100 Million Dollars Club (3)
Sion Lee still possessed an incredibly passionate female fanbase. Every weekend, these girls flocked to the theaters to rewatch his latest film, Fragments of You. To them, the actor Sion Lee was more than just an object of infatuation; he was a cultural phenomenon that tightly bound their friendships together.
"I'm serious. This time, I am absolutely, definitely not going to cry."
"Are you sure about that? You made the exact same promise last time and ended up sobbing your eyes out!"
"The person sitting next to you handing you tissues was legendary."
"I mean, how can anyone not cry when someone with a face that beautiful acts so heartbreakingly sad?"
"My dad wouldn't cry, though."
"Mine neither."
These high school girls, barely in their late teens, pictured their fathers back home, probably nursing a beer. The quintessential middle-class white patriarchs. Men devoid of romance, who cared only for beer, American football, and pro wrestling. The girls giggled, convinced that their fathers wouldn't shed a single tear no matter how tragic a movie they watched.
But the moment they rounded the corner and arrived in front of the theater, they froze like squirrels struck by lightning.
"Huh...?"
"W-what in the world is this?"
A massive crowd of middle-aged men packed the front of the theater.
"...Is there some action movie premiering today?"
"I don't think so? Besides, aren't those the kind of guys who would never stand in line to watch a movie in the first place?"
"Exactly... Wait, they're all buying tickets for Fragments of You?"
"...D-Dad?!"
"What?"
"Ah, your dad actually has a romantic side."
Recognizing one of the men in line as a friend's father, the girls quickly tried to smooth over the awkwardness. For now, they joined the very back of the queue of fans waiting to buy tickets.
It was a bizarre juxtaposition: middle-aged men standing alongside teenage fangirls of Sion Lee. This strange demographic shift was largely due to the brilliant promotional stunt Sion had pulled off during his guest appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show.
By February 1992, the film was entering its second month since release. While its initial explosive momentum had naturally begun to cool, Sion's remarks on the talk show had thrown fresh logs onto the fire.
A romance film for men with families they love.
It was a statement that brilliantly expanded the target audience of a romance film, which was traditionally restricted to young women. At the same time, the TV news segment featuring the interviewed biker was broadcast repeatedly, cementing this narrative in the public consciousness. This was also made possible because broadcasting networks were often directly or indirectly tied to the film's investments.
The potbellied middle-aged men, who looked more like they had come to eat popcorn than watch a movie, found their eyes welling up as they faced the heartbreaking reality of the film. Watching Elliot express his agonizing yearning for his deceased wife, they couldn't help but project themselves onto the screen. Just as Sion had suggested, they sat in the theater holding their wives' or children's hands tightly, completely immersed in the nearly two-hour runtime of Fragments of You, sniffing and wiping away tears. Sensing this bizarre atmosphere, the teenage girls felt thoroughly uncomfortable.
"W-what is going on...?"
After all, teenage daughters always reacted this way when their parents tried to share in the things they loved.
The incredibly laid-back California weekend drew to a close with that minor, peculiar episode. However, when one of Sion's fangirls returned home after the movie, she was greeted by yet another completely unexpected sight.
"A barbecue...? Out of nowhere?"
"Come on out and eat, sweetie."
In the backyard, the barbecue grill—which hadn't been touched in nearly a decade—was roaring with fire. Though it was just some hastily bought meat being grilled over a wood fire, the delicious aroma wafting through the air made the girl swallow hard, drawing her out to the yard.
"You're back," her father said gruffly, tending to the grill. His eyes were red—whether from the acrid smoke or the movie he had watched earlier was anyone's guess.
"Y-yeah..."
"Did you eat dinner?"
"I did, but... I can eat more."
"Have a seat."
At her father's invitation, the girl sat down at the outdoor table with a suspicious look on her face. Beside her, her mother smiled warmly and spoke.
"Michelle, sweetie, do you know what happened? Your father suddenly suggested we go see a movie earlier."
"...No way."
"Yes, way! That movie starring Sion Lee, the one our daughter is absolutely obsessed with."
"It's Sion, Mom, not 'Sigh-on'!"
"Sion? Sion, Sion. Why Sion? Is it a French pronunciation? Anyway, I must remember that. He is incredibly handsome and such a wonderful actor. The lead actress was great too, but your mother always prefers the handsome ones. Anyway, your father was a total mess, crying his eyes out the entire time."
"...R-really? Sion is handsome, isn't he?"
"I'd love to have him as a son-in-law."
"Haha! Mom, what are you talking about?! How could Sion and I ever—"
"Absolutely not."
"Huh?"
The sudden intervention of her father's voice made both mother and daughter look up. Still silently grilling the meat, her father muttered quietly.
"A guy that handsome is trouble. He'll definitely play around."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence fell over the table as the father took their lighthearted joke entirely too seriously. But then, Michelle burst out laughing.
