Chapter 369: Key Figure

Perhaps due to the influence exerted by Matthew and Kara Knightley, the production team quickly finalized the choice for Davy Jones, with the English actor Bill Nighy successfully landing the role.

Additionally, the casting director, Mustafa, rearranged the final round of auditions for the witch character, placing Eva Green first instead of last for the make-up test. She completed her audition swiftly and, according to Helen Herman's judgment, was likely to secure the role barring any major surprises.

Given Eva Green's appearance and aura, she was an ideal fit for the dark character of a witch.

Her biggest problem was that her first film in Hollywood as a lead actress had flopped. Otherwise, she wouldn't be competing for a role with relatively little screen time.

Even so, without the prior endorsements from Matthew and Kara Knightley, her success in the auditions would have been uncertain.

Matthew later learned that the main competition for the witch role was the black actress Naomi Harris, who was recommended by Alexander, an associate of Jerry Bruckheimer. However, director Gore Verbinski did not want Naomi Harris for the role; otherwise, the actress would have secured it much earlier.

This seemed to be tied to the internal power struggle between Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski, with "King Arthur" marking a turning point for Bruckheimer.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" production team was enormous, with hundreds of behind-the-scenes staff. Any whispers quickly spread through the team and beyond, including the fact that Matthew and Kara Knightley had influenced the auditions.

"So, our chances of getting the role are slim?"

In an apartment living room, Naomi Harris looked at her agent and asked, "Ronald, is that the case?"

Ronald, a young-looking agent, replied, "The chances are slim, but not zero."

Naomi Harris, biting her lip thoughtfully, was a British actress of Jamaican descent, a background that naturally limited her opportunities. To break into Hollywood from the British stage and TV, she had switched from her previous British agent to this CAA agent last year.

Given her experience, she wasn't a top agent's client. Ronald, having just left the mailroom at CAA a year ago, was similarly a newcomer in Hollywood.

Newcomers or not, backed by the powerhouse CAA, she felt she had an edge over other actresses of similar profiles.

Having been in Hollywood for just over a year, Naomi Harris had played minor roles in "After Sunset" and "An Absurd Story."

As a novice agent directly from the mailroom, Ronald had initially been dissatisfied with being assigned a black actress of Jamaican descent like Naomi Harris. However, he soon realized her worth as she was bold in pursuing roles, influenced by the recent surge in political correctness around black representation in the industry.

"If there's still a chance," Naomi Harris stood up and said bluntly, "Ronald, who do I need to sleep with to get this role?"

Ronald wasn't surprised by her directness; after more than a year of working together, he understood that like many black actors influenced by the current climate, Naomi Harris was straightforward and bold.

Ronald acknowledged that her approach had helped her secure a few significant roles.

"Naomi, wait, don't rush," Ronald gestured for her to calm down and sit. "Let's analyze the situation first and see how we can still vie for it."

"Is that Eva Green a white actress?" Naomi Harris, heavily influenced by the growing emphasis on black representation in recent years, had benefited from this trend in securing roles. "I'm black, and if I remember correctly, there aren't significant black characters in 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' Aren't they afraid we'll accuse them of racism?"

Ronald was momentarily speechless. Naomi's point wasn't without merit; many black actors used such claims to their advantage in Hollywood.

He had seen much during his time in the mailroom and understood if mainstream movies continued to lack significant black characters, actors like Naomi Harris would claim disrespect towards blacks...

However, Ronald realized that leveraging this could be beneficial. The industry's climate was beyond his control, but with Naomi's boldness, he might promote the next Halle Berry or Will Smith.

"It's not about racism now," Ronald slowly explained. "I've confirmed that both lead actors, Matthew Horner and Kara Knightley, have pressured the production team and director Gore Verbinski. When both leads speak up, even Disney has to take it seriously."

"Why would they help Eva Green? If Matthew Horner had an affair with her, I could understand, but does that mean Kara Knightley is bisexual?"

Ronald was speechless again; Naomi's thought process was indeed simplistic.

"It's clear," he continued patiently. "Eva Green is represented by Helen Herman of Angel Agency, the same as Matthew Horner. It seems Matthew wants to help Eva Green get the role and enlisted his ex-girlfriend Kara

 Knightley to assist, then convinced Gore Verbinski."

"So, it's like that," Naomi murmured before speaking earnestly, "Can you find a way to let me sleep with Gore Verbinski before my audition?"

Ronald quickly intervened, "No, Naomi, don't do anything rash!" He emphasized seriously, "Gore Verbinski likes blondes, and he's not into black women..."

Naomi Harris widened her eyes, raising her voice slightly, "He's what?"

"Stop! Stop!" Ronald cut her off, knowing what she was about to say. "It's not that simple. Even if you managed to sleep with Gore Verbinski, it wouldn't necessarily secure you the role."

Naomi Harris was puzzled, unable to grasp Ronald's point.

Despite his inexperience, Ronald had seen enough at CAA to draw some conclusions. With the massive scale of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" production team, news traveled fast, allowing him to make certain deductions.

"This isn't as straightforward as it appears. With Matthew Horner and Kara Knightley speaking up, Verbinski will honor their request, especially since he's vying for more power from Jerry Bruckheimer behind the scenes. With Johnny Depp's eccentric actions, securing the support of Matthew and Kara is crucial for Verbinski."

Naomi finally understood, "You mean Matthew Horner is the key figure."

"Exactly." If she couldn't understand that, Ronald didn't know what else to say. "Matthew influenced his ex-girlfriend Kara Knightley, and Verbinski wants to win him over. So, if you can persuade Matthew Horner, you could secure the role."

Naomi Harris stood up suddenly, "Then I'll go seduce Matthew Horner."

Ronald nodded, adding, "Matthew Horner has an office near Burbank on South Empire Street…"

In the office near Angel Agency, Bella Anderson was browsing her latest emails, including one from Universal Studios with the latest box office data for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," which had just crossed $200 million in North America.

She looked up from her computer to speak to Matthew across another desk, first noticing the discreetly placed decorative surveillance camera on the wall, installed above a framed poster—seeming more like a part of the decor at first glance.

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