elaborating. "Convincing others is just a basic skill for an agent."
Ryan scratched his head. The Swift family and the Rohan family were worlds apart. If the Rohan family could barely be considered middle class, then the Swift family could definitely be classified as wealthy. Families like that rarely let their children appear in the media at such an early age.
Jumping off the electric cart and stepping into the soundstage, Ryan immediately heard a commotion. A particularly lively little girl was chasing two staff members with a prop brush, playing wildly.
Seeing this scene, Ryan knew something bad was about to happen and tried to sneak away, but it was too late—the blonde little girl had already spotted him.
"Ryan, don't... run," the little girl shouted crisply as she ran toward him.
"Hey, Taylor, be careful, don't fall," Ryan had no choice but to open his arms and catch the charging girl. Otherwise, if she pouted and cried, it would be a disaster.
The mischievous girl wasn't about to let him off easily. She picked up the soft brush and began scrubbing his face wildly. Fortunately, Ryan turned his head quickly, so most of the brushing landed on the side and back of his head. While his handsome face was spared, his hair unfortunately turned into a bird's nest.
"Stop it! Taylor, or else..." Ryan warned.
"Ryan, I... I always wash my dolls like this," Taylor giggled. "Very... clean, very clean, I gave you a bath, so you should say thank you."
Ryan was so angry he almost flared his nostrils. He had to say thank you? Damn it, he knew there wouldn't be any good outcome running into this playful little rascal.
But well, hmm~ soon it'll be my turn to give you a bath, he thought smugly.
After handing the little girl back to her mother, Ryan went into the dressing room to fix his messy hair. Meanwhile, the commercial's director had a brief chat with Kingsley, then came over personally to discuss the scenes with him.
Children's commercials like this were very simple, posing no difficulty for Ryan at all. In fact, the director understood this perfectly. The key to the commercial's progress didn't lie with Ryan but with the little girl.
"Thank you, Director Mendia," Ryan said very politely. Sometimes, a little humility didn't hurt.
The commercial's plot was minimal—Ryan would play an older brother who, seeing his little sister or brother (at that age, you couldn't tell gender clearly on camera) all dirty, would proactively give them a bath. Then the bath products would appear with a flourish, and in post-production, The Show would be added as background music.
"Hi, Taylor," Ryan said, sitting down at a distance from her.
"You're a dummy, Ryan," the little girl said fluently, making Ryan roll his eyes. But then she added, "Natalie told me so!"
Alright, Miss Natalie Hershler, you really don't miss any chance to take a jab at me! Ryan gritted his teeth.
At this moment, the director came over, looking at Taylor with the kindest smile. "Taylor, I heard you know Ryan?"
"Hmph~" The little girl turned her nose up. "He's a dummy."
Clearly, the director hadn't expected that answer. His face showed some awkwardness, but he continued, "It looks like you two are close. Will you let Ryan give you a bath?"
"No way!" Taylor answered decisively, waving her soft brush and saying in her soft little voice, "Why don't I give him a bath instead? I even have a brush."
"Sweetheart, didn't you promise when we came here?" Mrs. Andrea had no choice but to step in.
"Really?" The little girl blinked her innocent eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "Alright then! But I want to hear a song while I'm bathing—Ryan has to sing for me!"
Ryan kept his eyes on the floor, pretending not to hear. In his past life, Taylor was known for her sharp tongue. Unexpectedly, she showed this talent at such a young age. No wonder her ex-boyfriends, who got roasted in her songs, became even more famous because of her.
Children at that age were unreasonable. Little Taylor insisted that Ryan must sing to her while giving her a bath—otherwise, no deal.
The director scratched his head vigorously. If this little girl hadn't been recommended by Ryan Jenkins himself, he really would have wanted to replace her. But now he had no choice but to make do.
"Director Mendia!" Ryan noticed the director's dilemma and suggested, "How about this: do you have the music accompaniment ready? Great, so during filming, play the accompaniment and I'll sing to Taylor. The live recording might not be perfect, but we can replace the vocals during post-production, right?"
