Chapter 30

The night was hazy, and although Thanksgiving was still five days away, Brentwood was already filled with a festive atmosphere. The coral trees on Santa Monica Boulevard were adorned with lights, shining brightly.

Not far away, the Ye family’s house was brightly lit. Ye Wei’s room had undergone significant changes. Some places that used to hold items were now empty, and by the bed, there were small boxes stacked up, filled with collectible comics and toys he planned to sell. Overall, the room was much neater and cleaner, and the black stone was leaning against the wall.

At this moment, Toto was sound asleep beside the computer desk, while Ye Wei sat in front of it, looking at the screen and browsing information on IMDbPro. The Beatles’ “Yesterday” was playing on the computer.

Most film enthusiasts knew what IMDb was, but IMDbPro was different. It was a professional version designed for the film industry.

In the professional version, each movie and each person’s page contained more detailed professional information in addition to the general information available to the public, such as contact details, agents, management companies, mailing addresses, and more. It also included future schedules, ongoing projects, and personal contract statuses.

Moreover, the subscription fee was reasonable, less than $200 a year, making it an essential casting tool for producers and a must-have platform for actors to showcase and manage their careers.

Ye Wei’s account, which he had registered not long ago, was still in the free trial phase, making it even more convenient to use. His goal was to find one or more suitable targets to pitch for "Little Miss Sunshine"!

In fact, after Schwarzenegger’s "Terminator 3," the top-tier superstar club in Hollywood now had a $25 million salary cap. According to Variety, at least ten superstars were in this club, and including those earning $20 million, there were about a dozen or so.

These were the most commercially valuable and powerful actors, the top winners at the pinnacle of the industry. They moved in luxury cars, lived in mansions, walked red carpets, and were constantly pursued by the paparazzi. Film companies flattered them, producers courted them, and fans adored them...

Ye Wei thought to himself, "Damn, why don’t I have the interest to become a big star? How strange!"

Perhaps it was because he didn’t like that kind of lifestyle. In Los Angeles, in Hollywood, who was the most sought-after? Not the superstars, but the psychologists.

Fans chased after stars, but stars chased after psychologists. The number of psychologists here was astonishing, like a swarm of ants surrounding a queen. An appointment with a well-known doctor required booking months in advance, and each doctor specialized in a particular mental illness. The most common conditions were masochism and inferiority complex.

An unbelievable fact was that almost every actor had experienced feelings of inferiority, and the more famous they were, the more pronounced it was.

They craved respect, but people often said they were just lucky. Sometimes even producers and directors would say, "Just finish your damn lines and hit your marks, you don’t understand anything else." They knew they could easily be abandoned by the audience and replaced by fresh, young talent.

On the other hand, they were the ones who received the most attention and adoration, and they were extremely afraid of the day they might hear, "You’re no longer popular." They were always on edge, fearing the loss of their status.

As for the celebrity lifestyle? At first, everyone fought tooth and nail to become famous, but soon after, they grew tired of the constant attention and the high-pressure, fast-paced life. They didn’t want to live like this, but they couldn’t or didn’t want to quit, so they became hysterical, moody, and even abusive, venting their frustrations.

Many stars couldn’t handle the pressure and went crazy, abused drugs, or even committed suicide. Of course, many others did drugs and bad things for no reason, just because they were trash and stupid. Some stars had no psychological issues at all, especially reality TV stars, who wished they had hundreds of people watching them even when they went to the bathroom.

Many stars handled it well and remained as kind as a grandmother knitting a sweater.

Anyway, when dealing with stars, one had to be careful. There was a saying at USC: "If a nobody in the film set angers a star, the one who loses their job will be you."

How could one anger a star? By occupying the best parking spot, talking near the star’s trailer, or standing in front of the star when getting lunch... The film set was a place with a strict hierarchy.

Ye Wei didn’t know the temperaments of these superstars, but that wasn’t what he needed to consider. If a star with a bad temper wanted to join, would he say no? What he needed to consider was who would be suitable for "Little Miss Sunshine," specifically, which role could attract which star.

The story had six main characters, and the most appealing were undoubtedly the father Richard, the little daughter Olive, and the grandfather. These were the male lead, the core character, and the spiritual mentor. Only these three roles could potentially interest a star. The female lead, Cheryl, could also be tried, just for a chance.

However, Olive needed an actor around seven years old, and there were few superstar-level child actors, and none seemed suitable. So, let’s look at the adult roles.

First, Richard. Ye Wei flipped through the script on the desk. The script described the character’s entrance like this:

"He is wearing pleated khaki shorts, a golf shirt, and sneakers. He moves with the steady and quick pace of a former athlete. His outward energy and optimistic demeanor barely conceal the frequent insecurity and frustration that churn within him."

Often, including casting, costume, and art direction, the script served only as a reference. Some directors would follow the script closely, while others might have Richard appear in a suit and tie, looking like a high-level white-collar worker.

There was a reason the script was questioned. Many crew members disliked the script’s detailed descriptions, finding them superfluous and annoying. How could a director film something like "frequent insecurity and frustration"? Use voiceover? That’s a joke.

"The script should not reveal inner thoughts" is a principle of scriptwriting. If you want to express inner thoughts, do it through specific scenes, not through text.

Ye Wei didn’t mind these personal touches in the script because they helped him better understand the story and spark his own directorial creativity.

Based on his feeling, he wanted a middle-aged man of average build, confident yet a bit irritable, strong yet with tired eyes. A strict but deeply loving father, pushed by society and family, unable to stop and catch his breath, a failure.

As the story progressed, he would show different aspects of being a son, father, stepfather, husband, and brother-in-law. Therefore, the actor needed to have versatile acting skills, capable of being tough, loving, and humble...

"Tom Hanks... Yes, of course."

Ye Wei wrote the first superstar’s name on a card, feeling excited and grinning. Hanks was absolutely suitable! If Richard were played by him, he would undoubtedly deliver an Oscar-worthy performance! Unfortunately, writing it down didn’t make it happen.

Harrison Ford? No, too handsome and too old; Dustin Hoffman was also too old but could play the grandfather; Robert De Niro could also be the grandfather; Al Pacino? His image didn’t fit the story; Jack Nicholson, a great choice for the grandfather.

Back to Richard, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, and Ben Stiller were all good actors and superstars, but they seemed too young for Richard.

Leonardo and other young superstars were even more out of the question; Mel Gibson? His passionate cry for "freedom" was thrilling, but his demeanor didn’t fit this role.

What about Cheryl? Julia Roberts? Too beautiful, but if she agreed to play the role, makeup, costume, and camera angles could adjust her appearance; Cameron Diaz? She was an insulator, impossible to adjust; Sandra Bullock? Great acting, but she looked too young.

And don’t forget, this was a mother role, not a young mother like in "Erin Brockovich," but a middle-aged mother with a teenage son and a seven-year-old daughter. Female stars feared being seen as "old," and playing a mother role was an admission of aging. Once they played such a role, they would only continue to age, making it even more difficult.

"Oh man, when will stars start competing to work with me?" Ye Wei muttered, then couldn’t help but laugh. It was even more exaggerated than Lev. He might as well have Meryl Streep play the beauty pageant judge, "Mrs. Jenkins"!

But the reality was that each of these people was a big deal. They were no longer subject to the three-strike rule. Even if they starred in a string of flops, they would still have endless offers. They chose their roles, not the other way around.

Clicking the mouse, Ye Wei closed many actors’ pages, stretched, and then opened another actor’s page, his eyes lighting up and his heart racing.

"Bruce Willis?"