"We're heading to the Paley Hotel now. The 'The Parent Trap' crew will start shooting your first scene there. It'll take about three to four days. After that, we'll return to Spielberg's 'Hook' set for a week of shooting, then go to Napa Valley's vineyards for more 'The Parent Trap' scenes until we follow them to London to wrap up, finally heading back to Los Angeles for 'Hook.' That's the schedule from today until the end of next month," Marcy Andros said, flipping through her files. She glanced at the beautiful woman sitting next to her with some concern. "Are you listening, Julia?"
"Hmm? What?" The woman, who had been staring out the window, turned back and smiled slightly, "I got it, Marcy."
This striking woman might appear no different from other beautiful women at first glance, but a second look revealed her unique charm, especially her alluring lips, which could stir a man's imagination even when pressed together. Though she was smiling, there was a persistent melancholy in her eyes.
"Listen, Julia, don't let the cold remarks from the 'Hook' crew get to you. That's Hollywood for you. When you're famous, they flock around you, but when you fail, they turn cold," Marcy sighed. "I've talked to Mr. Spielberg. He promised there won't be any more incidents like that."
"It's fine, Marcy. I'm really okay. I don't care about those things. As long as I can deliver good work, I believe it will shut them up," Julia said, then hesitated, her voice uncertain. "But why did I take a role in 'The Parent Trap'?"
"What's wrong?" Marcy asked, puzzled. "When Mrs. Meyers extended the invitation, you agreed—was there something off about it?"
"No, it's just... I thought maybe a different type of role might help me more," Julia shook her head.
Marcy sighed silently. Julia clearly cared about the criticism, despite trying to hide it. Who would have thought that Julia Roberts, who had won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and the People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress just a year ago, would be labeled as box office poison after one movie flop? Could one failure really erase years of hard work?
"Listen, Julia, try not to stress so much. I believe you'll prove everyone wrong. But until then, we should probably choose simpler roles with guaranteed box office success," Marcy said, a bit helplessly. Julia, however, laughed in relief.
"Alright, I admit I was overthinking it," she smiled. "I won't be knocked down that easily. Besides, this is my first time playing a mother. Thanks for your concern, Marcy."
"I'm glad you can adjust your mindset," Marcy exaggerated a sigh of relief. "You should know, if you breach the contract, I'll lose 15% of my commission. I don't want to mess with money."
Their laughter was interrupted by the driver's voice, "Miss Roberts, Miss Andros, we're at the Paley Hotel."
The Paley Hotel, located at the bend of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, had a slightly curved 30-degree facade. While its exterior was ordinary, its interior was luxuriously diverse in style, often used by film companies for shoots due to its proximity to Hollywood.
"Welcome, Miss Roberts, Miss Andros," a middle-aged woman greeted them as their car pulled up outside the hotel.
"Hello, Mrs. Meyers, nice to meet you," the two women said in unison, extending their hands almost simultaneously.
"Oh, I wish I had two right hands," Nancy laughed, shaking their hands in turn. "You can call me Nancy."
"You're punctual, Miss Roberts. We can start shooting right away, so that stingy lobby manager won't keep complaining about us blocking the driveway without doing anything." Nancy gestured for them to follow her.
"It's no surprise, Nancy. Public place managers are like directors. They want you to start and finish shooting as quickly as possible," Julia said, walking beside her. Before seeing the crew, she heard a lively, attention-grabbing voice, "No, no, no, Mr. Phoenix, I'm sure you hid it here. I saw you. You can't cheat me. Are you saying your word doesn't count with a little girl like me?"
The voice was light and lively, irresistibly drawing attention. Julia looked in its direction and saw a very pretty little girl persistently talking to a cameraman with a camera hanging around his neck. The girl had long golden-brown hair and bright, expressive green eyes. Her beige coat and skirt gave her an air of sophistication—a little lady, though her actions were anything but ladylike.
"Adorable girl, isn't she?" Nancy noticed what had caught Julia's attention and teased, "That's your daughter."
