Made In Hollywood

"Oh, it's a bit tight."

In the dressing room, Charlize Theron struggled for a while with the help of her assistant before finally getting the shiny black leather outfit on. "Luckily, it's stretchy, so it doesn't feel too bad to wear."

She twirled in front of the full-length mirror and asked her assistant, "Nia, how does it look?"

"Charlize, you're absolutely sizzling!"

Her assistant, Nia, teased her at just the right moment. "If I were a man, I'd jump on you, take you to a place where no one could find us, and enjoy you all to myself."

Although Charlize knew the assistant was complimenting her, she couldn't help but feel flattered. She twirled once more in front of the mirror, seriously observing herself. Her long legs, wrapped in tight leather pants, were straight and slender. The well-fitted leather top accentuated her slim waist. Even though her shoulders were slightly broad, paired with her tall figure and the curves of her hips and chest, she presented a nearly perfect silhouette.

With her cold and refined aura honed over the years, she looked simply...

She quickly patted her cheeks to snap out of her vanity, then carefully started fixing her golden hair.

"It's a pity I got the news so late. Otherwise, I'd have dyed it black…" Charlize shook her head.

Nia suddenly chimed in, "Tina Fey is so stingy. After all the gifts you gave her, she only disclosed a few insignificant details."

"That was already enough!" Charlize replied while arranging her hair. "You don't understand Tina Fey. She's entirely Duke's yes-man. Without his consent, she wouldn't have told me anything."

"So..." The assistant's eyes lit up instantly. "You're sure to get this role, right?"

"I do have an advantage, but it still depends on the audition."

While checking the final details, Charlize added to her assistant, "If my audition doesn't go well, I definitely won't get this lead role!"

Her tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable yearning. When she first got the audition notice from her agent, she was so excited she couldn't sleep all night. This was the female lead in an A-list Hollywood production—Duke Rosenberg's work. Just landing the role would almost guarantee her a path to stardom.

Although she had gained some praise and attention for her performance in Chicago, Charlize knew she was still some distance away from being considered a well-known actress.

"Why?" the assistant curiously asked. "Charlize, don't you have a good relationship with Duke?"

"Sweetheart."

Charlize pinched her assistant's cheek and said with a smile, "Hollywood isn't a place where just sleeping with someone will guarantee you a role. Do you think Duke Rosenberg and Robin Grand would gamble an $80 million investment as a joke?"

Seeing her assistant nod, Charlize recalled what Duke had once said to her and continued, "Opportunities are incredibly important in Hollywood, even more so than talent. But if an opportunity comes along and you don't have the corresponding ability, you'll miss it all the same."

A few years ago, she was the perfect example of this. Despite having a good screen presence, her acting skills were atrocious. She could only serve as eye candy in movies—brief, non-speaking roles that passed in a flash.

Without the learning and hard work of the past few years, Charlize was certain that if she ever wanted to truly stand out, she would have to keep waiting.

About ten minutes later, an assistant knocked on the door to inform her it was time for the audition. Charlize gave her assistant a quick reminder and left the dressing room, heading toward the audition room. Along the way, she encountered several other actresses. She ignored the envious or disdainful looks they threw her way, walking forward confidently in her high-heeled leather boots. She couldn't care less about the opinions of these defeated competitors—success required pressing onward with determination.

During this time, Charlize noticed she had received preferential treatment. Since none of the actresses auditioning were big names, most of them shared a dressing room, while she had a private one, sparing her from unnecessary trouble.

When she arrived at the door of the audition room, a staff member had already opened the door for her. "Please come in, Ms. Theron."

In the previous auditions, Duke had been impressed by a few candidates, such as the Spanish actress Penélope Cruz. However, he also had doubts about her. The strong Latin flavor she exuded didn't seem suitable for a female lead in a film aiming for widespread success or even a massive hit.

After all, no matter how loudly this country proclaimed liberty and equality, it couldn't erase the deep-seated racial prejudices ingrained in many people's minds.

The moment Charlize Theron stepped in front of the camera, Duke immediately put Penélope Cruz out of his mind. This dazzling diamond from South Africa perfectly embodied the concept of a clothes hanger. She could seamlessly showcase both a woman's allure when dressed and her sensuality when undressed.

