Choosing the lead

With Thomas overseeing the preparations of the film crew, Lyman felt at ease. He could now dedicate all his energy to finding the right actors.

However, it wasn't an easy task, especially when it came to casting the role of Maggie, the unequivocal female lead. Careful consideration was necessary.

Eva had read the script and, as an actress, she was eager to challenge herself. But Lyman had rejected her.

Aside from the fact that she had recently taken on several commercial performances and music video advertisements under John's management, which would make her schedule tight, Lyman also wanted the actors to fully embody their roles. Maggie needed to bulk up and become a female boxer capable of lightweight fights.

For this purpose, Lyman had brought in several professional boxing coaches to form a training team specialized in this field.

Despite the relatively modest budget of "Million Dollar Baby", the requirements for the actors were still quite high.

Even if Eva was willing to endure hardships and had some acting potential, she was still somewhat inexperienced. She wasn't the enchanting fairy from the future yet, able to effortlessly portray a wide range of characters.

Furthermore, her appearance wasn't suitable. She was too beautiful, which would create a dissonance for the audience.

Early the next morning, Lyman was in his office, conceptualizing the script's scenes and sequences, when John brought over some files.

"These are the profiles of some actresses I've narrowed down."

"Alright, just leave them here."

Once he had finished creating this section of the script, he picked up the files to take a look.

These files naturally contained a selection of actresses suitable for the female lead role Maggie, carefully chosen by John. As a talent agent at CAA, as long as given certain casting criteria, he could propose several sets of viable candidates.

Of course, these young women weren't well-known figures; most of them were approved by industry insiders.

Finding female actors who were willing to undertake muscle gain, fitness training, boxing, and were accepting of a relatively modest salary was indeed challenging. Major stars weren't willing to audition for such roles.

"Hmm, she's too sweet-looking, won't work... This one isn't bad, good demeanor..." Lyman flipped through the actresses' profiles one by one, eliminating some directly and selecting others for the second round of auditions.

"Alright, these few will do. Let's inform them to come for auditions when we find a suitable time."

After making his selections, Lyman informed John.

As he watched John nod and leave with the files, Lyman once again immersed himself in the world of the film script.

...

At 8 o'clock in the evening, inside an apartment building in a Los Angeles community.

Hilary Swank had concluded a day of work and returned home, dragging her weary body with her.

Only her mother was at home, sitting on the couch watching television. Pizza and vegetable salad were set on the table.

"You're back." Her mother stood up, helped her remove her coat, and gave her a hug.

"You can eat first, no need to wait for me."

Whenever she said this, her mother would smile, but she never changed her habits.

This scene had repeated countless times since she was 15, the year her parents divorced. She had chosen to stay with her mother, and mother and daughter had relied on each other for warmth ever since.

"How was your day? Did everything go smoothly?" Her mother asked with concern as they sat down to eat.

"No, the roles York mentioned, I went for auditions, but I got eliminated after the first round." Hilary lowered her head and said somewhat dejectedly.

Her mother gave a resigned smile. "It's okay, there will be other opportunities."

"Okay."

After finishing dinner, taking a shower, Hilary lay in bed wearing her pajamas, feeling somewhat melancholic for no apparent reason.

She had believed that becoming an actress would lead to a better life, just like the glamorous stories reported in the newspapers. However, the reality was that every industry had its underbelly, a dark and bleak side, and unfortunately, she was part of it.

She had never experienced glory. Dropping out of high school at 16, she had followed her mother to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. During those days, they had lived in their car, as the exorbitant rent acted as an insurmountable barrier, isolating them from society.

Later, her mother found a job, and she began appearing in some TV dramas.

Life gradually improved. At the very least, they rented a house and were no longer homeless.

In 1999, her luckiest day arrived. Her role in "Boys Don't Cry" earned her an Oscar for Best Actress, which she ultimately won.

However, the award hadn't brought her much. Her paycheck remained a meager few thousand dollars. Sometimes, she would only get one film in a year or two. Considering her living conditions, especially in affluent Los Angeles, her financial situation was dire.

Although she had gained respect, the cost of a severe cold could wipe out her savings.

At times, she wondered if she should quit.

Her years in the acting industry had taught her a lot, but there was one brutal reality she couldn't escape: for a female actress to make a mark in Hollywood, it seemed that an alluring appearance held more importance than acting skills.

Her mother was getting older and still had to work every day...

The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Hilary decided to talk to her mother.

"Let's go back to our hometown. We've saved up some money over the years. We could start a small business there."

"Why would you think that way?" Her mother was puzzled. "Didn't you say that many directors praised your talent? You've won awards too. If you don't continue as an actress, why would you go back to our hometown and choose to give up?"

"I'm already 30 this year, Mom." As she spoke these words, Hilary could no longer bear the weight of the pressure life had been putting on her. She burst into tears.

What was the point of living like this?

She didn't even dare to get sick or fall in love. She was already 30.

Her mother hugged her in silence.

After a long while, as if she had vented enough emotions, Hilary regained her strength.

While she was preparing to rest in her room, her phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, Hilary, are you there?"

It was her agent, York.

"What's the matter?"

"Of course there's something, something huge! We have an opportunity."

On the other end of the line, York was so happy he didn't know how to express himself, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of seizing this chance.

"What opportunity?" Hilary continued to inquire.

"Lyman Lattes' new film. His agent just called to inform me. Tomorrow at 3 pm, go to Firefly Films for an audition."

"Is it really him?" Hilary found it hard to believe.

"Absolutely." York emphasized, "It's the audition for the female lead in "Million Dollar Baby". Do you understand? Female lead, acting with Clint Eastwood, a director like Eastwood. You know what I mean, right?"

"I understand, I understand." Hilary felt her heart racing uncontrollably. A role in the films of two major directors—what did that signify? Even without York's repeated emphasis, she knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her.