"My daughter?" Julia blinked, a bit confused, but quickly understood and laughed, "She is indeed very cute. I like her."
She hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Although it might be rude to ask, how well does she adapt to the environment?"
"She'll surprise you," a male voice interrupted. When Julia looked over, the newcomer smiled slightly and extended his hand, "Nice to see you again, Miss Roberts. I'm Alan Buck, your butler."
"Mr. Buck?! It's great to see you again," Julia exclaimed happily, hugging him briefly. "I remember we last worked together on 'Mystic Pizza' back in '88."
"Yes, but back then, the young lady turned into a big star while I remained a minor character," Mr. Buck joked, his hippie costume adding a comedic touch that made the ladies laugh.
"Alright, Mr. Minor Character Butler, what surprise are you talking about?" Julia asked, but before Alan could answer, an exclamation came from nearby, "Wow! It's Big Mouth Sister!"
Although this wasn't the first or last time someone called her "Big Mouth Sister," the excitement in this particular voice made Julia inexplicably happy. Before she could respond, a small figure had already rushed up to her, staring at her with bright green eyes.
"Hello, I'm Julia Roberts. And you are?" Seeing the cute little girl staring intently at her, Julia couldn't help but smile and ask.
The little girl seemed to snap out of it, blushing slightly. Suddenly remembering something, she ran back into the crowd, shouting, "Jessie! Jessie! Bring what I prepared!"
A few seconds later, she returned, dragging another cute little girl, and breathlessly handed Julia a beautifully bound notebook, "Miss Roberts, I'm Catherine Mason. I love your movies. Can you sign this for me?"
Touched by the sight of her slight sweat, Julia smiled, took the notebook, and quickly wrote: "Catherine, may you always be free from troubles in your life. Your loyal fan, Julia Roberts."
"Here you go." Julia handed the notebook back to Catherine. The other little girl, a bit shy, blushed and also handed her a notebook, "Miss Roberts, I'm Jessica Alba. Could you sign mine too?"
Since she had already signed one, she didn't mind signing another. Besides, she never refused autograph requests. However, this triggered a small commotion. Fans who had recognized her had gathered around the hotel entrance, assuming a film was being shot and refraining from asking for autographs. But seeing the two girls get autographs sparked their enthusiasm, and they quickly followed suit. Julia, who had won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress, found herself surrounded by fans.
Fortunately, the crew managed to control the situation quickly. After spending several minutes signing autographs, Julia finally sat down, waiting for the makeup artist to prepare her for shooting. Just then, a voice from the door caught her attention.
"Miss Mason, you can't disturb Miss Roberts. She's getting her makeup done."
"I know, I know. I'll just sneak a peek. I won't go in."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes, I promise!"
"Still no. Your promises are never reliable."
"Oh, come on, Mr. Rex, you're breaking my heart."
"Alright, but Miss Alba must promise."
"Me? "
"Yes, I'd trust you over Miss Mason."
"Fine, Jessie, you promise. Though he's broken my young heart, I won't pursue it before that."
Such cute girls, Julia thought, wanting to turn around, but the makeup artist was already working on her face, so she continued to listen.
"It's a shame I'm wearing the crew's costume. Otherwise, I'd have her sign it."
"Why sign the costume, Cathy?"
"Because it would become highly collectible, especially after Big Mouth Sister wins the Oscar for Best Actress. Maybe I should prepare two costumes, sign one before she wins, and the other after."
"You're so sure Big Mouth Sister will win the Oscar for Best Actress?"
"Of course. Big Mouth Sister has ambitions, unlike you, Jessie!"
"Come on, Cathy, I'm better off than you, who doesn't want to do anything."
Amused, Julia was also deeply moved. Every actor dreams of winning an Oscar, and she was no exception. After the failure of 'Dying Young' and the cold remarks from the 'Hook' crew, she had been afraid to dream. But hearing a child's unwavering belief in her success was a significant comfort.
Such an interesting little girl, Julia thought with a smile. Remembering Mr. Buck's words, she wondered what kind of surprises Catherine could bring her.