Early the next morning, Sofia Coppola arrived at the Actors Guild with large dark circles under her eyes, yawning frequently.
She hadn’t slept well at all the previous night. Every time she closed her eyes, nightmares haunted her.
It was all Ryan’s fault for insisting on renting a haunted house, causing her a sleepless night. Yet, she still had to get up early to post job ads at the Actors Guild.
Yes, posting job ads.
The Actors Guild had a huge number of members and was located in the Hollywood office area. Every day, countless actors went in and out.
Most actors found opportunities through the job board, attending various auditions in hopes of making it big.
Of course, only a few truly became famous. Most ended up as extras, earning meager wages and struggling at the bottom.
Not all actors, however, faced such a fate. For instance, the little girl performing opposite Ryan was one of the exceptions.
Poor acting!
Ryan frowned slightly, but considering her age, her performance was already quite commendable.
For every Hollywood production, the most difficult entities to deal with were not investors or big-name stars but child actors and various animal actors.
They could give even the most renowned directors headaches, and losing patience could attract the wrath of child protection or animal rights organizations, potentially halting the production.
“Miss Scarlett, thank you for your performance. Helen will notify you of the audition results within the week.”
Yes, the poorly acting little girl in front of him was none other than Scarlett Johansson, who would later become the famous Black Widow. Her acting, however, left much to be desired.
In contrast, the Scarlett Johansson who had already made a name for herself in his past life had quite decent acting skills.
Of course, her background contributed to this. Unlike most Hollywood actresses, she didn’t start as a pretty face in commercial films but as an actress in various independent films. Only after gaining some fame did she transition to commercial films.
This background meant Scarlett Johansson’s acting skills were relatively well-honed.
Young Scarlett Johansson blinked and looked at Helen with some confusion. “Why would Helen notify me?”
“Shouldn’t it be Mr. Ryan’s assistant?”
Helen couldn’t help but smile and said, “Mr. Ryan means that if your parents agree, you can pass the audition.”
The not-yet-ten-year-old Scarlett Johansson looked at Ryan with a puzzled expression and asked, “Mr. Ryan, is that true?”
Ryan couldn’t help but pat his forehead. Did he mean that?
“Okay, I admit that’s what I meant.”
After speaking, he glared at Helen, indicating she owed him an explanation later.
Of course, the role of the supporting character’s daughter didn’t have many scenes, and Scarlett Johansson’s acting, although not stellar, was adequate.
Helen seemingly ignored Ryan’s look and got up to escort young Scarlett Johansson out, handing her over to her mother. She then returned to the office to explain.
“Ryan, Scarlett Johansson is an actress I have high hopes for, and her mother is my friend.”
“Alright, Helen, you don’t need to explain.” Ryan waved his hand, indicating he understood Helen’s actions. “Her acting might not be great, but it’s enough for the role of the supporting character’s daughter.”
Given his relationship with Helen, he wouldn’t nitpick over a minor supporting role. This wasn’t the lead role, after all.
Although “Saw” required higher acting skills than “The Blair Witch,” it was still primarily a gore-based horror film, with blood and fear being the main selling points rather than acting. Therefore, the acting standards could be relaxed a bit.
“Let’s bring in the next actor.”
“But for the lead actress, I won’t compromise again,” Ryan said, not allowing Helen to continue.
As his films continued to succeed, he couldn’t always use actors from Starry Sky Agency for the lead roles.
Moreover, most of the actors at Starry Sky Agency were inexperienced newcomers, and he couldn’t always hire newbies.
Like most directors, Ryan preferred actors with decent acting skills and reasonable fees.
“I hope we can handle the extras like in the last film,” Helen said, taking a deep breath.
She understood and even empathized with Ryan’s actions, knowing Starry Sky Agency was still a new company.
“Sure.”
Ryan agreed without hesitation.
Helen breathed a sigh of relief and looked satisfied as she called in the next actor.
The tall blonde woman with slightly rough features but undeniable sex appeal was a typical American sweetheart at first glance.
But as soon as she spoke, Ryan frowned and lost interest, asking Helen to show her out of the office.
“Helen, you’ve read my script. The lead actress is a crucial role. Even if I can tolerate poor acting, I can’t tolerate bad teeth. It would completely turn off the audience.”
A lead actress with bad teeth? That would make many male viewers lose interest. He couldn’t take such a risk.
Hearing Ryan’s words, Helen wisely kept quiet. A lead actress with bad teeth was indeed unacceptable.
“I’ll suggest she sees a dentist.”
A dentist?
Ryan smirked. A dentist? She might as well get a complete makeover. After all, the world’s most advanced plastic surgery techniques were in Hollywood.
Compared to South Korea, Japan, and Thailand, Hollywood’s plastic surgery was more advanced and much more expensive.
The reason was simple: Hollywood had the world’s largest number of actresses and socialites, all willing to spend on their appearance.
“Ryan!”
“Can I ask who Sofia recommended for the lead actress?” Helen finally couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
Clearly, Sofia, who had spent a lot of time in Hollywood, knew more actors than Helen.
“Someone you wouldn’t expect. You’ll find out soon.” Ryan didn’t reveal the name but remembered a captivating figure, looking somewhat dazed.
Meanwhile, downstairs at a coffee shop near the Actors Guild, Sofia Coppola, looking tired, was trying to stay awake while talking to a very beautiful woman.
“Monica, although I dislike that guy, I must admit he has a knack for selling points in films.”
She was, of course, referring to Ryan, the jerk who made her clean up a murder scene.
“But a horror film!”
Monica Bellucci hesitated. The role of a lead actress in an independent film was very appealing to her.
However, having starred in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” she knew horror films offered little scope for a female lead to showcase her talents.
Yet, her current situation made it hard to refuse.
At thirty, Monica Bellucci was past her prime for Hollywood.
Moreover, she was a former model. At thirty, a model’s career was almost over, no matter how famous she had been. She understood that age was a critical factor, so she had transitioned to acting early on.
However, her first foray into Hollywood hadn’t gone as planned. If not for a friend’s recommendation, she might have returned to Italy this year.
By the way, she was Italian, like Sofia’s father, Francis Ford Coppola, and knew both Sofia’s father and cousin.
“Horror films always have a market in North America. Besides, the director might be annoying, but he’s very talented, definitely not just a newcomer.”
Sofia patiently explained. If not for “The Blair Witch” having a poor reputation, making it hard to reveal, she would have agreed right away.
Her cousin had asked her to look after Monica, or she would have left long ago.
She wouldn’t favor someone just because they were Italian.
Hollywood never lacked beautiful actresses.
“Can you tell me the director’s previous work?” Monica Bellucci asked, noticing Sofia’s tired face.
Sofia shook her head. “Unless you pass the audition or get his approval, I can’t disclose anything about his previous film.”
“All I can say is that this film might be a great opportunity for you.”
“If you agree, you can audition now.”
As one of the main people in the crew, she had the authority to recommend actors for auditions, and Ryan had already agreed to this.