Susan sized up Naomi Watts, who, despite being 32 years old, looked no older than a girl of 23 or 24. As she wondered how Naomi managed to maintain her youthful appearance, she quietly whispered to Gus and Alan beside her.
After hearing Susan's remark, both men became more serious.
First of all, any actress whom David Lynch thought highly of was bound to have the kind of talent that piqued their curiosity—especially since they had never heard of Naomi Watts before.
Moreover, Naomi came recommended by Wayne, which made her even more worth paying attention to.
Hollywood, and indeed all of America, was not immune to the importance of connections. In fact, relationships and networking were highly valued here. The only difference was that they evaluated the value of personal connections and prioritized what benefited them most.
Therefore, although Gus placed more importance on Naomi, he didn't cut her any slack. Instead, he picked the two most challenging scenes from her script to test her acting.
The first scene involved 'Betty' leaving, and 'Lawrence' returning to work at the TYW Club. While dancing on stage, Lawrence glanced out at the audience, as though they existed in two different worlds.
Without 'Betty', what meaning did this job hold for her?
Without 'Betty', what direction did her future, her life, take?
'Lawrence' mechanically twisted her body, performing a sultry dance, wearing a seductive, formulaic smile on her face to elicit more tips from the patrons. But her heart was filled with longing for 'Betty' and confusion about the future.
Without realizing it, a look of surprise appeared on Susan's face.
She didn't know how Gus, a director of his caliber, might judge Naomi's performance, but in her eyes, Naomi's acting had no flaws. It was as if everything she did came naturally, drawing Susan's gaze and stirring her emotions.
Whether it was the result of Naomi's intensive training or her innate ability, Susan no longer had any doubts about this "cheap" and "unknown" actress.
"Wayne sure knows how to pick them!"
Thousands of miles away, Wayne looked at the alluringly beautiful Eva Green sleeping next to him and couldn't help but engage her in conversation again. Unbeknownst to him, Susan had just recognized his good judgment once more.
Curious, she glanced at Gus to see his reaction and gauge his opinion of Naomi's performance.
Unexpectedly, but also somewhat expectedly, Gus gave a slight nod, his expression showing deep satisfaction.
"Very good, Miss Watts. To be noticed by both Director Lynch and Mr. Wayne, your acting is indeed impressive!" After Naomi finished her scene, Gus took the initiative to offer his praise.
Of course, whether her acting was truly that outstanding was debatable, but by his standards, Naomi's performance was certainly good enough for the film.
"Thank you for your compliment!" Naomi quickly expressed her gratitude.
However, because Susan was also present, Naomi didn't behave as humbly as she had in previous auditions. It wasn't that she was arrogant after landing a connection; it was that she now represented Wayne to some degree.
"Now for the second audition," Gus continued. "This time, you'll play 'Lawrence' after days of torment from longing. She finally gives in and goes to see 'Betty'. This scene involves a silent gaze exchange across the garden."
This scene was neither too difficult nor too simple. Thankfully, though Naomi had no formal training, she wasn't like those expressionless "pretty faces" that dominate modern Chinese entertainment. Her eyes and facial expressions were lively and full of depth.
It's worth mentioning that during her previous audition with Annie, Wayne had chosen this same scene for them to perform together.
At first, 'Lawrence' stood outside the garden, with emotions of pain, longing, and struggle all mixed together, reflected in the complexity of her expression.
But when 'Betty' suddenly, as if by telepathy, turned her head and their eyes met, all of Lawrence's pain and struggle disappeared. Looking at Betty's angelic face and pure, gem-like eyes, one voice echoed in Lawrence's heart:
"I can't live without her! I need to be with her!"
Naomi's expressive eyes and vivid emotions beautifully captured this transformation, easily overshadowing the still-inexperienced Annie, securing her the role of 'Lawrence'.
Now, Naomi once again delivered a performance that earned the approval of Gus and his team.
"Yes!"
After leaving the audition room, Naomi couldn't suppress her excitement and clenched her fists, ignoring the gazes of those around her.
This was a leading role audition!
The last time, in *Mulholland Drive*, though billed as one of the two female leads, her role was actually more of a secondary one.
But this time, it was the real deal—a genuine leading role.
Passing the audition not only gave her peace of mind but also brought her one step closer to her goal of becoming famous and making a lot of money.
Thinking about this, even with her years of experience, she couldn't help but smile excitedly.
Not far away, Annie, who had been adjusting her mindset, noticed Naomi's expression and immediately felt a pang of disappointment. Her last hope of getting the lead role vanished.
Thankfully, with the lessons learned from last time and the fact that her chances were slim to begin with, her attitude wasn't too shaken.
Now, Annie approached every audition, no matter how small the role, with utmost seriousness. In a way, she had matured a lot.
However, thinking that Dakota Fanning was up next for an audition gave her a bit of a headache.
But who could blame Dakota? In this movie, she was cast in the second lead role. In the original version, Mackenzie Grace's portrayal of Mary was so captivating that even the main character, Frank, got overshadowed.
Some geniuses really defy explanation. Although Dakota Fanning lost some of her original spark as she got older, at this stage, she still radiated extraordinary talent.
In the audition room, both Gus and Susan, initially just hoping Dakota could meet the bare minimum requirements, found themselves impressed by her performance.
(End of Chapter)