Birth of an actor

"I can't believe it, you screwed up your movie contract!"

A tyrannosaurus-like roar exploded in the corridor of the WMA brokerage company, and everyone passing by was taken aback. It wasn't until the managers and assistants found out that the roar came from Amon Goffman's office that they didn't take it seriously. He curled his lips and walked away quickly.

Outside the office, Eric has already shrunk into the chair, trying to reduce his sense of existence as much as possible, so as not to suffer from the disaster of the fish. Looking out from the transparent office, it is true that he can't even see the top of his head.

But Amon Goffman will not forget his assistant: "Ai! Rui! Ke! Are you absent from work?!"

"I'm here!" Eric quickly stood up from his chair and ran into the office: "What are your orders, Mr. Goffman?"

"Is the phone connected?"

"Three calls were made by Valerie's assistant, who said she was out of the office."

"Then keep calling until she picks up!"

"Understood!" Eric promised, and then disappeared with the fastest speed.

Only Amon Goffman and William were left in the office again, and the air was deathly silent.

Amon Goffman took a deep breath, looking like he wanted to keep shouting.

William spoke before him: "You've been yelling for half an hour, Amon Goffman, doesn't your throat hurt?"

Amon Goffman yelled "It doesn't hurt!" to the actor who yelled at him fiercely, but his throat was indeed dry and sore, as if he had swallowed a large piece of rough bark.

William thoughtfully handed over a cup of freshly brewed black tea.

Amon Goffman took it and took a sip: "Why is it black tea? Where's my coffee?"

"The coffee is too cold, and it's bad for your throat. I just asked Eric to rebrew the black tea for you."

Amon Goffman took another sip of tea, and seemed to have calmed down a bit.

William took the opportunity to say pitifully: "You've been yelling at me for half an hour, Amon, take a break for the sake of your throat, and I didn't screw up my film contract, I was about to screw it up-take a deep breath! Don't be angry! I also Didn't expect this."

"I'll try my best to help you get this done." Amon Goffman said, "But Will, don't be stupid next time. It's okay to help others, but you have to wait until your contract has been signed in black and white. If you blindly be a good person in this small town, there will be no bones left of you that will be gnawed on in the end."

"Valerie's phone is connected!" Eric ran in happily.

"Very good, tell her that Will will invite her to dinner, if she refuses, fax a few photos, ask for a very spicy one."

"understand!"

A few minutes later, Eric gestured an OK gesture to the office from his seat.

Amon Goffman stared into William's eyes: "I booked a French restaurant, and I went to the appointment in your best clothes tonight, Valerie likes young men, especially handsome and charming like you, there is no speculation in your body If you have the temperament, Will, use your charm to conquer her, and maybe we will be able to sign with Fox tomorrow morning."

"I thought we talked about this kind of thing, Amon." William said with a little embarrassment: "I won't sleep with someone for a film contract, even if the other party is Tom Cruise or Cameron Diaz."

Body trading probably exists in every industry, and Hollywood is no exception, but because the industry as a whole is relatively fair, and most Americans don’t take sex very seriously, so in Hollywood, there are very few threats and lures about sex , and more is the mutual benefit exchange.

For example, an A-list actress known for her sexy big mouth, worked hard in Los Angeles for five or six years and only made two movies. Later, she saw a script, a very wonderful script, and the male lead had already been determined to be the actor at the time. Lover of the masses, many actresses who are both powerful and beautiful want to get a movie contract, but then it was this actress who was still unknown at the time who got the heroine. As for the inside story, it is very simple. At that time, she was in a relationship with the producer.

This relationship did not last long, only two or three months from the start of the film to its closing, but the actress became famous because of this film and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress-similar story It often happens in Hollywood, but most people are not as lucky as this actress. Appropriate efforts have reaped rich rewards.

Amon Goffman's expression froze for a few seconds, and then he became a little annoyed: "Did I imply that you asked you to spend the night with someone? Stop your condemning eyes, I haven't forgotten our conversation, go to accompany Wa Riley eats, pleases her, shows her that you're perfect for the Cal Hockley role, and then I'll take care of the rest, and I promise you won't be in bed with her tonight."

