Hollywood is not devoid of child stars. While there aren't many great ones, they do exist. When it comes to acting skills at Dakota Fanning's level, paired with her equally adorable and charismatic looks, saying she's one of a kind might be a bit of an exaggeration, but after thinking it over carefully, Gus couldn't think of any other five- or six-year-old actor more outstanding than Dakota Fanning.
"Where did Mr. Wayne find this Dakota Fanning? His eye for talent is truly incredible!"
This time, it wasn't just Susan who thought so; even Gus couldn't help but marvel at Wayne's keen sense for spotting talent.
Moreover, he greatly admired Wayne's 'boldness.'
With a solid investment of over ten million, casting the two lead female roles to completely unknown actors was something Gus himself could never have done.
Thus, far away in Zurich, where Wayne was having a deep conversation with Eva Green, he once again received a wave of praise.
"Next up is Ms. Anne Hathaway!"
After Dakota Fanning left the audition room with a delighted smile, it was finally Anne's turn to audition.
Perhaps it was because she had failed such an important audition before, but as soon as Anne stood up from her seat, she couldn't help but feel the tension creeping up again.
Her heart was pounding, almost as if it would leap out of her chest.
Sensing something wrong, Anne quickly tried to adjust her emotions and calm herself down. However, in the short walk to the audition room, how could she possibly manage to relax?
"I'm Anne Hathaway, I previously appeared in *Happy Death Day*."
Clever Anne thought of using her introduction to buy herself some time, which gradually helped ease her nerves.
However, at this stage of her career, her acting skills were quite average. Even though she had gone through intense acting lessons, she barely met Gus, the director's, minimum standards.
Compared to the exceptional performances of Susan Sarandon, Naomi Watts, and Dakota Fanning before her, Anne's performance suddenly felt underwhelming. Gus remained expressionless throughout the audition, and even Susan only managed to offer a polite smile.
Noticing their reactions, Anne's heart sank.
When she finally learned she had passed the audition, she felt as if she had narrowly escaped a disaster, letting out a huge sigh of relief, grateful that Wayne had taken a chance on her.
"Megan, look, what's up with that Hathaway girl? Why does she look so exhausted after coming out? Is the audition really that hard and terrifying?"
Not far away, Liu Tianxian had been observing each person who came out of the audition room. It was something most people present were doing.
But unlike the inspiration and excitement she felt from watching Naomi Watts and Dakota Fanning, Anne's demeanor had startled her a bit.
"The audition shouldn't be that difficult," Megan thought for a moment and said, "It might be that Anne Hathaway just isn't that skilled. So, even though Wayne recommended her, she was probably still really nervous."
Although Megan's words were aimed at Anne, in Liu Tianxian's ears, it felt as if she were talking about her instead.
"Then what about me? Do I really have what it takes to meet the director's and writer's standards and pass this audition?"
Poor Liu Tianxian couldn't help but feel nervous again. As she was young and attending her first audition, her ability to control her emotions wasn't even as good as Anne's.
By the time she stood up and walked into the audition room, facing Gus and the others, her nervousness had reached its peak.
But, to borrow a term from fantasy novels, Liu Tianxian was a person with extraordinary fortune. The role Wayne had prepared for her was a cool and aloof academic.
The contrast between her wooden demeanor and the lively, adorable 'Betty' was meant to highlight how important 'Lawrence' was to 'Betty's' growth.
If 'Betty' spent an extended period living with 'Evelyn,' how would she turn out?
Because of cultural differences, most people in America wouldn't want their child to become a bookworm, even if they had good grades.
At this moment, Liu Tianxian was so nervous that her movements were stiff, and she stumbled over her lines, but her expressionless face, combined with her natural temperament, perfectly fit the role of the aloof academic.
"She's a girl Wayne noticed just a few days ago. She hasn't studied acting, nor has she had any crash course training, but there should be time to help her improve before filming officially starts."
Perhaps recalling Wayne's excellent eye for casting in the past, Susan, though a bit dissatisfied with Liu Tianxian, hesitated for a moment before softly explaining to Gus.
This also made Gus reconsider his initial plan to reject Liu Tianxian.
It was just a small role with at most three or four scenes, not even 30 seconds of screen time. It wasn't worth offending Wayne, the investor, over such a minor part.
"I understand." Mr. Gus nodded slightly at Susan, then turned back to Liu Tianxian with a polite smile and said, "Congratulations, Ms. Liu. You've passed the audition. However, I hope you can work with an acting coach before filming starts to ensure you don't feel as nervous on set as you did today."
"Th-thank you, Director! I understand! I'll definitely find a teacher to work on my acting skills, and I won't be as nervous when the time comes."
Liu Tianxian felt relieved and overjoyed.
At that moment, she began to understand what Anne had felt earlier.
At 3 PM, after finishing all the auditions, Susan immediately called Wayne to report the final casting list.
"Mm, Liu Qianqian passed the audition too?"
"Yes, but she was quite nervous during the audition, so her performance wasn't great. I plan to have Mike help her find an acting coach to give her some crash training before her scenes start."
Susan didn't hold back and spoke honestly.
However, after thinking for a moment, Wayne shook his head and said, "No need to find her an acting coach. Her natural, unpolished state is perfect for the role. We'll find a way to deal with her nerves during filming."
Susan was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Wayne's reasoning, given her background and years of experience as a producer.
"Please recommend, and vote~~~ Yippee~~~"
(End of the chapter)