Chapter 511: Hello

[Chapter 511: Hello]

Charlize Theron found herself unsure of how to explain the situation to her agent. For this audition, her agent had pulled strings using many contacts. Even though she was in New York, her agent called almost every day to ask about the timing and to confirm the audition date, repeatedly reminding her of some important points.

To her dismay, the outcome turned out to be less than ideal. She was almost certain that she had blown it.

Although she hadn't known her agent for long, Charlize was well aware of her strong personality. Having messed up such a good opportunity, it seemed unlikely that she would receive another chance from her anytime soon.

Lacking the motivation to return directly to her hotel, Charlize lingered for a while at the side of the busy road. Ultimately, she decided to give her agent a call. After glancing around, she walked over to a payphone, fished out some coins from her bag, and quickly dialed her agent's number.

"Hello, Michelle, it's Charlie..."

A competent female voice quickly responded on the other end, "Charlie, how did the audition go?"

Charlize hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the whole truth. She recounted the details about what had happened during the audition: "...Michelle, I didn't expect Eric Williams to be there. I don't even understand why that... that bastard would..."

Before she could continue, the voice on the other end turned sharp, "Shut up, Charlie. I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part, and I never want to hear anything like that from you again. Do you know who Eric Williams is? How dare you use that word to describe him?"

Charlize was taken aback, suppressing a slight sense of unfairness. "I'm sorry, I... I know who he is; I just felt a little..."

"Okay, I got it, Charlie," her agent's tone softened a bit after a moment of consideration. "The fact that Eric Williams laughed while you were performing is at least better than him being completely unresponsive. I'm going to make a few calls to test the waters. In the meantime, you should just stay put at the hotel and not run around."

Charlize hesitated as she touched her purse, realizing that the audition had been delayed for over a week, and she didn't have much money left. Besides the airfare she needed to keep, the remaining cash would only last her three more days in Los Angeles. She also didn't want her mother in South Africa to send her more money from so far away. Returning to New York seemed like the best option. It meant she would have a place to stay and could continue modeling to make ends meet. "But, Michelle, I already--"

"I know, if necessary, I can lend you some money," her agent interrupted. "Just stay put in Los Angeles until I call you."

"And, Charlie, if-- and I mean if-- Eric Williams shows interest in meeting you, you know what to do."

Charlize tightened her grip on the phone. She understood exactly what her agent meant. Remembering that annoying guy who had unexpectedly laughed in the audition room, she felt some resentment, but she also knew that this was absolutely a golden opportunity for her.

On the other end, her agent patiently waited for the sudden silence from Charlize, not rushing her.

After almost a minute, Charlize finally spoke up, "Michelle, I understand."

"Good, Charlie. You should know that if you want to break into Hollywood and you don't have parents or relatives working as producers at major film companies, you will have to give something up. If you're lucky enough to climb onto the back of someone like Eric Williams, you won't have to bow to anyone else in Hollywood. Just think of Nicole Kidman. That lucky girl was just an unknown actress in Australia a few years ago, and now she's a leading lady in Hollywood with box office hits, with over ten million dollars salary. So many girls wasted their youth in Hollywood without ever reaching that level. It isn't just because she's a great actress or extraordinarily beautiful; both of those are the cheapest assets in Hollywood."

Charlize listened quietly to her agent's lecture, recalling the gossip she had read about Eric Williams and Nicole Kidman in tabloids.

She was a mature girl; her words during the audition about acting being her lifelong dream were just cliches that everyone spouted. Ninety-nine percent of those wanting to make it in Hollywood were merely after becoming major stars, earning millions per film, and living the kind of affluent life that ordinary people dreamt of.

After some time chatting with her agent, Charlize returned to the motel in West Hollywood with complicated feelings.

...

After finishing the audition that afternoon, Eric returned with Elisabeth to the villa she shared with Julia in Beverly Hills. Later that evening, Drew brought Tina Fey over to join them for dinner.

Because Eric had arrived, Elisabeth sent the servants away, and everyone gathered around the square table in the dining room, chatting cheerfully. Eric thought that what happened earlier in the audition would fade from memory, but just as the food was being served and they were about to eat, Elisabeth asked, "Eric, why did you suddenly laugh during the audition for that girl named Charlize Theron this afternoon?"

As she spoke, Drew also put on a curious expression and looked at Eric awkwardly, "Yeah, it's strange. I thought you would stay quiet. But that girl was really pretty."

The women present each had different feelings for Eric, creating a strange equilibrium, but that didn't mean they were comfortable with other women entering his life.

Even Julia, who had tightly held onto the little girl the moment Eric arrived at the villa, showed a curious expression after hearing Elisabeth and Drew.

Eric shrugged casually, "There's nothing strange about it. I just found that girl's performance interesting."