"Uh, sorry to misunderstand you. So, how old is Valerie?"

"The age of this woman is a secret, but when I entered the industry, she was already well-known. Although she was working as an agent at CAA and hadn't worked in a studio yet, it is conservatively estimated that she is about 45 to 50 years old. 20 years ago, she was the hottest beauty in CAA, and now, she is still hot in the eyes of many old men in the studio."

William put his right hand on his forehead and was silent for a few seconds: "It's just eating, not going to bed, have we talked?"

"Don't worry, I have a complete backup plan." Amon Goffman showed a smile that was very similar to the Great White Shark.

……

It all started with the audition for "Titanic".

William didn't get the role of Jack Dawson, but he got Carl Hockley, the son of the American Iron King, the fiance of the heroine Ruth Bukett, and the well-deserved second male number in "Titanic".

Obviously, William would be better off playing the rich young master than the artistically gifted uninhibited painter, and the results of his audition made both James Cameron and producer Jon Landau very happy. satisfy.

"When you're Carl Hockley, sparks fly between you and Kate," James Cameron said.

Producer Jon Landau's words are more practical: "This role is yours, go back and prepare, we will sign the contract next week."

After a pleasant conversation, James Cameron and Jon Landau obviously regarded William as their own. They first explained some preparations that William needed to do before starting the machine, such as growing his hair longer. A little bit longer, strengthen etiquette training, etc., and then complained about why it is so difficult to find an actor for Jack Dawson. Is there no suitable actor in the huge Los Angeles, the huge North America, or even Europe?

It was at this time that William spoke, and he inserted into the conversation almost without thinking: "Why don't you find Leo?"

James Cameron subconsciously asked: "Which Rio?"

"Leonardo DiCaprio."

Before James Cameron could respond, Jon Landau said in surprise, "Leonardo DiCaprio! How do you know he's the one I'm thinking of!"

William blinked at Jon Landau suspiciously.

James Cameron was also a little confused about what Jon Landau was talking about.

Jon Landau turned to James Cameron and said: "When you were chatting with me just now, those requests, blonde! The first thing that comes to my mind is Leonardo DiCaprio!"

James Cameron still had a pensive expression.

William reminded at the right time: "The poet Rimbaud." The film "Total Eclipse of Love" in which Leonardo played the French poet Rimbaud was only released in the United States a few months ago. William and Toby went to the cinema to watch it together, "If If there's anyone who would be the best fit for Jack, I think it's Leo."

"I know who DiCaprio is." James Cameron said: "Just now I was thinking, this name seems to be on my shortlist, but it seems to be No. 18 or [-]. Coming? I haven't tried that far yet."

After a pause, James Cameron asked curiously again: "How suitable is Leonardo for Jack? Actually, if it weren't for the obvious difference in temperament, you are already the best Jack Dawson I have ever met. gone."

William blushed suddenly: "Is this a compliment?"

James Cameron nodded: "Yes."

"Thank you, it's a great honor." William coughed lightly, and added according to his thoughts: "Actually, Rio is more suitable for Jack Dawson than I am." It reached more than 2012 million U.S. dollars, which was higher than the box office of many commercial blockbusters that year, and once became a hot news: "Maybe he will be the most suitable."

At this time, Jon Landau, who had just gone out for a trip, came back, holding a poster of "Romeo and Juliet Modern Edition" in his hand-Leonardo stood with his arms around Claire Danes' shoulders. Drenched in the waist-deep pool.

When he saw this poster, James Cameron's eyes lit up. He saw the poster of "Sense and Sensibility" at the beginning, which made him very interested in William, and he felt that the other party must be suitable for "Titanic". And now, Leonardo DiCaprio's posters give him that vibe too!

"Jon, hurry up and contact DiCaprio's agent, we need to confirm his schedule!" James Cameron couldn't restrain his excitement.

"I've already called, Jimmy. If you want, you can see him tomorrow." Jon Landau said.