"What are you saying, Dad! There's no way Sion would ever date me anyway!"
"What? What kind of man would ever turn down our beautiful daughter?"
"Oh my, your father must have lost his mind. Crying at a movie, and now saying such sweet things."
The daughter giggled, the father remained gruff, and the mother watched them both with a fond smile. The daughter loved MTV, the father loved football, and the mother loved soap operas. Even when they turned on the TV, they all watched completely different things. Yet, the movie Fragments of You had brought these three people, who usually shared absolutely no common interests, together for the first time in a very long while.
The theatrical run of Fragments of You lasted far longer than anyone had anticipated. The film's box office performance was nothing short of extraordinary. It held the number one spot on the box office charts for weeks on end, and media outlets everywhere churned out endless content about it. From deep-dive film analyses and critical reviews to public reaction segments and even stories of real-life couples who ended up tying the knot after watching the movie together. It was a perfect symbiotic relationship between the film and the media.
"Now I see why they never stop making romance movies," Jack Nicholson boomed, chuckling as he swirled his whiskey on the rocks.
It was late evening in a private bar in downtown Hollywood. Jack, dressed in a casual Aloha shirt, sat next to Sion, who listened intently while taking a sip of his beer.
"There aren't many genres that can rake in this kind of profit on such a tiny budget. Since the dawn of time, love has always been the ultimate subject matter, regardless of the era or culture... But let me tell you something, kid. I rarely say things like this, but this is entirely on you, Sion. This is the result of you proving yourself to the world."
"I'd prefer cash over compliments."
"Bwahaha! Will a hundred bucks do?!"
"Aren't you being a bit too cheap?"
"Ha! You cheeky bastard! Well, considering how much your quote is going to skyrocket from now on, I suppose it is cheap!"
Jack, who had been pretending to rummage through his wallet, slapped the table and laughed heartily.
"So let's put it on a promissory note. I'll pay you back later with several times the interest."
"I'll gladly accept it someday. And let me write a promissory note of my own as well."
"Oh? What kind of note?"
"As payment for allowing me to star in such a wonderful film."
At Sion's slick reply, Jack laughed so hard he practically gasped for air.
"Good, very good! This is exactly why I like you, Sion! These days, the bastards in Hollywood love to babble about friendship, honor, and trust instead of money. But as you well know, at the end of the day, money is what you need to actually prove those things to someone. Money is the tangible result of a person's sweat and blood."
Jack raised his glass toward Sion.
"Congratulations on crossing the hundred-million-dollar mark."
"Thank you."
"Everywhere I go lately, everyone is asking about you. It's making me downright jealous. Even Tom asked me if you were a decent actor. Ah, not Hanks—Cruise. Honestly, hearing your name come out of his mouth was a real surprise."
"...Really?"
"Yeah, looks like he even went out of his way to watch your movie. You two might end up working together soon. A hundred million for a romance film, and it's still racking up numbers at the box office. That's an achievement no one can ignore. Some people are even calling it the bible of sci-fi romance, just like Ghost is the bible of occult romance. Ha, they're not wrong either."
Then, letting down his guard as a legendary actor, he offered a word of genuine gratitude.
"Thank you. For being a part of this movie."
In truth, before the filming of Fragments of You began, Jack Nicholson had been thoroughly exhausted. A group of people had gathered under the banner of Longday Studios to try and shoot a fresh, new style of film, but various issues had cropped up due to arrogant bastards trying to throw their weight around. Of course, Jack himself was partly to blame for that. How could a man completely suppress his innate personality? However, the moment Sion was cast, Jack had set aside his own ego. He had realized that everyone was so busy playing power games that they were on the verge of ruining the film itself—the one thing that actually mattered. From then on, he had focused solely on doing whatever behind-the-scenes maneuvering was necessary to ensure the film's success, whether that meant leaking information to the press or blocking attempts to disrupt the shoot.
There might have been other hidden agendas I wasn't aware of, but now that it's all over, there's no way to know.
Savoring the aroma of his whiskey, which had mellowed as the ice melted, Jack suddenly looked at Sion with a trace of worry on his face.
This godforsaken Hollywood.
It was an expression he rarely showed to others. It meant that Jack had truly come to cherish the "young gun" sitting before him. While American culture in general leaned that way, Hollywood was a society where networking was everything, and the lines between ally and enemy were drawn with razor-sharp clarity. Sion, who had accepted his offer in such an environment, had performed spectacularly—far exceeding Jack's wildest expectations. Yet, that very success made Jack worry about the young man's future. He feared that the lingering bad blood from the conflict he had dragged Sion into might come back to haunt him down the road.
"I must be losing my mind."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing, you little punk."
Despite his gruff words, Jack turned over the thought he had just had.
I want to protect him.
