**Chapter 92: More Than Just a Pretty Face**

Garry Marshall was both irritated and frustrated. He didn't want to lose his temper, especially since the doctor had warned him that his high blood pressure needed monitoring, and he should maintain a calm demeanor. But looking at the mess before him, he couldn't hold back his temper; the more he thought about it, the more absurd and infuriating it seemed, and his voice naturally grew louder and louder.

"Marcia, I know your capabilities, and I know your strengths."

"All of Hollywood knows that the most difficult and crucial part of a romantic comedy is the female lead. A likable actress is what gives a romantic comedy its soul. Julia was like that, and so was Meg. This is the challenge with any romantic comedy project."

"Now, we've tackled the most difficult and central part, and yet you're telling me that we can't find a male lead in all of Hollywood?"

Marcia: …

It's not that we can't find one, but your requirements are ridiculous, okay?

A nerdy rock star?

A good-looking guy who's also unassuming?

Insecure but plays in a band?

Honestly, if it wasn't Garry Marshall she was dealing with, she would have unleashed a torrent of expletives by now.

But she couldn't.

If Garry had a heart attack and passed out, her reputation might spread all over Hollywood.

"Marcia, you might think I'm being overly picky. For the female lead, we had a bit of a rollercoaster ride. How many actresses did we audition in total, two thousand? Or was it two thousand three hundred?"

Marcia didn't respond, but she silently thought to herself: two thousand four hundred and forty-seven.

As soon as the name "Garry Marshall" was mentioned, not just the five major agencies, but even the smaller ones rushed to send over their actresses' resumes.

It's no exaggeration to say that they've probably seen nearly every actress aged 17 to 22 in the industry. Even if not 100%, at least 80%.

The level of competition was unbelievable.

Among these two thousand actresses were quite a few who were already well-known: Reese Witherspoon, Kirsten Dunst, Cameron Diaz, Claire Danes, and Jessica Biel.

There were also Kate Beckinsale, Katie Holmes, Eva Mendes, Drew Barrymore, Brittany Murphy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and so on.

There was even a parachute candidate, Goldie Hawn, who had personally arranged an audition for her daughter, Kate Hudson, hoping that after her debut in one film, her daughter might get this precious opportunity.

However!

In the end, the decision came down to a choice between the up-and-coming Liv Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, and a newcomer with no prior acting experience, Anne Hathaway.

Ultimately, it was because Garry was looking for a fresh face, just like Julia Roberts a decade ago.

Even though the decision still hadn't been finalized, and it was still a choice between two, the female lead selection process, after such an ordeal, had finally started to take shape.

This was hardly just "a bit of a rollercoaster."

Marcia wanted to make a snarky comment, but she couldn't.

Garry didn't notice and continued speaking.

"Such a difficult task, yet we still managed to accomplish it. Whether it's Liv or Anne, I believe they can handle the job. By comparison, choosing the male lead shouldn't even be an issue."

"You gave me some options. How many actors have we auditioned so far? Seventy? Or eighty?"

Marcia: One hundred and fourteen. But, hey, who's counting?

"It's not enough."

"People think that the core of a romantic movie is the female lead, which is true, but they overlook one thing: the male lead is the movie's highlight."

"The target audience for romantic films is women!"

"They sit in front of the screen, watching Cinderella's story over and over again, fantasizing about becoming Cinderella, meeting a prince, finding love, and changing their lives. So they always see themselves in the female lead, hoping to transform from an ugly duckling into a swan, projecting themselves onto the character."

"But in the end, who do they need to see? The prince!"

"They need to fall in love with the prince, they need to believe that this prince is the key to their happiness. Without the prince, nothing else matters."

"'Pretty Woman' made Julia a star, but never forget, it was because of Richard that the movie captivated female audiences."

"The male lead is a pretty face, like a mascot, but he can't just be a pretty face. He needs to embody all a woman's fantasies about romance and happiness. If the female lead is the key to the movie's success, then the male lead sets the ceiling for the box office."

"We can't just settle for anyone."

"Marcia, I need you to pull yourself together and find me a male lead."

"Not just any young actor, but one with real charisma," Garry said, growing more excited.

Garry understood the difficulties of casting, and the most crucial challenge was—age.

Generally speaking, a man's charm often comes from the experiences and wisdom gained over time. He can make promises and shoulder responsibilities, which is why male leads in romantic comedies are often successful middle-aged men. A scenario like in "Notting Hill," where a movie star falls in love with an ordinary bookstore owner, is an exception. But the key point is that Hugh Grant used his charm to bridge the gap in status.

So, the most difficult question before them was: Where does the charm of an eighteen-year-old boy come from?

If the target audience were high school students, there would be no problem; an eighteen-year-old boy would certainly be attractive to his peers. But to appeal to the broader movie market, where this boy needs to captivate women who have already entered society, that's a tall order.

Thus, they searched and searched but still couldn't find a satisfactory choice.

Youthful yet mature, understated yet bold, fresh yet charming—these seemingly contradictory qualities all had to be embodied in one character.

It was indeed difficult.

Garry was getting impatient because he genuinely wanted to make this movie great, but without a charismatic male lead, he didn't believe he could achieve that.

Marcia's string of expletives finally stopped at her lips. She thought maybe an unexpected choice could bring a surprise. After all, Garry wanted a fresh face, didn't he?

With this thought, Marcia handed the magazine she was holding to Garry.

"Here's a candidate."

"I know it's a bit of a gamble and unconventional, but I think maybe we could give him a chance, just like we did with Anne. Who knows, he might surprise us."

Garry took the magazine, looking puzzled. He glanced at the cover. "Hugh Jackman? I thought he was already thirty."

Marcia quickly clarified, "Not the cover, inside. I've put a bookmark there; just open to that page."

Garry's expression wasn't promising—this was a magazine, and it was "GQ" at that. What was this about?

Marcia wasn't confident either. When she was flipping through the magazine earlier today, she was unexpectedly struck by inspiration. At that moment, it seemed like a good idea, but as time passed, she grew less confident. It did seem absurd, but there was no turning back now. She had to see it through.

"Anson. This actor's name is Anson, eighteen years old. He recently garnered some attention for a guest appearance on 'Friends,' but other than that, he has no acting experience."

"But I think we should give it a try."

Third update.