The problem that has troubled him for a long time suddenly ushered in a major breakthrough. James Cameron felt a sense of relief. He shook William's hand heavily, patted his shoulder and said, "Thank you, William, you have helped me a lot. Big busy."

In addition to waiting for the contract, William actually has nothing to do, but as one of the participants, he still keeps getting various news from the parties:

After receiving the invitation to audition for "Titanic", Leonardo specially called to express his gratitude to William for his recommendation, and then began to complain about the script. For example, he thought the love story between the noble lady and the poor boy was old-fashioned. It would be much cooler to add a prosthesis to Jack and draw a scar. William asked him with great interest if he expressed these opinions to James Cameron. Leonardo said yes, of course. William asked James Cameron for his reaction How, Leonardo said that his face was ugly as if he hadn't gone to the bathroom for three days, and William laughed happily.

Kate also spoke very highly of Leonardo. She said with certainty that based on Leonardo's performance in the audition, even if James Cameron didn't choose her, he would still want him to be Jack. William is sour Said dear Kate, you have forgotten your old friends when you have a new love, Kate replied with a smile and said, dear Will, you are different types, you are all equally good, and you cannot compare them together.

William thought that this was the end of the matter. After he signed with Fox, he was going to fly to Mexico to work with Carmela, Kate, Leonardo, and the crew of "Titanic", which was destined to be great. If he If you are lucky, if you are successfully admitted by the university you applied for, maybe you will get an admission letter when you are filming.

But life in Hollywood is as dramatic as the movies it makes—Leonardo auditioned later than William, but he signed faster than William, and when William wondered why the lawyer hadn't drawn up his contract, Amon Goffman has the latest news that Fox is not going to sign him, because another executive vice president, Valerie Galil, strongly opposed Jon Landau's proposal at the meeting.

"Actually, this matter has nothing to do with you at all. You were purely implicated by the power game, but Will, if you didn't have your stupid beginning, none of this would have happened." When inquiring from inside Fox After getting enough inside stories, Amon Goffman concluded this way.

——The so-called Game of Thrones refers to the intrigue in the studio, and the stupid beginning means that William should not recommend Leonardo to James Cameron.

Valerie Galil is one of Fox's executive vice presidents, and she has about the same power as Jon Landau Landau, and even more in the heart of the executive president than the latter.

"Titanic" invested 4000 million U.S. dollars, which is only a preliminary figure. Given that James Cameron always spends more money on movies, Fox may add more in the later stage. Such a commercial giant is likely to be The film that Fox has invested the most in two or three years naturally affects the hearts of the studio, because if "Titanic" is over, then Fox is likely to finish playing along with it.

The casting stage, it was Valerie who offered Matthew McConaughey to play Jack Dawson, James Cameron turned it down, he didn't even invite Matthew McConaughey to audition, and then Valerie thought Recommending an actor to audition Ruth Bukett, James Cameron responded by choosing Kate Winslet very simply.

James Cameron rejected the actor recommended by Valerie and chose the heroine. Even the supporting role had to be decided by himself. The authority of the studio was not reflected in the process, which is rare in Hollywood. Yes, the allocation of roles in Hollywood commercial blockbusters is more often a negotiation and compromise between various forces, rather than being fully up to the director as it is now.

If Valerie was just upset before, James Cameron once again stood up to all opinions, and the behavior of setting Leonardo as the leading actor at lightning speed turned this discomfort into action. At the meeting, James Cameron's casting was strongly questioned, and he said quite pointedly: "If you choose all the actors, and because of their poor performance, the box office of the movie will not be good when it is released. , can you take responsibility as well?" Of course, James Cameron didn't dare to say yes, so the contracts that the crew hadn't signed, such as William's, were temporarily put on hold, pending further discussions within Fox.

Amon Goffman's old classmate in the studio also revealed that Billy Zane's agent is frequently contacting the studio and wants to cut off his husband.

Amon Goffman hated cutting off beards, so he frantically turned his Jewish head and used various methods to inquire about the news, and finally he came up with a genius idea - he asked William to have dinner with Valerie , and won the favor of the other party, because Valerie likes young handsome guys, and is always willing to help rising film and television stars (especially men).