Not simply because of money, but purely because he wanted to see a young actor he genuinely liked perform without being hindered by external interference. Though he was now one of the most influential veterans in the industry, Jack had suffered through his own share of such trials in his youth. He felt a familiar weariness toward this cutthroat industry that forced him to worry like this, but he brushed the sentiment aside, twitching his eyebrows with a smirk.
"I hope this movie serves as the true starting point of your adult career," Jack said.
"A hundred million dollars for a debut adult film sets the bar a bit too high, don't you think?"
"Don't just think about the money. That's a bad habit of yours."
"...What was that conversation we were just having then?"
"'I will repay you with great work.' Isn't that the proper attitude of a true actor?"
"Ah, that is indeed a classic line. Very 'repaying the fans for their love and support' vibe."
The two of them traded banter, exchanging the kind of canned remarks Hollywood actors usually reserved for official press conferences.
"So, have you decided on your next move?"
"I think I'll be working with Olga Asimov."
"...Don't tell me it's The College Player?"
"Yes. She asked me to appear for just one season."
"Damn it. What is that cold-blooded witch planning to do with a handsome young actor?"
"She promised it would be an interesting role, unlike anything I've played before."
"What kind of role?"
"A nerd."
"..."
Jack stared at him, utterly dumbfounded, before offering some sincere advice.
"Listen to me carefully, Sion."
"Yes, sir."
"Acting is a profession that utilizes your body and your face. Because of that, there are inevitable limitations."
The limitation of only being able to play characters that matched one's physical appearance.
"Do you honestly think a nerd role is even remotely plausible with a face like yours?"
Sion merely shrugged at Jack's earnest advice.
That's exactly why I thought it would be fun.
Sion recalled his past life, where he had desperately clawed his way through any role he could get after his face had been ruined. No matter what the role was, he was absolutely confident he could pull it off.
NBC's The College Player was, as the title suggested, a campus drama. The protagonists were two young men who originally had absolutely no business being in college: Kyle and Max. Hailing from a rural town in Texas, the two boys had crammed desperately with the sole dream of meeting sophisticated, beautiful California valley girls. Against all odds, they managed to get into a top-tier state university—at least, the best one they could possibly qualify for. The show depicted their chaotic romantic endeavors as they crossed paths with Nancy, a quintessential valley girl, and her friend Belle, a complete bookworm who was her polar opposite. Combining the romance of college life with trendy humor, it was currently one of the most popular shows among teenagers. The previous season's finale rating of 12.2% was proof of its massive success.
Just the day before he was set to sign the contract, while he was resting at home, a sudden phone call came from Olga Asimov.
"Not bad, right?"
"We've decided to cast you as a nerd who creates tension between the main characters. Or, to be more precise, I suppose they call them 'geeks' these days? Someone who loves computers and practically lives at the comic book store."
"I have one question," Sion said.
"Yes, what is it?"
"How does a nerd create tension between the main characters?"
"Because he's handsome."
"Oho..."
"That's the comedic element. Once you get the script, you'll see, but we're going to give you a complete makeover. We'll use an entire can of hairspray to slick your hair back perfectly, and put you in thick, oversized glasses. At first, the characters will think you're nothing special, but the audience will know. After all, the actor is Sion Lee. You won't be in every single episode, but you'll make regular appearances. It's a crucial role that triggers Max's feelings for Belle."
"So, is it a role where he gets discriminated against at first because of his 'looks'?"
"Presumably, yes. Kyle and Max absolutely detest nerds."
"I have some experience with that, so I should do quite well."
Thinking it was a joke, Olga let out a soft chuckle.
A handsome nerd. Hearing more details, Sion found himself moving past mere amusement into genuine intrigue. I've played serious characters in my last two projects, so I was thinking of taking on a lighter, more lighthearted role next to soften my image. This is actually a perfect fit. That was precisely why Sion had accepted Olga's sitcom proposal without much hesitation.
For context, Olga played the owner of the cafe where the four main characters frequently gathered in The College Player. Drawing inspiration directly from her real-life persona, her character was depicted as a warm-hearted but short-tempered woman who would serve borscht that no one had even ordered. She served as a sort of mentor, listening to the worries of the four immature college students—a semi-regular role akin to Hagrid or Dumbledore.
As the general explanation of the project drew to a close, Olga added hesitantly:
"And on a personal note... there's one favor I'd like to ask of you. Would that be alright?"
"I'll decide after I hear it," Sion replied.
"When you arrive, the existing cast might be quite territorial. They all rose to fame through this show and are very close, so they're incredibly protective of it. As you can probably guess, that makes things a bit volatile. I just hope you won't let them intimidate you and will show them what you've got."
Her voice carried a hint of concern. But Sion merely chuckled, completely unfazed.
"Ignoring everyone else and just doing whatever I want happens to be my absolute specialty."