I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 459: Audition for "Dallas"!
Wednesday, November 2012, 10.

After finishing filming her role in "Hong Kong Trip", Chen Jin embarked on her Hollywood journey. However, the film was not actually fully completed, as Bale, the absolute male lead, still had to film the remaining parts.

Although he has finished filming his scenes with Chen Jin, he has just finished filming his scenes for "Escape from the Furnace," so it will obviously be some time before he finishes filming "Hong Kong Trip."

"Aaron, how many people auditioned for the role of Ryan?"

Chen Jin sat there and asked Aaron Anderson, a member of the team who had accompanied him to Focus Features, in the passenger seat.

He is also the main agent in charge of audition liaison and external relations.

His position within the team should be second only to Paula Vagella.

After all, while commercial value and brand recognition are important for an actor, their work is the key to maintaining long-term popularity.

They just finished filming a Rolex advertisement this morning. Chen Jin will serve as Rolex's global brand ambassador, with a one-year contract worth $1000 million.

"It's alright, there shouldn't be too many people!"

"The main director isn't very famous, but the script is based on a true story. During the audition, the character's skin color will put us at a disadvantage, so you should be prepared for that!"

Aaron actually didn't recommend Chen Jin audition for this script because it wasn't cost-effective and the role wasn't a good fit.

Honestly, the odds of getting a role in an audition are about the same as winning the lottery.

His favorite film is still "The Grand Budapest Hotel". He has already read the script for that movie. Zero Mustafa is an important character and he is a perfect fit for Chen Jin.

The role required a non-white actor, so Asian actors had a significant advantage.

Moreover, the director is Wes Anderson, a maverick in the North American film industry. With a background in philosophy, his films are very thoughtful and have been nominated for the Oscars and the three major European cinemas multiple times. Although he is not a master, he has unlimited potential.

The script for "Budapest" is said to have been in the works for six years, which shows that the director is very ambitious.

Only a script like this has a chance of winning an award.

As a seasoned foreign agent, Aaron is actually very discerning; otherwise, he wouldn't have gained a reputation in the industry. In his opinion, "Budapest" has the potential to compete with the three major European films and the Oscars.

This is the key.

As for "Whiplash," although the script is for an independent film and the director is a newcomer, the script is the most story-driven among the films that Chen Jin auditioned for.

Aaron also thought highly of the script and encouraged Chen Jin to give it a try.

These two roles are the ones Aaron most hopes Chen Jin can land, as they not only guarantee a significant amount of screen time but also allow her to participate in award PR.

This is a perfect fit for Chen Jin, a Chinese actress who is currently in dire need of proving herself in Hollywood.

"understand!"

Chen Jin readily agreed, but she still harbored a sliver of anticipation for "Dallas".

To be honest, of all the audition opportunities Aaron found for him, Chen Jin selected only the best; that is, every single one of them was a masterpiece in Chen Jin's system, not just something that had won an award.

He only needs to audition for the previous film, and his chance to turn his life around in North America will come.

What if they all get auditioned?

Chen Jin would absolutely die laughing.

Therefore, he would definitely not give up any opportunity, because seizing each opportunity is equivalent to securing a strong insurance policy for his future.

Dallas is no exception.

As Aaron said, the script for this film is not well-known at the moment.

However, since it was a Focus Features project, there were actually quite a few Hollywood stars auditioning.

This film company is somewhat related to Chen Jin. It is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures that focuses on the production and distribution of independent films and art films. It was established in May 2004.

Its main business covers the production and distribution of art films and the development of low-budget genre films. It also owns Roger Films, which is responsible for action and horror films!

The six major Hollywood studios have a very clear division of film production. Apart from blockbuster films, many other film genres are handled by their subsidiaries.

The focus is on Universal's well-known Awards Citation Pictures, with all of Li An's films being collaborations with this company.

Films such as "Lust, Caution" and "Brokeback Mountain".

The reason is quite simple: the company's history is closely related to ang Lee.

Its predecessor was Good Machine Pictures, founded in January 1991 by James Schamus, a senior partner of Li An, the screenwriter and producer of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and his partners. They started with Li An's first film, "Pushing Hands," which was produced on a low budget of $490,000.

