Making a Friend

In early September, Irene should have been attending classes at USC in Los Angeles, but her second film had brought her to Toronto, Canada.

Perhaps it was simply habit, or perhaps they wanted the tax incentives. Just like in her previous life, they were filming in the same place.

So even with an entirely new production crew, the familiar feeling remained.

The morning air in Toronto still held the cool dampness of the previous night.

The halls of Avondale High School were already brightly lit. Artificial "daylight" streamed through the high windows, gleaming on the polished floors.

Irene stood behind the monitors, checking the lighting and camera positions with the crew once more.

"Irene, we're ready," called assistant director Jack Harris from nearby.

She nodded and walked toward the center of the set.

Reese Witherspoon stood quietly in a plaid shirt and jeans, a large canvas backpack slung over her shoulders.

Her eyes held a distinctive quality: the wildness and curiosity of the African savanna, tinged with a hint of awkwardness and unease.

"Good. Hold on to that feeling. This is Cady's first time walking in here, and everything is completely different from the life she's known. This is an unfamiliar civilization. There should be apprehension in your eyes, but not fear. Show an interest in the unknown, along with the confidence that you can handle anything." Irene didn't lecture her at length. She trusted Reese to do the role justice.

Reese raised her bright, expressive eyes and gave a slight nod. The corners of her mouth lifted into a tentative smile that belonged to Cady. "I understand, director. It's like walking into a huge zoo where all the animals can talk."

Irene smiled. Working with a smart actor was a pleasure.

She returned to the monitors and sat in the folding director's chair. Her voice was calm and firm as she said, "Roll camera."

"Camera A rolling."

"Camera B rolling."

"Slate. Mean Girls, scene one, shot one, take one."

The slate snapped shut with a sharp crack, like the report of a starting pistol.

"Action!"

The camera began moving, gliding steadily toward the hallway.

Cady Heron emerged from the backlight, her steps hesitant. She kept fiddling with her backpack straps as her eyes swept over groups of girls with immaculate makeup and fashionable clothes she couldn't understand, then over boys loudly discussing their weekend parties. Confusion filled her gaze.

She had no lines, but every emotion showed in her eyes. A trace of bewilderment and embarrassment set her apart from the noisy surroundings.

Irene stared at the close-up on the monitor. That was it: awkwardness and ambition, innocence and keen perception, perfectly blended in Reese's face.

She didn't call cut. Filming continued until Cady entered the unfamiliar classroom.

"Cut!" Irene said. "That's a wrap!"

She ended the first shot cleanly and decisively.

The first scene had gone perfectly on the first take, a great start thanks to Reese's precise understanding of the character.

Next came her interactions with her new classmates and teachers.

There were also Lucy Liu's scenes. Unlike the original character, who wore heavy makeup and spoke strangely, Lucy was creating a different kind of Janis Huang: aloof on the outside, but kind and helpful at heart.

Unlike the chaos of her first production, today's work had gone quickly. Almost everything was filmed indoors, with little technical difficulty. Irene had already thought through every possible problem.

The entire cast and crew had also shown a basic level of professionalism, making the first day of filming go smoothly.

Irene was packing up and preparing to leave when Lucy Liu happened to step out of the makeup room.

Lucy's distinctly East Asian features made Irene instinctively feel a little more patient and warmly disposed toward her.

She was the first to offer a friendly greeting. "How was everything today?"

Lucy maintained the humility typical of an East Asian. "Very good, director. Everyone's been really nice."

Compared with some other productions, Irene's crew had a larger number of people of color, and there was little difference in how people of different races were treated.

Aside from Reese Witherspoon, who had her own makeup room and lounge as the lead, the rest of the supporting cast, including Lucy, all used the same makeup room and were looked after by the same makeup team.

The crew also treated everyone equally when it came to meals and accommodations. There was no situation where the white actors stayed in five-star hotels while everyone else was put up in ordinary guesthouses.

That was rare in Hollywood.

"If there's a problem the production assistant can't solve, you can come straight to Vera Cecil. She's my assistant. Unless your request is particularly unreasonable, she'll do her best to help."

Lucy didn't know how the other actors were treated by the director, but ever since joining the production, she seemed to have been the one receiving special consideration. "Thank you so much, director. This is the best treatment I've ever received in Hollywood."

"Oh? Our production has a modest budget, at best, and I'd say the treatment we offer is just average." Irene looked puzzled. "Weren't you in Charlie's Angels? That kind of blockbuster is much more glamorous than our production."

Irene didn't know the exact budget for Charlie's Angels, but all three leads were currently hot Hollywood stars. The film also featured plenty of car chases, explosions, and carefully choreographed fight scenes, and it had been shot all over the world. It was easy to guess that the production had cost a fortune.

She planned to make a film like that one day, but for now, she needed to make this film well.

"What if I told you I was much more comfortable here than on the set of Charlie's Angels? Would you believe me?" Lucy's expression wasn't nearly as sunny as Irene had expected when she brought up the film.

"If you put it that way, I don't quite understand. Did the producers treat you badly? But you were one of the leads, weren't you?"

"Even leads are ranked by importance. And would you believe that in a big-budget blockbuster like that, no one cared about the lead character's motivations or state of mind? She got less consideration than even a minor character in a teen movie." Lucy's voice was full of disappointment and helplessness about Charlie's Angels.

At that, Irene understood. It was the usual discrimination in Hollywood; it was far too common. She gently patted Lucy's shoulder to comfort her. "At least the pay was good, right? First you have to get people to recognize you and know who you are. Only then can you choose the roles you want."

"You sound just like my agent. I have to get my foot in the door before I can find more of the roles I like."

"Exactly."

"We've talked so much, but I haven't properly thanked you, director. Thank you for choosing me to play Janis Huang." Lucy stopped and looked Irene in the eyes, her voice sincere.

Irene smiled easily. "Instead of thanking me, thank yourself. Your hard work made me notice you, and that's why I chose you."

"Do you have plans tonight, director? Let me take you to dinner."

"Sure. I'm really interested in what you experienced while filming Charlie's Angels. You know, a director who doesn't want to make a blockbuster isn't a good director. Would you tell me more about it?"

"Of course, director."

"You don't have to keep calling me 'director.' Call me Irene. I think we're friends now, don't you?"