Once upon a time

The night fell punctually, with a moon hanging in the sky like a clear mirror, diligently pouring its shimmering light onto the vast earth. A gentle evening breeze brushed through, rustling the leaves. On the road, pedestrians' shadows stretched long under the moonlight. In the distance, the brilliant lights extended continuously, forming the bustling city of Los Angeles.

In a simply decorated apartment, Heath Ledger stood by the bedroom window, looking up at the night sky. Tonight, there were no twinkling stars, only a few lonely ones struggling to shine. They were scattered and flickered sporadically, like abandoned glass marbles. The entire night sky resembled an ink plate, with a faint layer of clouds that made the already dim night sky even more hazy.

He stood silently, his thoughts wandering, until he gradually came back to his senses upon hearing the sound of a neighbor closing their door downstairs. Turning around, he returned to the sofa and turned on the television. No matter which program it randomly landed on, he left it on. In the days of living alone, he had become accustomed to doing so. He didn't watch, but he enjoyed the sound coming from the TV.

He made himself a cup of coffee, took the book he hadn't finished reading last night, and continued reading. The long night stretched out, and when he couldn't sleep, only words could bring him the joy of the spirit. Just as he was enjoying himself, suddenly, his phone, placed on the desk, rang.

Heath Ledger put down the book, walked to the desk, picked up the phone, and glanced at it. The number displayed was that of his agent, Mr. Davis.

He pressed the answer button and said, "Hey, Davis? What's up?"

Then he heard Davis's familiar voice coming through, "Man, you know what? I received news from the company that another production crew has invited you for an audition." Even through the phone, his delight was palpable.

"Wow! Really? Haha." Heath was surprised but also delighted by the content of the message.

This kind of thing was rare, let alone the fact that he had just auditioned for the "Ned Kelly" crew a few days ago, and now he received another invitation. In his career so far, he had often taken the initiative to seek audition opportunities, which were often hard to come by. This feeling of being sought after unexpectedly felt very good.

His heart raced, and Heath sat down on the sofa, holding the phone, his voice filled with excitement as he asked, "That's great news. But, Davis, can I know which production crew invited me, what kind of role it is, and when is the audition?"

He had been staying at home every day recently, watching old movies, contemplating the performance styles of veteran actors, reading books, taking walks. Both physically and mentally, he longed for the opportunity to land a role. But unexpectedly, after a period of idle time, he received two audition invitations.

It was truly exhilarating. Yes, it could only be described as exhilarating. He loved acting and enjoyed the indescribable comfort that came with portraying different roles. It was intoxicating and captivating.

On the other end of the phone, Davis didn't immediately answer his question. Instead, an unmistakably hearty laughter came through, one that couldn't be concealed. "Man, I have even better news to tell you."

"What better news? Wasn't that just now?" Heath was puzzled but became even more eager.

"Of course, this is even better news." Davis's tone was relaxed as he said, "Do you remember the audition for "Ned Kelly" four days ago?" Heath made a sound of acknowledgment to indicate that he remembered.

It was a plot-driven film project created by a fellow Australian, sponsored by Universal Pictures. Because they were from the same region, the director was very friendly to him during the audition.

"As far as I know, director Greg Jordan quickly made a decision. He favors you and wants you as the lead in his film."

Craig Jordan was indeed the Australian director, and the role Heath Ledger auditioned for was the protagonist Ned Kelly in "Ned Kelly".

Sitting on the sofa, Heath was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted and asked, "Really? Has Greg already made a decision? How does Universal Pictures view it?" He felt naturally happy upon hearing the result, but that didn't mean much on its own, because Universal Pictures was the investor, they needed their approval, or else...

Relying solely on the director's approval, although cruel, Heath thought to himself that it was just how things worked when you had no say in the matter. Heath had experienced situations in the past where his impression was negatively affected due to various reasons beyond his control, and not every audition resulted in success. But Davis appeared confident. "You have a great chance. You have the qualifications of a solo performance like "Buried", which has also been recognized by the market. Plus, with the director's endorsement, I can't think of any reason for them to refuse."

"That seems to be the case." Thinking about the previous news, Heath asked, "What about the audition notice from the other production crew? When and where will it take place?"

"Lyman Lattes's new work. According to the news released by Paramount Pictures and EuropaCorp, the film will be a World War II drama feature. The audition for the roles will take place at the headquarters of Paramount Pictures three days from now." Davis organized his words and continued, "Did you make friends with him during the filming of "Buried"?"

Friend? Heath recalled that time but wasn't sure what kind of connection they had. Director's approval? Smooth filming? Or the remuneration he received before leaving? He shook his head and didn't think there was any element of friendship involved. He was an actor, and portraying roles well was his responsibility. What remained was mostly based on that foundation, right?

"I... don't think so. I haven't been in touch with him since then."

Even if he wanted to contact him, he didn't know how to. After finishing the film, Heath went to France alone and didn't leave any contact information before returning to the United States.

Later, he took a break in Australia for a while until "Buried" received a good box office response. He even signed with a good talent agency because of it. He played a role, received a reward, and his career progressed. Wasn't that enough?

Heath was not someone who liked to network. Even when Lyman caused quite a stir after the Sundance Film Festival, he didn't bother to disturb him. He didn't enjoy scheming like that. It was good enough for him to live his own life well.

Davis was also aware of the personality of the artist he had just signed half a year ago. Hearing his response, although feeling a bit disappointed, he maintained a relaxed tone and said, "It's okay. Maybe the filming schedules of these two movies will clash. "Ned Kelly" will start shooting soon, and we can't be distracted." That's what he said, but it was pure self-consolation. Of course, it was also to comfort the other party.

Both projects, in terms of investment amount and market prospects, clearly favored the latter. Davis had notified Heath of the audition for "Fury" as soon as he received the news, hoping to secure both projects.

But obviously, their conjecture about the cooperation between the two parties having a connection and exerting some influence to increase the chances of success fell flat. Heath's words naturally implied that the two parties were just collaborating as usual, and there was no room for personal connections, leaving room for interpretation.

Davis even thought that perhaps there had been a conflict during filming, which caused their relationship to deteriorate, or else why would there be no opportunity for communication? It was understandable that Davis thought that way. He had signed Heath's actor contract only half a year ago and had no knowledge of what happened during the filming of "Buried".

But obviously, Heath's slightly hesitant response just now led to subconscious thoughts in that direction. After all, their interpretations of the situation were completely different.

Heath pursed his lips, not in agreement with his agent's words. Nothing had been confirmed yet, and he was already considering whether the shooting schedules of the two movies would conflict.

Who knows, maybe he wouldn't have any role in either of the two films?

Of course, he could think that way, but saying it was another matter. "Davis, help me confirm the audition notice. I will go and give it a try."

"Sure, giving it a try is no problem, but for "Ned Kelly", I will pay more attention. From what I see, your chances of playing the lead role are really high, according to Greg's intentions."

"Okay, I got it... That's it, bye."

After politely finishing the conversation, Heath pressed the end call button on his phone and took a sip of coffee, continuing to read his book. As for scheduling issues? To choose or not? High chances of success? The results would naturally appear when the time came. Thinking too much about it would only bring trouble, ultimately being useless.

The aroma of coffee lingered in the air, creating an atmosphere that relaxed both the body and mind. Inside the room, the orange light of the lamp illuminated the surroundings, and the television was still on, playing a TV series whose name he didn't know. Outside the window, there were occasional barks of dogs, stirring up some commotion.

The night grew deeper...