Having grown to its current state, it has won several Oscars and is undoubtedly one of the top independent film companies in Hollywood.

Fame is earned through awards.

The director of "Dallas" is not very well-known. Jean-Marc Vallée is a Canadian. His previous film, "Crazy Love," won Best Film at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada, which is why it was noticed by several independent film studios in Hollywood.

Chen Jin had never heard of this director before, but the cast of actors in the system was quite impressive.

The male lead is Matthew McConaughey, a future Oscar winner who has not yet become truly famous, and his popularity in North America is actually quite low, because his two representative works, Interstellar and the current Dallas, have not yet started filming.

In particular, "Interstellar" made him a global sensation overnight, and the scene of him crying touched countless people.

"Dallas" earned him the Oscar for Best Actor, a dream come true.

In just two years, he went from being virtually unknown in Hollywood to achieving immense fame. In North America, the quality of one's work is indeed paramount, and choosing the right project can lead to fame faster than you can imagine.

Matthew also made a cameo appearance in "The Wolf of Wall Street".

In the following years, Matthew McConaughey secured a place among Hollywood stars worldwide.

Chen Jin's insistence on this script wasn't because he could win countless awards, but because he felt he could land the role that Aaron described as being harder to get than winning the lottery.

This is not because Chen Jin is confident in her acting skills.

The Venice Film Festival Best Actor award doesn't hold much sway in North America. On the same land he stands, countless Best Actor and Actress awards have been won at the three major European film festivals. Apart from the Oscars, peripheral awards can at best only prove that you have acting skills.

The Ballon d'Or is probably more valuable and well-known here than the three major European clubs.

Chen Jin's confidence stemmed from the fact that the role he auditioned for in "Dallas" had caused quite a stir.

The actor who was originally chosen and favored by the director and producer suddenly quit before filming began, leaving the director completely dumbfounded.

His departure caught everyone in the crew off guard.

In the end, with no other option, casting director Rich Delia had to conduct an emergency audition, ultimately selecting singer Jared Leto, who was on a world tour at the time.

This guy wasn't lucky; someone informed him in advance that the casting process would be conducted online in person.

Well-prepared Jared Leto appeared in drag during his audition—wearing a pink sweater and lipstick, and speaking to the director in Ryan's gender identity throughout.

Director Jean-Marc Vallée was so impressed by his performance that he immediately decided to cast him in the role!
Chen Jin could completely replicate this scene, and he could even have an advantage over Jared Leto in the process.

Because he is an actor, while Jared Leto's primary profession is as a singer.

Except for... skin color!
However, in emergency situations, skin color is not the biggest problem for the crew; the real issue is having someone step in.

whoosh-

The Rolls-Royce sped along Hollywood Boulevard in North America and soon arrived at the ground floor of Focus Features, a film studio that rented space in Beverly's CBD.

"Chan, are you just going to go in for the audition like this?"

Just as he was about to get out of the car, Aaron suddenly looked at Chen Jin behind him.

"What's wrong?" Chen Jin actually knew what Aaron meant. If it really was an audition, then obviously the candidate had to fit the role.

The character Ryan in "Dallas," who is the second male lead that Chen Jin auditioned for, is a transgender transvestite who also has AIDS... his buffs are completely maxed out, aren't they?

Otherwise, how could he have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor?

This award can only be given to characters who are controversial.

Someone has done the statistics!

Oscar-winning actors and actresses, especially those in individual categories, are often directed by directors whose films have an unconventional style. Similarly, the Best Actor and Actress awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Best Actress, also require a variety of unconventional styles.

Disability, transgender, Black... these kinds of advantages are all pluses for winning awards.

The character of Ryan destined him to have a strong connection with the Oscars.

Aaron didn't like the role because he thought he couldn't win an award, but because the script was based on a true story, and Chen Jin might not be able to get it.

No one can be 100% sure that a film will be nominated for an Oscar; a 30% chance is enough to make people flock to it.

According to Aaron, Dallas has a 30% chance.

In fact, there are more than 50 such scripts every year in the North American Hollywood market.

