Chapter 118: The Tango Girl
Chapter 118: The Tango Girl
Eric also knew that United Artists was definitely behind that article.
For the sake of their own interests, suppressing and smearing competitors with media tactics was a trick that had already been overused in every industry imaginable. Yet this crude and straightforward method managed to achieve good results every single time.
After breakfast, Eric put Virginia’s portion into the refrigerator, bid farewell to the young woman who was still lying in bed recuperating, then drove to Firefly. There were still some actresses left to audition today.
The moment he arrived at the company, Jeffrey dragged him into the office.
There was no need to ask why. Just looking at the ambiguous expressions the other employees were giving him made it obvious.
As the most famous newspaper in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times had an extremely high subscription rate throughout Greater Los Angeles in this era without the internet, when information was primarily spread through newspapers and television.
Therefore, Eric was certain that everyone in the company already knew about the article.
Faced with Jeffrey’s worried gaze, Eric quickly explained before the other man could even speak:
“Jeffrey, I know. This really was my oversight. But Jennifer Connelly has already rejected the role, so once the cast list is officially announced later, the rumor will naturally collapse on its own.”
Jeffrey sighed.
“All right, Eric. I hope you know what you’re doing. Should we contact Kapoor and do some PR work?”
Eric shook his head.
“No need. Trying to explain this kind of thing will only make people think we’re covering it up. Ignoring it is the best response.”
Jeffrey nodded, then handed Eric a document.
“These are the final offers I negotiated with the sponsors based on your suggestions. Other than Motorola, everything’s already finalized. Total comes to 3.4 million dollars. If you don’t have objections, I’ll sign the contracts today.”
Eric took the document and flipped through it.
Aside from Motorola’s massive three-million-dollar deal — which they refused to sign until Cruise and Hanks were officially confirmed — everything else had already been settled.
The highest offer came from Lamborghini at eight hundred thousand dollars, while the lowest came from Marvel Comics with only one hundred thousand dollars.
In the movie, the file bag filled with comic books that robber Andy carried during the financial company robbery only appeared in a brief glimpse of a single shot. One hundred thousand dollars was already not a small amount. Eric previously had not even been sure whether that advertisement placement could be sold at all.
Seeing Marvel Comics’ name, Eric subconsciously rubbed his chin.
That was a massive gold mine.
He absolutely had to acquire it before they started recklessly selling off character licenses everywhere to relieve financial pressure.
Just as the two were talking, Alan Fisman knocked on the office door.
“Mr. Hansen, Eric, it’s time for auditions.”
“I’ll be right there,” Eric responded.
Alan nodded and withdrew.
“Then I’m heading to the auditions, Jeffrey. Go ahead and sign according to those conditions. Get some good rest this weekend. Location scouting for Running Out of Time starts next week, and things are definitely going to get busy.”
“I know,” Jeffrey nodded, then shot Eric a resentful look. “As long as you stop coming to harass me in the middle of the night.”
Eric curled his lips, muttered something under his breath, waved casually, and left the office.
Perhaps because they had seen the article in the Los Angeles Times about the female lead supposedly being predetermined, several actresses in a row appeared distracted once auditions began.
Eric could not even be bothered reminding them of anything.
If they could not seize the opportunity while still harboring that faint hope of success, then they could only blame themselves for missing it.
“Next, Miss Gabrielle Anwar.”
A petite young woman around eighteen years old walked in. Although she wore black high heels, she still stood under one meter seventy.
“Hello everyone, my name is Gabrielle Anwar.”
Eric carefully sized up the girl his own age.
A sharp little nose, thick lips, and faint Indian features — she was probably mixed-race.
Glancing at the file in front of him, he did not follow the normal procedure of asking for a self-introduction. Instead, he asked:
“Miss Anwar, did you come all the way from England specifically for this audition?”
The young woman nodded. Her slightly full lips curved into a charming smile.
“I was born in Laleham, Surrey, but I also grew up in London.”
Eric smiled faintly, aware the young woman was trying to build rapport with him.
He himself had also grown up in London until the age of eight before moving to Los Angeles. Furthermore, Eric still held British citizenship. Williams was one of the five major British surnames, meaning that whether he wanted it or not, he was destined to be grouped into Hollywood’s British circle.
“Then, Miss Anwar, your file says you attended a drama and dance school. May I ask whether you know how to dance tango?”
The young woman hesitated briefly before shaking her head.
“No. But I studied ballet for ten years. If necessary, I can learn tango in the shortest time possible.”
Eric revealed an appreciative expression.
“Miss Anwar, I like your honesty. But I don’t think you’re suitable for this role, so there’s no need to continue the audition.”
