Chapter 202: Let Go of That Girl

Everyone's gaze shifted to Frank Miller, who wasn't closely connected to Hollywood.

"I think I have the perfect person in mind, and she's available immediately, so there won't be any delay in filming," Frank Miller said, having apparently thought this through beforehand. "There's a young girl who has been on the set these past few days, constantly asking me about the filming process and Sin City comics. She's very sharp, and I think we could give her a try."

Paul Wilson immediately thought of who he meant, "Are you talking about David's sister?"

Frank Miller nodded, "The role doesn't require exceptional acting skills, just someone who won't freeze up... I believe that girl won't have stage fright."

Murphy and Erica Stanberg exchanged a glance and then called over, "David, come here for a moment."

David Robey, pausing his work, quickly came over. After a brief discussion, David seemed somewhat concerned, "Maggie is a bit wild; I can't guarantee she'll agree."

"Let's try," Murphy suggested to Bill Ross as well, "See if you can find someone suitable too."

Having made a mistake once, Murphy certainly didn't want to put all his hopes on one option.

Leaving the set, David Robey quickly found his sister playing video games in a corner of the studio.

"Act in a movie?" Maggie was surprised upon hearing the proposition. "But I've never learned acting!"

"The child actor we had is facing some issues," David Robey tried to persuade her, "It's just to give it a try."

Maggie turned off her game console, appearing to ponder seriously.

After another push from David, "Consider it a favor for me."

Looking up at her brother, Maggie nodded slightly, "Alright then."

Following David to the set, the first person she saw was Murphy, who nodded at her, "Don't be nervous..."

Maggie shrugged, as nonchalant as ever, "I never get nervous."

"Jack, take Maggie for makeup," Murphy called his makeup artist over. "She's about the same size as Nikki Milton, so the costume should fit. Bring her over after makeup; I want to see the effect."

Filmmaking wasn't as simple as just pulling someone in to fill a role. Nancy, the young girl, was a character with close-ups, not just a background extra.

Murphy and others returned to the director's monitor to discuss the next steps, with David Robey joining them.

He was still worried and asked during a pause in the discussion, "Murphy, will Maggie be alright? She's never acted before."

"We'll see soon," Murphy glanced at his watch. "If it doesn't work out, we won't force it."

Around twenty minutes later, Maggie was brought out from the makeup room by Jack Watson. Her usual denim attire was replaced with a light-colored sundress, and her casually tied ponytail was now neatly arranged, flowing smoothly over her shoulders.

Compared to the impressively auditioning Nikki Milton, Maggie carried a unique blend of toughness in her demeanor.

"Phil!"

Murphy's call had Phil Lasher immediately direct his assistant to bring Maggie in front of the camera. He shot various angles with the digital camera, transmitting the footage to Murphy's monitor instantly.

"Hmm..." Frank Miller was the first to nod in approval, "Very good!"

Both Murphy and Miller had their preconceptions, especially since Miller had recommended her, he was quick to show support.

After reviewing several shots, Murphy felt it was just passable. Perhaps due to Maggie's upbringing, her appearance in costume was neither particularly good nor bad, achieving a passing mark by audition standards.

"What do you think?" Murphy turned to Erica Stanberg.

With the delay caused by the child actor issue, Stanberg was eager to move forward and nodded, "The makeup looks fine, let's give her a try."

Murphy, pondering while watching the monitor, decided, "Attention everyone, we're doing a test shot!"

He left his station and gathered Robert Downey Jr. and the actor playing the senator's son, Riser Oxen.

"Maggie, we'll be doing a test shot," Murphy explained to her. "These are your co-stars, Robert Downey Jr. and Riser Oxen."

Both actors greeted Maggie warmly.

Unphased by the set, Maggie looked around curiously, standing before the green screen and camera, a new experience compared to watching from the sidelines.

"Maggie, you'll be captured by Riser," Murphy briefed her on the scene, "and then rescued by Downey..."

After explaining her role and demonstrating Nancy's movements, which required minimal movement from Maggie, Murphy had Downey and Oxen help familiarize her with the positioning.

Half an hour later, standing behind the director's monitor, Murphy announced, "Let's start the test shot!"

Locke, played by Oxen, ran onto the green-screened dock with Maggie in his arms, and Downey, in a trench coat wielding a gun, chased them down, cornering them on the bridge.

"Locke, give up!" Downey's gun aimed at Oxen, "Let go of that girl!"

"You can't touch me, Hardy!" Oxen, feigning courage, "You know who I am, you know who my dad is, you wouldn't dare!"

"I don't care!"

Downey's gun pointed at Oxen, who screamed and fell, releasing Maggie. Following Murphy's direction and their practice, Maggie scrambled to the "bridge" edge, hiding behind a green screen prop, watching the two men.

Phil Lasher's main camera quickly captured her in a close-up shot.

Seeing this shot on the monitor, Murphy shook his head, calling, "Cut!"

Approaching a confused Maggie, he beckoned, "Maggie."

"Oh," she stood and approached, "Did I do something wrong?"

Having spent several days on set, Maggie knew a director's "cut" usually meant issues, often with the actors.

"Maggie, what expression should a girl have seeing two men shooting at each other?" Murphy asked.

"Excited? Scared?" Maggie guessed.

"Right, scared," Murphy said. "You didn't look scared just now."

"Scared..." Maggie scratched her cheek, troubled, "I haven't felt scared in years. I need to think about this."

Murphy gave her ten minutes to find the right emotion. Despite lacking professional training, Maggie's performance improved slightly after ten minutes. However, with Bill Ross and Erica Stanberg unable to find a suitable replacement quickly, the child actor remained a wildcard for the crew, recognized as a scarce resource in Hollywood.

Receiving the news, Murphy patiently worked with Maggie, whose acting was indeed poor but fit better than Nikki Milton, as she was completely unphased by the camera.

Nikki, though slightly talented, faltered under the pressure of actual filming, breaking down emotionally and rendering her unusable.

Fortunately, Maggie, while lacking in acting skills, proved to be intelligent, learning from her mistakes. By the end of the day, Murphy approved her performance without needing retakes, ready for post-production, pending a contract with Maggie and her guardian, David Robey.

"Thank you both,"

Maggie, polite and appreciative, found Robert Downey Jr. and Riser Oxen after wrapping up, "I slowed you down."

"It's okay," the two smiled at her sincere thanks.

As the day ended, Murphy left the studio in a golf cart when a crisp voice called, "Wait for me!"

Maggie, leaning against the studio wall, hurried over and hopped on the cart.

"Need something?" Murphy started the vehicle.

He could tell Maggie was specifically waiting for him.

"Yeah," Maggie unpacked her backpack, placing it beside her, "David had to go to the studio entrance. Could you give me a ride?"

As they drove towards the Disney lot entrance, Murphy remained silent, focusing on the road.

"How did I do today?" Maggie suddenly asked.

"You did alright," Murphy responded casually.

"I've been watching others act, but only today did I realize how interesting acting can be," Maggie, now intrigued, added, "Being someone else in front of the camera feels special, more interesting than riding horses on the farm."

"Really?" Murphy glanced at her, Maggie eagerly nodding, then asked, "I've heard that a good actor needs talent. What do you think of mine?"

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