It was indeed a good idea. Although it meant a slight adjustment to the commercial script Ryan had written, Director Mendia was flexible enough to nod and go discuss it with the crew.
First, they filmed several shots of Ryan. After just a few takes, he easily found his rhythm. After all, this was just a children's commercial. The director wasn't as perfectionist as David Fincher or James Cameron.
"Cut!" the director called out, relieved. He was a seasoned hand at shooting commercials with children. If the child actors he worked with were even a quarter as capable as Ryan Jenkins, his job would be much easier.
When it came time for Taylor's scenes, it was a nightmare. The little girl had no concept of cooperation at all. She constantly made funny faces when she was supposed to smile, and pouted like she was about to cry when she was supposed to look cute.
"Taylor, be good," Ryan pinched her little nose. "If you behave, I'll buy you two of the newest Barbie dolls."
"I... don't want them~" the little girl pouted.
"Then what do you want?" Ryan scratched his head. After all, under the agreement between Johnson & Johnson and Hollywood Records, this commercial would also serve as part of the MV. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought Taylor in.
"Hydrangeas!" the little girl answered without hesitation, her voice milky and sweet. "I want the whole garden filled with hydrangeas."
"Alright, alright," Ryan agreed without even checking if it was the right season.
Apparently, the bribery worked. Taylor behaved much better afterward. Although there were still plenty of NGs, at least she stopped deliberately causing trouble.
Watching the filming, Ryan thought again of Nicole. The Australian actress was currently a darling of advertisers. Although she hadn't yet reached her previous life's peak, Kingsley had once told him that Nicole earned over a million dollars for a single perfume ad shoot that took less than two hours.
Ryan believed that with him by her side, Nicole would shine even brighter, and wouldn't suffer the same fate as in his past life—where, despite being praised for her acting, her movies kept flopping at the box office, making her both the highest-paid actress in Hollywood and a notorious "box office poison."
The first day didn't yield many completed shots—most of the time was spent coaxing the child actors.
By the second day, Taylor was clearly much more obedient. Why? Simple—after shooting wrapped the previous day, Ryan had called Scott Swift to get his approval, then ordered an entire small truckload of hydrangeas from a gardening company and planted them in the Swift family's garden.
In the temporary bathroom set, with everyone ready, the director nodded at the script supervisor.
"Scene Five, action!"
The accompaniment of The Show was playful and cute. Ryan's singing was lively and full of character.
"I'm just a little bit caught in the middle, life is a maze, and love is a riddle, I don't know where to go..."
While singing, Ryan showcased Johnson & Johnson's products...
"Cut! It's good!" the director shouted. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief. This was already the eighth take. The little girl soaking in the foam-filled tub was a complete troublemaker and had nearly driven everyone crazy.
The director discreetly wiped the sweat from his brow and mentally listed Taylor Swift as someone he would never work with again.
"Ryan, don't stop singing!"
Just as Ryan was relaxing, the little girl scooped up a handful of water and dumped it over his head. Warm, foamy water dripped down his hair, turning him into a soaking wet mess.
Scott Swift, who had come along today to accompany his daughter and wanted to document her first-ever commercial shoot, immediately stepped forward and snapped a photo, capturing the moment when Taylor poured a second handful of water over Ryan's head.
"Taylor!"
Ryan glared fiercely at the little girl in the bathtub. She wasn't scared at all; instead, she shouted excitedly and blinked her innocent blue eyes as if to say, Come on! I'm not afraid of you!
"Scott," Ryan quickly hid behind him. God knew if that little rascal would launch another sneak attack. "When you develop the photos, please give me a copy, okay?"
"Uh? Okay," Scott said as he continued snapping photos. Curious, he asked, "Ryan, what do you want the photo for?"
"This is evidence!" Ryan glanced back at the little girl happily splashing in the tub. "When Taylor grows up, I'll show her what she did to me when she was little!"
Little Taylor, when you grow up, I'm definitely going to use that photo to blackmail you! Ryan thought viciously.
But then he suddenly had a second thought: given her personality, if he blackmailed her, she'd probably write a song mocking him just as fiercely!