Just imagine—a tall, leggy, curvaceous beauty in a sexy leather outfit doing a spinning kick. How captivating would that be? Paired with her inherent aura, she was far from lacking in coolness.

Duke had specifically requested the redesign of this leather outfit. It was even more form-fitting, resembling the style of a certain vampire character that would appear later. It highlighted Charlize's slim waist and long legs to perfection.

If her strengths were utilized well during filming, it would undoubtedly attract more male viewers. Duke even began considering using Charlize for merchandising. If her character resonated enough, they could produce scaled-down action figures. A certain Black Widow character once created a sales miracle with female figurines, and the underlying reason...

The acting skills portion had been evaluated during the first audition. Like the male lead's second audition, the focus this time was on the female lead's look and aura to ensure they matched the film's overall style. Charlize Theron not only won Duke's approval but also received unanimous support from Zack Snyder and Robin Grand. Jamie Johnson, a Warner Bros. representative, couldn't stop praising her look.

By the end of the afternoon, after all the auditions were complete, Duke and the others gathered to discuss the candidates and basically finalized the main cast.

Keanu Reeves would play Neo, and Charlize Theron would portray Trinity without any objections. For other roles, Duke insisted on casting Hugo Weaving and Laurence Fishburne despite some opposition. As for the remaining actors, the decisions were delegated to others.

"Robin, start negotiating with them as soon as possible!"

As they left the office, Duke said to Robin Grand, "The only principle is to push their salaries as low as possible."

"I know what to do."

Having worked together for a long time, Robin Grand gave Duke a reassuring look. "Apart from Keanu Reeves, the other actors don't have high asking prices to begin with."

"The more we save on salaries, the more we can allocate to special effects."

Walking toward the parking lot, Duke continued, "In the next few films, we'll rely heavily on special effects."

The reason he had set an $80 million budget was to enhance the special effects. The film would feature a more vivid portrayal of the real world and even cooler, more explosive action sequences.

Turning the visions in his mind into cinematic reality required solid financial backing.

There were no shortcuts when it came to visual effects. The time and money invested directly influenced the final result.

Duke would ensure his team members were among the highest-paid in the industry, but actors were never considered part of his team.

...

The sea breeze swept from Malibu to the west side of Burbank. Charlize Theron sat in a brightly lit courtyard, her gaze shifting from the starry sky back to the script in her hands.

It was a script that seemed utterly baffling. With her limited education, Charlize couldn't fully understand what the story was about. Terms like matrices and programs were completely foreign to her…

She had already read the script twice and could only tell it was a highly mystical tale.

The script had come from Tina Fey. Since Tina had dared to give it to her, Charlize knew she likely had the role of Trinity in the bag. Yet, as she closed the script, she couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, there had been no official confirmation from the production studio. Who knew what changes might happen at the last moment?

Hollywood was no stranger to the sudden replacement of leading actors.

Her phone suddenly rang. Putting down the script, Charlize walked back inside, picked up the phone, and pressed the answer button. After just a few words, her cold expression turned into one of excitement.

"Are you sure?" she almost shouted. "I got the role? I'm the female lead in Duke Rosenberg's new film?"

"I'm sure. But the production team pushed down your pay, Charlize—you're only getting $300,000."

"To hell with the pay cut! To hell with the salary!"

Since dropping out of ballet school, Charlize had been waiting for this moment for far too long. "None of that matters! What matters is I'm the female lead in Duke's new film! I... I've finally…"

Her voice choked, and her eyes began to well up with tears. Two drops slowly slid down her smooth, pale cheeks, falling to the floor and seeping into the wood, just like the years of effort she had poured in, unseen by anyone.

Hanging up the phone, Charlize finally said what was on her mind. "I've finally... finally stepped onto the path to success!"

She slowly crouched down, wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her head between them. Her whole body curled into a ball, her back trembling as she sobbed quietly.

It took several minutes before Charlize Theron stood up with red-rimmed eyes. The excitement on her face had vanished, replaced once again by her signature cold demeanor.

Hard work, attempts, competition, opportunities, and the appreciation of important figures had finally given her a real chance to shine.

As she walked outside, she clenched her fists tightly. "Work hard, Charlize! Go for it, Charlize! You'll succeed. You'll become one of Hollywood's top stars!"

...

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