However, it was clear that Eric's reputation in the eyes of these women had hit a new low. Hearing him say that, Elisabeth sighed, "I found her performance rather one-dimensional. Although the final decision still needs discussion, I've already decided to cut her."

Eric thought she wasn't suitable to begin with and was about to speak when Drew chimed in from the other side, "Eric, if it's just some casual fun, that's one thing, but just don't bring her home. We already have enough of that."

Looking at the exasperated faces of the other three women, Eric playfully tapped a spoon against Drew's forehead, "You're the only one who always speaks out!"

"Hey, I'm just stating the truth!" Drew protested, rubbing her forehead.

Just as they were chatting, the phone in the living room rang. Tina, who was closest to the door, stood up, "I'll get it."

"I'll handle it," Eric said, stopping Tina Fey and walking toward the door.

It was Kepler on the line. They exchanged some pleasantries before Kepler cautiously asked if Eric had shown interest in a girl during the auditions for Buffy.

Eric was a bit surprised; he was curious how Kepler knew about it, so he asked.

Kepler explained, "Well, that girl's agent, Michelle Simmons, is now with ICM's New York branch and was previously with UTA. You might not remember her, but she called me this afternoon asking me to feel you out regarding this. She said that the girl showed good potential. Eric, if you can, maybe consider her."

UTA was the agency that Eric had rebuilt after acquiring Kepler's personal management company until he sold all his stock due to federal antitrust laws. Kepler took all UTA's stars and agents to join ICM two years ago. Before that, Eric hadn't paid much attention to UTA's operations and didn't remember someone named Michelle Simmons.

Though she was among his former underlings, Eric didn't keep it a secret and responded honestly, "Kepler, during the audition, I could see that the girl did show potential, but she wasn't right for the role of Buffy. She seemed too mature and lacked the naivety one would expect from a high school character, making her better suited for a role of someone slightly older. You can let Michelle Simmons know to focus on that."

"Since..." Kepler hesitated for a moment before saying, "Eric, since you think the girl has potential, and she's still in Los Angeles, would you be interested in meeting her?"

Eric raised an eyebrow in surprise. Kepler had always seemed resigned to Eric's relationships, but now he was suggesting "playing matchmaker." "Kepler, you can't be serious. You've always been against... well, you know how it is."

"Of course not," Kepler quickly replied. "I'm just asking on her behalf. If you're not interested, that's fine. I'll let her know."

After saying goodbye and about to hang up, Eric didn't want to lose out without further clarification. He chuckled, "Hang on, Kepler, what's really going on? If you don't explain, I'll find out for myself."

"Fine, there's really nothing to it. I just owe Michelle a favor from back in the day."

"That's it?" Eric still felt puzzled.

Kepler confirmed, "Yes, Eric."

After thinking for a moment, Eric felt something was off: "If it's just a favor, with your resources, you could easily give that girl a great opportunity -- maybe lead roles in one or two films, right?"

ICM was one of the top three agencies in Hollywood alongside CAA and WMA. After bringing UTA's resources to ICM, Kepler became a senior partner who also held some equity. Given his resources, it should have been easy to repay a favor.

Kepler sensed Eric wouldn't give up until he was satisfied and replied, "Eric, Michelle is a very ambitious woman."

"What's that got to do with this?" Eric inquired.

"Michelle primarily works in New York, where, as you know, many television networks are based. ICM's business there is usually in TV shows or ads. Even if I didn't participate, Michelle could use her connections to help that girl land some roles. However, she likely wouldn't want to remain in her current situation; she aims to develop into a movie star agent."

Eric asked, "If that's the case, couldn't you still help her easily?"

Kepler sounded a bit weary, "Eric, do you not get it? If I put it bluntly, Michelle wants to become a high-profile agent like Pat Kingsley, someone who represents A-list stars. But that's not something that can be achieved with just a couple of films; it requires a significant amount of luck. After all, only box office hits can breed superstars, and in all of Hollywood, you have the most 'opportunities' available right now."

Eric considered this and chuckled, "It does seem that way, which means I've become an object of desire for many people."

Kepler responded from the other end, "Absolutely. Right now, any project you're involved with, even tangentially, becomes the focus of several major agencies. I know about the project with Miss Barrymore and Buffy you're working on. If you pay attention, you'll notice that most of the actresses auditioning today came from the big three agencies. Smaller ones only managed to snag a tiny fraction of the audition slots."

Eric was surprised; he had not considered that angle. But thinking it over, it seemed true. Not to mention the agents, he had heard from Elisabeth that Fox had already reserved the complete first season of Buffy and would start airing it in mid-September during prime time on Mondays. That was hard to imagine for many shows that were still at the script stage.

*****

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