I am Hollywood

Chapter 97: An Irresistible Hurdle



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However, Hanks understood the reason behind Cruise's caution. The guy had always taken the idol route, and to put it plainly, he relied on his looks. If he suddenly decided to appear on screen in a woman's role, it would likely upset some of his fans.

Eric didn't answer Tom Cruise's request right away; instead, he shot back, "Cruise, if I'm not mistaken, you're twenty-seven now, right?"

Tom Cruise nodded, his tone dripping with bragging rights. "I started making movies at sixteen. Back then, I was even younger than you are now. It's been nearly ten years."

As a young man who had climbed out of a struggling single-parent household with no background to help him, Cruise had every reason to boast, having made a name for himself in Hollywood through sheer hard work.

"Well, Cruise," Eric continued, "every actor needs to evolve, especially those on the idol path. Hollywood male actors tend to have a longer shelf life than their female counterparts. They don't necessarily need to rush to diversify their roles past thirty. But eventually, that day will come. So, I think this opportunity could be your shot at trying something new."

Cruise shot back, "Eric, there are plenty of ways to try new things. I don't have to play a woman. In fact, the issue you just mentioned has crossed my mind. My agent has recommended some alternative roles to me."

Eric calmly shook his head. "That's not much of a change, Cruise. Many of the films you've done leaned more towards the artistic side, yet the Academy hasn't nominated you once. The reason is that, while those films are excellent, your screen persona hasn't evolved significantly. Think about it: you've been in the industry for ten years now, and you still have empty hands at the Oscars. Don't you want to earn some recognition from the Academy? I believe if you nail this role, plus the little sacrifice of cross-dressing, the Academy would at least give you a nod for Best Actor."

The Oscars were an inevitable hurdle for any member of Hollywood. Whoever you were in the industry, you couldn't afford to overlook their significance. Especially for actors, the lengths they would go to gain recognition were remarkable. From shedding their image to truly self- destructive roles, everything was on the table if it meant snagging a statue. Renowned beauty Charlize Theron had gone so far as to gain weight, strip down, and shave her eyebrows to win that coveted acting award. Poor Leo even staged a 'you-fat, I-fat!' scene that shattered the pristine image fans had of him from Titanic.

Sure enough, after Eric finished speaking, Cruise finally ceased his outright rejections and fell into a brief silence. He knew perfectly well where the issue lay but was simply unwilling to admit it or make the necessary changes.

A character who rose from humble beginnings feared failure more than those from lavish backgrounds. No one wanted to go back to that kind of life. This fear of falling back into obscurity had almost made Cruise forget that, considering his current status in Hollywood, he had indeed earned the right to handle failure.

But the allure of the Oscars was too great. After ten years in Hollywood, if he couldn't grasp what the Oscars represented, there was no way he could have achieved what he had so far.

Eric keenly sensed Cruise's wavering resolve and seized the moment to press on. "Cruise, I see the character of Andy as someone even more tragic than the Count of Monte Cristo. He had only a few weeks left to live and, in a bid for revenge against his father's enemy, engaged in a high-stakes game with Sean that could end in utter disaster at any moment. In this situation, the audience would focus significantly on Andy's ultimate fate. The cross-dressing I arranged is meant to drive the story forward, not to mock the actors like in some tacky comedy for laughs. It's a serious performance. I believe that true fans of yours will understand."

After a full two minutes of silence, perhaps Eric's words had taken hold, or the temptation of the Oscars had outweighed his doubts. Finally, Cruise gave a slight nod.

With that resolved, the atmosphere in the conference room lightened considerably.

...

Cruise and Hanks began sharing their thoughts on certain details in the script. Hanks mentioned that he felt Sean's character seemed a bit murky and questioned why he, who supposedly was liked by the female international police chief, didn't date or hit the clubs. "Even a workaholic needs to settle down, right? And why is a full-fledged police elite relegated to a tiny precinct?"

Due to time constraints, Eric pushed out the script for Running Out of Time in just a day, primarily based on his memory of the story with minimal modifications. He had considered some of the bugs Cruise and Hanks pointed out but hadn't had the time to fix them yet. Despite Cruise often adopting a condescending tone as if he were instructing younger actors, and Hanks digging deep into details that left Eric speechless, Eric patiently engaged the two actors. After all, having these two seasoned stars, both of whom had successfully starred in numerous blockbuster hits, involved in refining the script saved him a lot of effort.

...

"Hey, Johnny, you couldn't have been mistaken, right? It's been almost four hours and we still haven't seen Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks come out?"

After lurking outside the Firefly office building for close to four hours, Kent, a reporter from Hollywood Insider, finally couldn't hold back. He approached a convenience store, a hint of skepticism in his voice. Though reporters could stake out a star's home for days on end, they usually did so with clear intent.

Presently, with no sight of the two megastars, and unable to fathom why Cruise and Hanks would spend an entire morning in Firefly, questioning their absence seemed entirely reasonable.

"No, no, Mr. Reporter, I assure you I didn't make a mistake. You see those two vans over there? The one on the left belongs to Tom Cruise, and the one on the right is Tom Hanks's. It's almost noon; they must be about to come out for lunch."

"Alright," Kent fiddled with the camera hanging around his neck, "I sure hope you're right, or else it's going to be a disappointment for everyone involved. Otherwise, you'll have to give back that seven hundred bucks."

Johnny instinctively covered his pocket, swearing a declaration of his innocence.

"I guess I'll wait a bit longer. Do you have any soda? I'd like a bottle."

"Yeah," Johnny nodded, just about to go and fetch something for Kent when he suddenly noticed three other paparazzi stand up, bolting towards the Firefly office entrance.

"Reporter, are they finally coming out? Look at your fellow colleagues!"

Kent turned around just in time to see some of his coworkers racing across the street, cursing under their breath as they rushed out the door. Though they were all affiliated with the same

tabloid, the editor always picked the best pictures to publish. The photographer whose shot made the cut was the one who earned the commission.

*****

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