Inside the Warner Bros. studio lounge, several actresses sat quietly, waiting. There was neither verbal nor eye contact between them, and even their seats were placed far apart—as if the others were man-eating monsters. Most of them had no assistants by their side; instead, they were accompanied by neatly dressed agents.
All of them clearly knew what they were about to face. Success meant a bright future right ahead—fame and fortune were inevitable.
Once upon a time, a girl who had been unknown and even carried the stigma of scandal landed the role of the female lead in this very franchise and went on to become a world-famous actress—now one of Hollywood's most iconic women.
Who wouldn't want to shine as brilliantly as Natalie Portman once did?
These women had entered Hollywood either for fame or fortune—never to remain nameless supporting characters.
In a relatively noticeable corner of the lounge sat a tall, slender blonde girl. Unlike the others, who remained cautious and silent, she had been whispering constantly with her agent since sitting down, her face occasionally breaking into a confident smile, as if the role of the film's heroine was already in her pocket.
"Kirk, I want this lead role."
The blonde girl slightly curled her lips, her smile sweet and confident. "It's Star Wars, and the director is Duke Rosenberg. This is the best chance to make a name for myself!"
Her agent, named Kirk, nodded lightly. Indeed, this was the perfect opportunity. If his wealthy heiress client could secure the female lead, she would definitely skyrocket to fame and he would earn a hefty commission as well.
The girl looked at her agent and asked, "I told you to arrange a meeting with Duke Rosenberg. Did you contact him?"
Although she came from a billionaire family in New York, the girl had been immersed in entertainment circles since childhood. She knew that certain kinds of "transactions" truly existed. She herself was far from conservative—if she could get involved with Duke Rosenberg, her chances of winning the role would undoubtedly increase.
Besides, the thought of being intimate with one of the most talented and renowned directors in the world thrilled her. It would also be something she could later boast about to her social circle.
However, her agent Kirk frowned with embarrassment. "I did send a message to Duke Rosenberg through my contacts at ICM, but he turned it down."
"What? He refused?" The blonde girl pressed urgently. "Didn't you show him my photos?"
"I did," the agent shook his head, "but he still refused."
The blonde girl fell silent. Though confident, she wasn't stupid. Duke Rosenberg was one of the top directors in all of Hollywood. There was no shortage of women who wanted to climb into his bed.
True, she was young, beautiful, and full of energy—but how many such girls were there in Hollywood?
Moreover, it was widely rumored that the young Duke Rosenberg and the middle-aged Duke Rosenberg were completely different men in that regard.
"Annie, we still have a big chance," her agent quickly comforted her when he saw her disappointment. "Mr. Peltz has already spoken to Duke Rosenberg through the Lauder family connection."
"Really?" The blonde girl's voice rose with excitement. She quickly covered her mouth and whispered, "My father contacted Duke Rosenberg?"
"Yes." The agent nodded solemnly. "Duke Rosenberg and Irene Lauder are very good friends, as you probably know. Mr. Peltz reached Duke through Miss Lauder's cousin."
The girl pressed further, "And what did he say?"
The agent patted her arm lightly. "As long as your conditions are right…"
The blonde girl immediately broke into a radiant smile—clearly misunderstanding Duke's meaning.
Just then, the door of the lounge swung open, and an assistant-like staff member entered. After glancing at the actresses, he said expressionlessly, "Miss Nicola Peltz, it's your turn for the audition."
It was only the first round of auditions, so it wouldn't take long. Hearing this, the blonde girl quickly stood up, gave her agent a reassuring look, and followed the assistant toward the audition room.
Inside the audition room, Duke—who rarely attended first-round auditions—was present this time. The earlier candidates had all met the age requirement, but those with suitable looks lacked acting skills, and those who could act well didn't quite have the right appearance. None had yet displayed the aura a female Jedi Knight should possess.
When the blonde girl, Nicola Peltz, entered the room and began performing the required basic scene, Duke's eyes lit up.
His assistants, Tina Fey and Anna Prinz, also glanced over. The girl in front of the camera was beautiful and her acting decent, but that typical "dumb blonde sweetheart" vibe she exuded hardly fit the image of a Jedi warrior.
Casting a ditzy blonde as a Jedi Knight—Duke would have to be insane.
The reason she caught his eye was not because she fit the role, but because some old memories had suddenly surfaced—memories unrelated to Star Wars: Episode VII.
