制霸好莱坞

To be honest, Jenny didn't understand why she had to undergo singing and dancing training. The character of Kitty had no significant role in the original play or the movie adaptation. Chicago is a two-protagonist show, with the majority of the singing parts reserved for the two lead characters, Roxy and Velma. The remaining female prisoners, the warden, and the reporter only have minor roles. Kitty, in particular, appears mainly to provoke Roxy.

Furthermore, Jenny received the script much later than expected, even after the guest appearance in CSI. She was unfamiliar with Hollywood's internal processes and wasn't sure whether this late script delivery was the norm. Of course, it could also be that her role was deemed insignificant, leading to the crew's neglectful attitude toward her.

From what she had seen in the script, Kitty did have a duet with Billy, the male protagonist played by Richard Gere, and there were also changes in her scenes. For instance, Kitty now had lines during the murder scene and even stole some attention after being imprisoned. These alterations were quite different from the finished movie that Chen Zhen had seen in his past life.

Jenny certainly hoped for more scenes—enough to make her the third lead, if possible. But from the perspective of the audience and fans, she thought the original film was more streamlined. Adding a song and dance for Kitty would disrupt the film's structure, making it feel bloated. The quality of the song and dance might suffer as it was never part of the original musical.

But these were not things she could suggest. After all, no actor would advocate for cutting their own scenes. And Rob Marshall, with his strong directorial vision, didn't seem like someone who would take input from an unknown actor.

On her first day on set, Jenny drove to Universal Studios and checked in at Studio 14 in Area A. After signing in, she headed to the dressing room to receive her costume number and returned to the cart to wait. Compared to Chicago, the production of CSI felt much smaller. For one, there were fewer staff members, and most extras brought their own clothes, avoiding the awkward fit of costume pieces washed at questionable times. Makeup was only required for close-ups, whereas Chicago, being a period piece, required full costume and makeup for everyone.

As the "third female," Jenny was assigned a trailer, which she had to share with the actress playing the warden, "Mom." She ranked second in the makeup order, so she didn't have to wait long. The higher the actor's status, the faster their makeup process, meaning "Mom" was the last one to be done.

Jenny had already seen the schedule. Her first scene was in the afternoon, and it involved her being taken from a prison van in elaborate clothes, being chased by reporters all the way into the prison. After that, she had no more scenes for the day.

With only two or three days' worth of filming left, Jenny found the $30,000 payday easy money. Still, she would have preferred to be busier. It was nearing the end of 2001, and though she had traveled back months ago, she had only auditioned twice and landed two supporting roles. Even though they were good roles, she still felt uneasy and anxious about her future.

After finalizing her look, Jenny went to the costume room to try on the wardrobe. The costume designer had prepared several glamorous outfits, including a particularly popular fur piece from that era. The director visited, approved her look, and everything seemed to be running smoothly. Jenny even greeted Catherine Zeta-Jones briefly, a beautiful woman who left a lasting impression on her.

Outside, a buffet area was set up for the actors and crew. The food was abundant, and Jenny saw several female prisoners and reporters mingling while eating lunch. Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Catherine were all there, waiting in line for food. Despite their fame, even big stars had to wait in line. If they wanted to avoid that, they could have their assistants bring food to their trailers.

Jenny knew better than to engage with Renée Zellweger. She didn't want to stir up any drama on set, especially as a newcomer. It was safest to stay out of the fray. Fortunately, Renée seemed unaware of her presence, engrossed in conversation with Rob. Based on their body language, it seemed like any tension from the casting period had long since been resolved.

Jenny chose to avoid trouble. She didn't even eat the salad, opting for dry bread under a pergola to keep a low profile.

"Jennifer, right?" A voice interrupted her. It was Veronica, Renée's manager. "I'm Veronica, Renée's manager."

Jenny nodded. "Hi, Veronica. Nice to meet you."

Veronica, a woman in her late 30s, appeared quite serious. Her demeanor seemed a bit arrogant, likely due to Renée's rising popularity.

"Nice to meet you," Veronica said, offering a handshake while holding a burger in her left hand. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you." Jenny replied politely, wiping her fingers with a napkin. She didn't notice that Veronica's hand had caught some burger sauce in the process.

They fell into an awkward silence, with Veronica finally breaking it. "I saw your makeup test, and your costume is lovely too."

