Potential Comedian

Before long, Aaron Anderson had signed his second client, Nicole Kidman, his first actor.

Since Nicole Kidman still had to promote her film Dead Calm, Aaron Anderson quickly got to work as her agent.

CAA's current client base mainly consisted of film producers, directors, actors, and screenwriters, along with singers and writers, totaling more than six hundred people.

Yet there were not many agents. Even Michael Ovitz personally managed more than thirty key clients.

Newcomers like Aaron Anderson and Jack Wells, who had made it through the mailroom trial period, were assigned to share management duties for several clients.

The difference was in their focus. Aaron was more concerned with selecting projects for his clients—provided the clients assigned to him had projects in the first place.

Watching Aaron Anderson casually set aside profile after profile, Jack Wells widened his eyes. "None of them interest you?"

Aaron nodded. "They're all fringe figures in Hollywood. I can't see much of a future for them."

Jack Wells smiled. "Otherwise, why would they be left to newcomers like us with no backing?"

"There's a young Saturday Night Live writer. See if you're interested. He also makes frequent guest appearances on the show."

As he spoke, Jack Wells handed Aaron another file. Adam Sandler, twenty-three years old.

Saturday Night Live was an NBC comedy program with high ratings and enormous fame in the United States.

At the same time, some of Saturday Night Live's affairs were reported directly to Michael Ovitz, since the show had produced so many famous figures.

Aaron looked through it. Adam Sandler had joined Saturday Night Live as a writer the previous year. Since he had started out as a stand-up comedian, he also performed onstage after joining Saturday Night Live. He counted as a promising newcomer.

"What happened to him?"

Jack Wells shrugged. "He left with his agent, Ari Emanuel, and is currently signed with ITA."

"CAA is suppressing ITA now. If you can poach him, that'll count as a contribution."

So ITA had been founded by the two people who defected last year. Aaron sneered. Hadn't CAA defected from WMA too?

What a double standard. Well, interesting.

"I heard Ari Emanuel was a young agent CAA thought highly of?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah. He, Richard Lovett, Kevin Huvane, Bryan Lourd, David O'Connor, and Jay Moloney are all part of CAA's younger generation of core talent!"

Aaron stood up. "Fine. I think highly of this Adam Sandler. Leave him to me."

The entertainment industry had always been full of profit, bribery, betrayal, deals, and threats, and talent agencies were among the best at it.

"Oh, right. There's news on the projects you asked me to watch for that need young actresses," Jack Wells said, handing Aaron another document.

"Touchstone Pictures, under Disney, is preparing a low-budget romantic comedy. Maybe you can take your newcomer to try out!"

Aaron took it and looked it over. It was a story about a wealthy man and a streetwalker, titled 3000.

A successful wealthy man paid three thousand dollars to keep a streetwalker for a week, and then they fell in love during their time together?

"Thanks." Aaron nodded. This should be the future Pretty Woman, except the story was still very dark right now.

Disney was probably planning to revise it into something more fairy-tale-like.

Well, it was quite suitable for Nicole Kidman. The question was, how could he secure it?

As the Oscar nomination luncheon was held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Rain Man led the field with eight nominations.

At the same time, as a complete CAA package project, it further boosted CAA's prestige.

At night, Los Angeles glittered with neon lights. All the city's sin and darkness were concealed beneath its prosperity as a Chevrolet pulled up outside a bar on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard.

Wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black casual blazer, Aaron Anderson got out of the car, grabbed his mobile phone, and walked into the bar.

Before long, he spotted the person he had arranged to meet, Adam Sandler, sitting at the counter.

"Two beers!" Aaron went straight over and sat beside him. The bartender glanced at Aaron's age and was just about to say something.

But Aaron casually tossed out a ten-dollar bill. "Keep them coming after I finish this one!"

The bartender smiled and quickly set down two beers.

"You're Aaron Anderson?" Adam Sandler asked.

"Cheers." Aaron nodded, then raised his glass and clinked it against his.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I want to sign you." Aaron watched several Japanese tycoons in the dance floor as he spoke.

"I think you've got potential. Staying at ITA is just waiting to die. Come back to CAA and move toward becoming a comedy star."

"With your comedic talent, I think you can make it big."

Adam Sandler looked somewhat helpless. "I have a contract with my agent."

Aaron's expression remained casual. "You signed with Ari Emanuel in May last year. Newcomer contracts are only valid for one year, so just don't renew when the time comes."

"Ari Emanuel's future is already over. ITA will face comprehensive suppression from CAA from now on. Michael Ovitz and Ronald Meyer made that decision together."

Aaron quickly finished one beer, and the bartender perceptively handed him another. "When the time comes, you can draw inspiration from Saturday Night Live and create your own scripts. I'll help you sell them!"

Adam Sandler froze. "Can you really persuade CAA to develop my scripts?"

"Why not? CAA already has package project operations. As long as the script can attract people, that's enough." Aaron knew what Adam Sandler was capable of.

The man would become quite famous in the future American comedy scene.

He wondered where Jim Carrey was now.

"Mm, I understand!"

Aaron nodded and reassured him, "If anything comes up, just call me directly. It'll be March soon anyway."

"As for Ari Emanuel, don't worry about what he can do. He's just trash."

Adam Sandler soon left. He was worried about CAA's suppression, but he was also afraid of becoming a target of ITA. He was still just a nobody.

It couldn't be helped. Before Aaron's useless father jumped into the sea last year, he had cursed those Jewish vampire financiers on Wall Street every day.

By now, Aaron did not have much goodwill toward Jewish people either. There were many Jewish people in Hollywood, and Ari Emanuel happened to be one of them. Even Michael Ovitz, who was Jewish, made Aaron somewhat uncomfortable.