"My name is Nicola Peltz, from Westchester County, New York. I first appeared in the film Deck the Halls when I was eleven—that was my screen debut."
Nicola hadn't expected Duke himself to be present at the first audition, but she managed to maintain her composure, confidently introducing herself. "Later, I starred in M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender…"
She noticed Duke nodding behind the monitor, which made her increasingly self-assured.
After hearing her introduction, Duke gestured slightly to the side. Tina Fey said, "Miss Peltz, you may leave now. We'll inform your agent of the results as soon as possible."
"Thank you!" Nicola Peltz replied politely and exited the audition room.
Duke flipped through her profile and handed it directly to Tina Fey. Curious, Tina asked, "Do you think she's suitable?"
Duke shook his head first, then said, "Forward this profile to Michael Bay."
At the moment, "Explosion Bay" was preparing Transformers 4. Most of the cast from the first three films would be replaced, and the type of female lead he was looking for was exactly that kind of typical dumb, sweet, blonde girl.
Back at the lounge entrance, Nicola Peltz beckoned to her agent. He hurriedly stepped outside. Sitting nearby, a brunette girl with long, dark brown hair curiously glanced toward them. Perhaps because Nicola hadn't tried to hide her words, the brunette clearly caught fragments of their conversation.
"How was the audition?"
"Duke Rosenberg was there. He seemed very satisfied with me."
The brunette girl was quite smart and instantly realized that this wasn't just an ordinary first-round audition. With Duke Rosenberg personally present, the first impression would be crucial. Though that blonde girl claimed the result had gone well, she herself would not give up. Having crossed the entire Atlantic and North America from London to Los Angeles, Daisy Ridley hadn't come all this way to serve as anyone's backdrop.
Some time ago, while she had been out shopping with three friends, someone had casually mentioned that Duke Rosenberg was casting the female lead for Star Wars: Episode VII. Daisy Ridley had immediately exploded with excitement and called her agent right away, demanding to be included in the audition.
She didn't even know why—there was just this strange feeling deep inside: I have to go!
Because of her young age, Daisy Ridley wasn't even a hardcore Star Wars fan. Her only exposure had been through magazines or the cultural presence of the saga in daily life. Still, she clearly understood what being in a Duke Rosenberg film could bring her. That strange surge in her heart that day—the feeling of "I have to go"—was something she couldn't ignore.
So, for today's first audition, Daisy Ridley arrived an hour early, filled with unprecedented nervousness.
Sitting quietly in the lounge, Daisy waited alone. She had no one accompanying her—not even her agent had come along.
The first-round auditions proceeded quickly. One actress after another entered the audition room, then came out again. Sitting behind the monitor, Duke found himself unsatisfied with all of them. Hollywood had no shortage of talent, but choosing the lead for a blockbuster was never easy. Even the simplest vase role wasn't something any random pretty actress could handle.
Duke had once described the difficulty of casting the female lead for Star Wars: Episode VII to Scarlett Johansson like this—"She needs both excellent acting skills and a strong ability to withstand pressure. It's like looking for an athlete capable of competing in every single Olympic event."
Soon, the assistant led in the final actress of the day. Duke glanced up. Compared to Nicola Peltz, this British actress named Daisy Ridley wasn't particularly beautiful. But unlike Nicola's sweet, naïve vibe, Daisy carried a rare sense of bravery between her brows. Her slightly rough, strong facial features and firm gaze gave her an uncommon air of resilience—one that faintly resembled Padmé Amidala's temperament.
Although Duke was now on bad terms with Natalie Portman, his fondness for the character Padmé Amidala hadn't changed. He genuinely liked the kind of aura Daisy Ridley possessed, and in his heart, he immediately added extra points for the young British actress. Such a temperament undoubtedly suited a female Jedi Knight.
However, to Duke's disappointment, Daisy Ridley was visibly nervous, and her performance during the audition wasn't very good. A simple acting segment barely reached a passing level.
Daisy herself was also disappointed. She knew she had messed up. After changing out of her costume in the dressing room next door, she returned to the audition space, looking slightly uneasy. Fortunately, she was the kind of person who grew stronger with setbacks. Knowing she had to make up for her earlier mistakes, she reminded herself that her next expression couldn't show even a trace of carelessness.
She quietly adjusted her breathing, preparing to face the next challenge in her very best state.
...
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