Of course, William is much more handsome than Billy Zane, which is one of the reasons why Amon Goffman came up with this idea and firmly believed that this little trick would definitely succeed.

"As long as Valerie sees my boy, she will be fascinated." Amon Goffman thought confidently: "No old woman can resist the light wave of a sweetheart with black hair and blue eyes."

……

William wore a silver-gray suit to the appointment. It was a light color and style, not suitable for fair-haired and fair-skinned people. Lance often looked too pale in this color, but it was as dark as William's and had green hair. The eyes are very good.

His hair had been brushed back with a bit of hairspray for added maturity, and William wanted to look as glamorous as Cal Hockley in Valerie's eyes.

Amon Goffman made an appointment for them at 7 o'clock, but Valerie was late for at least half an hour. William waited quietly and refused the waiter's two requests to order food. To be honest, if it wasn't for the clothes he was wearing Very good, maybe the restaurant has already received an eviction order - this is one of the best high-end restaurants in the city, dining is basically by appointment, and the appointment is at least three months in advance, William can sit here now, it is because of Amon Goffman gave up a dinner date he had booked months earlier.

Compared with Amon Goffman's overconfidence, William actually has no confidence in seducing Valerie. Now that the other party is late, he feels relieved. If Valerie doesn't come to the appointment, he doesn't have to worry He'll screw up, he won't have to worry about his virginity crisis, and William will enjoy the dinner so that he doesn't waste the precious appointment that Amon Goffman has let him through.

As for the "Titanic" film contract, William believes that in addition to seducing Valerie, there are always other ways to achieve the goal.

When William was looking at the candlelight on the dining table and thinking about what he should order for dinner, the chair opposite was suddenly pulled away, and a woman in a bright red dress sat down: "You have waited until now, pretty boy."

William took a look at the woman opposite: shoulder-length blond hair, exquisite makeup, and a very good figure. From the facial features, it can be seen that she must have been a big beauty when she was young. Of course, she still has her charm now, but maybe it’s because of a little more injections. , there are no obvious wrinkles on the face, but the expression is a little stiff.

In just two or three seconds, William looked away politely: "There are still 10 minutes to an hour. I was going to wait until an hour before ordering by myself." He said honestly: "Besides, my name is not Pretty Boy, You can call me Will."

"You are a little better than I thought." Valerie looked at William with a critical look, and then showed a satisfied expression: "I thought you would say, 'It is an honor to wait for the lady, no matter how long you wait "Willingly" or something like that."

William laughed: "I can't say that kind of slick words now, it's too much. Maybe after three or five years, I can learn that standard playboy accent without changing my face."

"Maybe I wouldn't like you if you turned out to be as bad as the other Hollywood boys, but I like you now, so Will, and I'll allow you to call me by my name, and now I'm a little interested in this dinner. "

Will was relieved to hear that Valerie didn't like Playboy stuff, glad he didn't have to be overly flattering.

It was almost past dinner time, and the two called the waiter to order. Valerie only ordered a Caesar salad and red wine, and William was not so casual (only ordering appetizers in important business meetings is actually a little rude), he ordered a lamb chop for himself.

"I like men with good appetites." Valerie looked at the Welche lamb chops and said meaningfully: "Do you want seafood? The oysters here are very fresh."

"No, no, thank you." William almost spit out the red wine that he hadn't swallowed yet.

Since William doesn't belong to that kind of playboy personality, Valerie doesn't like Hollywood bad boys either—to be honest, judging from her expression, William doesn't know what the other party's preference is, but it's impossible He is the oily type, so during the next meal time, William simply returned to himself. He seldom spoke, but he always took care of Valerie's needs and handed them to her naturally when she needed them. The salt shaker, patiently listening to her talk about work.

Then Valerie said: "Dear Will, you are too gentlemanly, you don't look like Los Angeles at all, where is your hometown?"

"I was born in New York," William replied.