"Thank you." Jenny nodded, trying to ease the tension. "Leni's costume is also beautiful."

"They're just cheap things," Veronica scoffed. "Roxy is a lower-class dancer, so her clothes are meant to be flashy and exaggerated, but they're not really high quality. What you're wearing is much more refined. It's not as eye-catching, but anyone with taste can tell the difference."

Jenny couldn't help but think this was the start of the crew's palace intrigue. She resisted the urge to laugh, recognizing that Veronica's words were likely a veiled warning. Responding provocatively would only escalate the situation. At the end of the day, Jenny had secured the role, so she let Veronica vent her frustrations.

"Yes, you're right," Jenny replied calmly. "I agree with you."

Veronica gave her a fake smile and patted her on the shoulder. "I hope this afternoon goes smoothly for you, Jenny."

"I wish you a great day too, Veronica." Jenny watched as Veronica walked off, rejoining Renée and Rob, who were still chatting without noticing her.

Jenny wasn't sure whether Renée was aware of the rivalry brewing, but given how complex relationships between celebrities and their teams could be, it was possible Renée didn't know about the tension surrounding Kitty's role. If she was confused, she probably just thought Veronica was being friendly.

Jenny wiped the hamburger sauce off her shoulder. The stain wasn't a big deal. It was just a cheap T-shirt, after all, and she could replace it easily. Veronica had tried to exert some mental pressure, but it had little effect on her. Jenny's focus remained on her role.

Filming resumed in the afternoon, and Jenny's scene was a simple one. She was meant to struggle and be escorted to the police station while surrounded by people. The scene was reshot multiple times due to Rob's dissatisfaction with the camera angles and extras. It took over two hours to get the perfect shot.

Despite the director's perfectionism, Jenny remained patient. She understood that Rob Marshall, a perfectionist at heart, was determined to get every detail right. This being his first film, it made sense that he would be unfamiliar with some aspects of the process.

The crew, meanwhile, was adjusting well to the director's meticulous style. Everyone kept to themselves, obeying the rules quietly. Finally, after two and a half hours, the scene was finished, and a new batch of extras was called in for more shots.

Jenny, exhausted from the long shoot, went to the beverage bar to get ice cubes. She wrapped them in a napkin to soothe her swollen wrists, bruised from the handcuffs.

"Hey." Rob approached her with a glass of water in hand. "Your hand looks painful."

Jenny smiled. "It's okay."

Rob seemed genuinely sorry. "I spent too much time on that shot."

"No, no." Jenny quickly reassured him. "I actually heard Virgilio, I mean, Cesare, talk about it. Mr. Marshall, I appreciate your professionalism. Honestly, I think this attention to detail will make the movie great, whether it takes three minutes or three days. As long as you're not satisfied, we'll keep going."

Rob was taken aback but grinned. "Wow—call me Rob. You're too polite. In LA, no one except waiters calls people like that. Just call me Rob."

"Okay, Rob." Jenny grabbed another handful of ice. "Honestly, I'm on your side. I'm completely with you."

Rob seemed momentarily puzzled but then smiled and pretended to clink glasses with her. "Thanks for your support... but now you're making it hard for me to say what I was planning to say."

Jenny was curious. "What do you mean?"

Rob hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "You know I wanted to give Kitty more screen time, which is why I chose you instead of Lucy Liu. Your singing and dancing are better than hers. But now that filming's started, things have become... more difficult. I have to stick to the original script, so your song and dance may need to be cut."

The news hit Jenny unexpectedly, meaning her month of singing and dancing lessons might go to waste. Still, she was mentally prepared. She nodded. "No problem, Rob. From a script perspective, cutting the song and dance will make things more streamlined. The audience doesn't need to focus too much on Kitty. She's just a fleeting character meant to stir things up."

Rob stared at her in surprise, then smiled. "Wow. I'm starting to see why Cesare recommended you. You're different from most girls in LA. Maybe his suggestion makes sense after all."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "What suggestion?"

Rob didn't answer, but he nodded. "I'll contact Cesare. Thanks again, Jennifer. You're professional. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Rob left, Jenny stood there, thinking about what Cesare was really up to. She didn't know exactly what his plans were, but she had a hunch that something was brewing behind the scenes.