This Is Hollywood

Culver City lay south of Beverly Hills, on the Westside of Los Angeles. Aaron drove to the Culver Hotel on Culver Boulevard and, sure enough, found Nicole Kidman waiting in the lobby.

"Aaron, you're here!" The moment Nicole Kidman saw Aaron Anderson, it was as though she had found someone to rely on.

Aaron rubbed his forehead. "You've spent years in Australia's entertainment industry. Don't you know what it means when someone asks you to discuss a project at a hotel?"

"That's why I called you," Nicole Kidman explained as she pulled Aaron inside. "The person who invited me is a production executive from Orion Pictures named Peter Holman!"

"He saw my performance in Dead Calm and specifically asked to meet me. He said his company has a role that would suit me."

Aaron sighed. He did not hold out much hope, but they might as well take a look.

Then he headed to Peter's hotel room with Nicole Kidman.

When Orion Pictures executive Peter Holman opened the door, he saw a man and a woman arriving together.

He knew the woman—the beautiful young Australian actress Nicole Kidman. But who was this man?

"Good evening, Mr. Holman. I'm Nicole's agent, Aaron Anderson. I came specifically to discuss the script."

Aaron smiled, utterly unconcerned by the man's startled expression.

Peter Holman gave Nicole Kidman a meaningful glance. "I thought only Ms. Kidman would be coming."

"Mr. Holman, why don't we discuss your project first?"

Aaron knew a little about Orion Pictures. The first The Terminator had been distributed by Orion Pictures, and RoboCop, which it had produced and distributed two years ago, had also been a success.

There were now as many small distributors in Hollywood as hairs on a dog, but Orion was one of the strongest in the second tier, far beyond the likes of Miramax.

Orion, New Line Cinema, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Columbia Pictures' TriStar Pictures, and MGM's United Artists brand were currently the kings of the second-tier distribution market.

Peter Holman smiled playfully as he looked at the two of them. "Aaron, right? I think you should excuse yourself first. After all, if we're discussing a role, it isn't appropriate for you to be here."

Then he looked at Nicole Kidman again. "You're too tall. There are plenty of roles in Hollywood that won't consider you."

"However, Orion has quite a few projects in development, and there are roles that might suit you."

Nicole Kidman froze slightly before asking, "Could you tell me what project it is?"

"No rush." Peter Holman glanced at Aaron again. His meaning could not have been clearer.

Aaron seemed perfectly casual. He looked at Nicole Kidman and stretched. "Let's go."

Nicole Kidman was getting anxious. Dead Calm had only just been released—was she really going to waste time in a place like this?

"Oh." Nicole Kidman had only come to try her luck in the first place, but the man clearly wanted to sleep with her for free.

Seeing that the two were about to leave after only a few words, Peter Holman spoke lazily. "She came from Australia and doesn't understand how things work. But Aaron, you're already a CAA agent. Don't tell me you don't understand Hollywood either?"

"Young man, don't be so impulsive."

Aaron turned back and sighed. "If you were Mario Kassar, that might have meant something."

"Since when could an Orion Pictures executive decide a project?"

If it was a commercial film, did he really think he had the standing to recommend the leading actress? Orion Pictures was not some major corporation. Mario Kassar was Orion's founder and owner—he was the one who made the decisions.

As for Peter Holman, perhaps he could recommend Nicole Kidman for some B-movies where she could show off her body.

"See? This is Hollywood."

After leaving the Culver Hotel, Aaron prepared to take Nicole Kidman home.

"Take me for a drink?" Nicole Kidman was quite smart and understood many things. She was simply still bothered by his remark that she was too tall to get many roles.

"Sure." Aaron had no objections and drove her to a bar in West Hollywood.

"Thank you." At the bar, Nicole Kidman ordered a cocktail.

"It's nothing. That guy's just a nobody."

Aaron did not care in the slightest. "There are countless film companies in Hollywood. At smaller companies, only the top one or two people really have any say."

"Everyone else can only arrange ordinary roles. These distribution companies often aren't responsible for film production at all—the projects are handled by independent production companies."

"The producer, director, or heavyweight lead actors in a film all have a certain degree of authority."

Nicole Kidman looked at Aaron. "Do all new actresses have to trade their bodies for roles?"

"Uh..." Aaron paused. "The independent film scene is a mess, so let's not even talk about that. In commercial films, that kind of thing isn't as useful."

"In commercial films, the leading actress has to fit the film's positioning. Only then is there even a basis for trading her body for the role."

It could not be helped. Commercial films involved huge investments. Forget production costs—their marketing costs were far beyond what art films could compare to.

Take Pretty Woman. Disney had allocated only 15 million US dollars for production, but it had also prepared more than 10 million US dollars for marketing.

Commercial films could easily involve investments of tens of millions of dollars. Who would dare to mess around? Of course, as long as it did not affect the overall picture, commercial films were far more tempting than art films.

Forget the leading actress—people could casually sleep with female stars for any supporting role.

"Today, I went to Disney's Touchstone Pictures. Casting for Pretty Woman has already begun."

"However, their first choice is attractive, experienced Hollywood actresses. But the role isn't particularly appealing, so in the end, they'll probably turn their attention to younger actresses."

Nicole Kidman's eyes lit up. "Do I have a chance too?"

Aaron could not say much. "You'll definitely get an audition opportunity. After all, I did contribute to getting this project moving."

"As for whether you can get the role, I have no confidence in that. I don't have any authority in this project."

Still, as a foreigner, Nicole Kidman truly could not compete with local actresses.

Without someone with real power speaking up for her, Nicole Kidman would indeed struggle at every turn. In his previous life, she had gotten together with Tom Cruise. Otherwise, she really would not have had many chances to land those film roles.

"I know. I'm a foreigner to begin with. I've already experienced Hollywood's xenophobia."

"I really like the role in Ghost!"

Aaron smiled. "Don't worry. You're one of us now. When the time comes, I'll definitely get you..."