Only those with good luck and strong abilities can be selected from these 50+ entries and stand out directly; Chen Jin has a better eye than these agents, he has a system and knows who the ultimate lucky one is.

If the actor doesn't make the final cut or win an award, it's not a problem with the work itself, but rather with the actor.

Chen Jin's performance was not good, and the butterfly effect caused changes, etc.

But now, what Chen Jin needs to do is definitely to try out all the award-winning films from the original timeline, which is the easiest shortcut to winning the trophy.

Those who are shortlisted but don't win certainly don't have a higher chance of winning than those who are shortlisted.

Any normal person with a system would think this way.

"nothing!"

In the end, Aaron shook his head and silently sentenced Chen Jin to death.

If Chen Jin can still prepare for the role, then there is still a tiny, tiny, tiny chance, maybe 1%, of getting the role through the audition.
It's probably less than 1%.

And now, with his usual appearance and yellow-skinned face, even that less than 1% hope has been completely dashed.

Fortunately, Aaron didn't take the audition to heart.

He has staked everything on "Whiplash" and "Budapest." Securing roles in these two films would bring him one step closer to an Oscar, potentially giving him a combined 40% chance.

Is there a 40% chance that one of the two films will be nominated for an Oscar?

This is how veteran agent Aaron mentally scored his performance; it's a prediction made by an agent who has been in Hollywood for many years.

The two walked toward the floor where Focus Pictures was located. There were other people who looked like they were auditioning, and they were in the same elevator, but Chen Jin didn't recognize them. Aaron's expression became increasingly helpless.

It was a growing sense of unease.

He thought there weren't many other actresses auditioning for Chen Jin's movie. There weren't many, but... they were strong!
Gael García Bernal!

This guy actually auditioned too?

So, the role of Raine is basically confirmed, right?
Aaron muttered to himself as he stepped out of the elevator and arrived at the Focus Films floor. Chen Jin obviously didn't see her agent's expression.

The first thing he saw was several of Li An's works.

Lust, Caution, Brokeback Mountain...

That's right, this is indeed Focus Features' classic signature. After all, they won the Golden Lion and the Oscar for Best Director, which is definitely the most glorious moment for a film company.

"chan?"

Aaron greeted Chen Jin, feeling that Chen Jin wasn't there for an audition, but rather like a newbie visiting the theater.

This relaxed demeanor revealed another side of Chen Jin to Aaron.

This mindset is actually quite good for being an actor.

"You've met your match this time!"

After Aaron and Chen Jin arrived at the audition room's rest area, Aaron whispered something in Chen Jin's ear.

"Oh?"

Chen Jin glanced at the auditioning actors who were already waiting there. He obviously didn't recognize most of them. Among the North American actors, he only recognized a few globally famous superstars, such as Vin Diesel and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Chen Jin really had no idea what kind of white actors could get roles in big-budget commercial films.

"Gayle Garcia Bernal!"

"This guy used to be in 'Bad Education'!"

"The character she plays is similar to Ryan!"

Aaron spoke in a low voice, and Chen Jin raised an eyebrow: "You've played similar roles before, why are you taking on another one?"

Do you have a preference for this type of role?

Or does he have masochistic tendencies, or does he have this bad habit himself?

Chen Jin didn't understand at all.

Anyway, he will definitely only play similar roles once, especially in art films. He does this not to win awards, but to experience the role first.

The purpose of experiencing a role is to enhance one's acting skills and to create a more diverse performance.

Winning an award is just a bonus, an added bonus.

"Perhaps his agent sent him, or perhaps the producer thought highly of him and called him personally!"

There are many reasons!

"But the fact that the other person has acted in it is definitely a plus in the eyes of producers and directors!"

"He'll have a huge advantage during the audition!"

"All right!"

After hearing Aaron's words, Chen Jin shrugged.

As it turns out, this guy was right; their agent was indeed an authority.

The role of Ryan in "Dallas" was indeed played by him.

Unfortunately... I was stood up.

Yes, that's the guy who stood up the spotlight, disappeared before filming started, and refused to act.

The reason is probably that he doesn't want to play this kind of role anymore, which is similar to Chen Jin's idea!

His visit this time was probably forced upon him.

Chen Jin looked at Bernal.

(End of this chapter)