"You were definitely not born in Queens or Brooklyn, I can tell." Valerie shook her wine glass: "I was not born and raised in New York, but I have a good impression of New York. I’ve been to New York before. Los Angeles doesn’t have any Christmas atmosphere. New York is different. My son is a few years younger than you, and he goes to Calgate School in Manhattan, and it took me a lot of work to get him in.”

"Really? As a matter of fact I studied at Calgate for a few years, although I regret not being able to graduate there."

Valerie looked very surprised.

William was delighted that they had found a new topic to pass the time, and the two chatted for a few 10 minutes about Calgate and Manhattan's many specialty stores.

But no matter how interesting the topic is, when the dessert comes, William slows down the chocolate rum, Valerie drank the red wine, and said in a very casual manner: "This bottle of wine tastes unsatisfactory. There is a bottle of ’82 Kendall Jackson, which is very good, do you want to try it?”

William's fork paused at the corner of his mouth, and he cursed his manager crazily in his heart: What about the agreed backup plan?Valerie is already asking him to spend the night!

"Kent Jackson in 82? Is it in a cork?" William tried to change the subject to red wine.

Valerie wasn't fooled: "It's stuffed, Will, and you'll love it."

"Well, I think I'll like it too," William finally said.The trick of changing the subject can be used once, if it doesn’t work, you can’t use it a second time, it will have the opposite effect.

The chocolate rum was also finished, William called the waiter to pay the bill, Valerie wanted to pay her share, William said: "This is the first time I have such a formal date with a lady, give me a chance to be a gentleman .” It made her giggle: “Oh? First time?”

After paying the bill, the two got up and prepared to leave. William thoughtfully took Valerie's coat from the waiter and put it on for her.

At this moment, a tall brown-haired young man suddenly walked quickly through most of the restaurant, and stood straight in front of the dining table in a somewhat impolite posture, pointing at William with one hand and asking, "Who is he?"

Embarrassment flashed across Valerie's face almost immediately.

'Wow, if Amon Goffman had anything planned, this would be it. ' thought William. 'Old and young match, no ring, must be a lover. '

Knowing that the brown-haired youth's question was directed at Valerie, William stood up first, and stretched out his hand to the young man, "William Bradley."

The brown-haired young man looked at William with appraising eyes, as if he was looking at his best. After a long time, he shook hands with William and announced his name: "Mike."

"What a coincidence, we actually chose the same restaurant." With William's interruption, Valerie has regained her composure: "Mike, didn't you say you were flying to Las Vegas tonight? Why didn't you leave the city?" ?”

"A director asked me to talk about the script temporarily, so I came here. What about you, are you also talking about work?"

"Yes, and we're done talking, how about you?"

Mike finally smiled: "I'm done talking about mine too, I don't like the script very much."

"Then find someone you like." Valerie completely regarded William as a transparent person at the moment, and instead said to Mike affectionately: "Come to my office tomorrow to pick?"

William bid his farewell in good time, and left quickly and easily.

The next morning, he received an enthusiastic call from Amon Goffman: "Dear Will, your contract is done, come and sign this afternoon."

"Really? Are you done?"

"To be precise, we figured it out, man, you made Valerie so happy yesterday, and she said nice things about you as soon as she arrived at the studio today, saying that you are obviously more attractive than Billy Zane, plus With the support of Jon Landau and Carmela, who else could Carl Hockley be if it wasn't yours?"

When William asked Sean, Amon Goffman said happily: "Yes, it was my arrangement that Mike appeared in that restaurant. I asked a friend who is a director to invite him there, and I just ran into you. Date with Valerie isn't it? He's hot with Valerie right now and just finished a comedy movie for Fox, leading man. Mike's a bit grumpy, and he probably got a good impression of you through yesterday, Valerie won't have any ideas for you for the time being. As for the future, after the contract is signed, who cares about her, anyway, she won't go after Mexico, so she just needs to hide in the publicity in the future."

"...Amon."

"What's the matter, Will?"

"You are really treacherous."

Amon Goffman smiled again, which was called "that Amon" by other colleagues and subordinates: "Thank you for the compliment, my boy."