Upon hearing the first half of Eric’s praise, the girl had not even had time to feel happy before hearing the latter half of his statement.
She froze in place instantly.
A faint mist rapidly welled up in her large eyes, and she became too aggrieved to speak.
When she had first seen the audition notice for Eric Williams’ new movie released by Firefly, she had submitted her materials with the mindset of buying a lottery ticket.
She never expected to actually receive an audition invitation.
The ecstatic girl had gone through enormous effort convincing her conservative father before traveling alone to Los Angeles for this audition.
Yet the other party had rejected her without even giving her a chance to perform.
The blow made her instantly feel like crying.
“Oh, no.”
Eric had originally lowered his head to write something, but upon seeing the girl’s reaction, he quickly waved his hands.
“Miss Anwar, don’t be like this. I’m not finished speaking yet.”
The girl’s tears were already on the verge of falling.
Hearing Eric’s words, she hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes, though she still felt too embarrassed to raise her head.
Eric shot a glance at the assistant beside him, who quickly delivered a box of tissues to Gabrielle.
Carefully dabbing at the corners of her eyes, Gabrielle pulled a compact mirror from her bag to check herself before finally daring to look up again.
“I’m sorry, Director Williams. I lost my composure.”
“It’s my fault,” Eric quickly took responsibility onto himself. He really was not good at handling women crying.
“I didn’t explain things clearly just now. I know you’re only eighteen, and it wasn’t easy for you to travel all the way from England for this audition.”
“Thank you for understanding, Mr. Williams.”
“The reason I asked whether you knew tango,” Eric explained, “is because you’re actually very suitable for a role in another movie I’m currently preparing. It stars Al Pacino. You know who Al Pacino is, right?”
Gabrielle nodded immediately.
“Of course. I watched your film Scent of a Woman many times in England. The elegant Edward portrayed by Mr. Pacino was incredibly charming.”
“That’s good. In Al’s next movie, there’s a role for a tango girl. She’s also the female lead of that film. The moment I saw you, I thought you were perfect for it. If you can perform that role well, I believe it’ll help your career even more than starring as the female lead in my current movie.”
Gabrielle had come to this audition with the mindset of winning the lottery a second time anyway.
She had only appeared in a few television dramas in England and never held much hope to begin with.
The reason she had broken down earlier was simply because Eric had rejected her without warning, making it difficult for her to emotionally accept it in such a short time.
Now, suddenly hearing this piece of good news, the girl once again felt as though she were dreaming.
After Pretty Woman, Al had once again become a world-famous A-list superstar. Even landing a tiny supporting role in one of his films would have made Gabrielle jump for joy, let alone being cast as the female lead.
“Mr. Williams, I truly don’t know how to thank you.”
The girl clasped her hands to her chest, speaking excitedly.
Eric finished writing what he had started earlier and had the assistant hand it over to the young woman.
“Miss Anwar, don’t celebrate too early. Although I do have the authority to decide roles in that film, I still need to consider Al’s and director Martin Brest’s opinions. You’ll have about one week to prepare. If your performance is too poor by then, I’ll have no choice but to apologize.”
“I’ll definitely work hard,” Gabrielle said earnestly.
Then she looked at the note in her hand — a string of numbers and a few written remarks — and asked:
“Mr. Williams, what is this?”
“UTA. Or rather, the phone number of United Talent Agency CEO Kapoor Sid. You’ll need to contact him so he can arrange a temporary agent for you and help you find a dance instructor for one week of tango training. If your performance passes Al’s and Martin’s approval one week from now, then you’ll need to join UTA. Miss Anwar, are you willing?”
Being able to remain in Hollywood was the dream of many foreign actors.
Gabrielle nodded without hesitation.
“Of course. I’m willing.”
Gabrielle Anwar was entirely an accident.
Eric had no ulterior motives toward this girl his own age. It was simply because she happened to be the original tango girl from Scent of a Woman. The tango scene between Gabrielle Anwar and Al Pacino had practically become the crowning touch of that film.
Since she had appeared here several years early, it could be considered fate.
Eric simply went along with it, and he believed the girl would not disappoint him.
After seeing Gabrielle off, Eric picked up the next file and glanced at the name:
Brooke Shields.
Heh. Another legendary Hollywood beauty.
Compared to Jennifer Connelly’s purity, Brooke Shields’ beauty carried a sharper edge in Eric’s eyes.
However, judging from the visibly brightened gazes of several male staff members nearby, Eric understood that Brooke Shields’ appearance — said to carry the bloodlines of four European noble families — clearly aligned more with Western beauty standards.
Otherwise, she would never have earned the nickname “The Eighth Wonder.”