Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 454 The Power of Burger King

   "Ali is a symbol, the dream lover that all lower-class boys in America want to have." Weintraub chatted with Ronald and the audition director about his thoughts the day before the audition for the heroine began.

   "So in addition to a very beautiful girl, we also need her to meet the aesthetics of most American people, preferably already widely known."

   Hearing this, Ronald raised his head and glanced at Weintraub. Why did all his words change overnight? Don't care about ethnicity? Did someone teach him?

   "So, among these people, are you biased?" Dupont, the audition director, asked the producer while taking notes.

   "Yes, we can focus on these two girls." Weintraub took the pen from Ronald and circled the two names on the audition list.

   "Lee Thompson, and Elizabeth Shue?"

"Yes, thanks to the Burger King commercial directed by Ronald. Now their popularity is very high among ordinary American people." Weintraub patted Ronald on the shoulder, as if he had picked it up. Kind of cheap.

   "Hey, not bad. My kids talk about them a lot too." Dupont, the audition director, also said the same.

   In addition to the national TV audience bombarded by Burger King's series of commercials for several months, McDonald's sued Burger King and banned young actor Sarah Michelle Gellar from eating at McDonald's. Gossip also attracted a lot of attention.

   It seems that someone really taught Weintraub a few hands, and Ronald also felt that this statement made sense. He took another ballpoint pen and wrote it down in his notebook. Then he wrote a big question mark next to it, and next to it he wrote "Who is it?".

   "I heard they were going to audition for other films?" Weintraub asked again.

"Yes, Leigh Thompson's agent proposed that she should retain the right to choose 'Red Dawn', and if John Milius selected her, we will automatically ignore our movie", casting director DuPont turned to the notebook. Front page, "Elizabeth Shue is going to transfer to Harvard soon, so not sure."

"Ronald, when the time comes, you can contact them and see how the situation is. I know they are all actors you discovered." Weintraub gently scratched his temples with his fingernails, an investment of 8 million , There is still no status in Hollywood, and actors do not regard their projects as their first choice.

When    auditioned, as usual, Susan Aikins attended as a representative. At the end of the day, the best candidates in Ronald's mind were Leigh Thompson and Elizabeth Shue. The two have their own advantages, and what Ronald likes most is that the images of the two in the camera lens are the kind of beauties next door.

  As an audience, you can expect your neighbor to have such a beautiful girl in her house, but not to the extent that you can only see it in movies.

  Between the two, Ronald preferred Leigh Thompson more, she knew better than Elizabeth Shue how to restrain her radiance and radiate it out when needed.

   The other girls who auditioned for the audition are a little worse than the audition photos. Sarah Jessica Parker is more suitable for playing a supporting role. She looks so ordinary, it is impossible for the audience to make Daniel fall in love at first sight, and it is also a great damage to the plot.

  Sarah is not very picky, and she is willing to play supporting roles. Maybe she had failed auditions many times before and was criticized for not being pretty enough.

   As a child, Sarah Jessica Parker fell in love with the show when she participated in the U.S. Army Singing Show. But aside from being a Jewish identity, she doesn't have many advantages in the circle.

  Jennifer Gray comes from an acting family, and she is also Jewish. This girl's acting career is much broader, and she is also auditioning for the "Red Dawn" crew, not afraid that Ronald won't choose her.

  The third Helen Hunt, when Ronald almost mistook her for Jodie Foster, a child star who had gone to Yale school, when she first entered the audition room. The two have subtle similarities in facial features and temperament.

   She is also from an acting family. Last year, she was the protagonist of a movie, playing a girl who played quarterback on the high school football team. She has the same problem as the first two Jewish actors, not pretty enough.

After discussing and tagging all the actresses who had auditioned with DuPont and Susan, Ronald got up and went first. She made an appointment with Lea Thompson and Elizabeth Shue at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. Chat in the lounge.

  Lee Thompson first saw Ronald walking into the lounge and raised his hand.

   Ronald went over and took the seat between her and Elizabeth Sue, "What are you talking about? I'm sorry I'm late." He raised his hand for the waiter to bring a glass of mineral water.

"We were talking about the Burger King ad, and it really helped us a lot," Leigh Thompson said, looking at Ronald. "Now I go to the set to audition, and everyone knows I'm the Burger King girl. Even I played the role. None of the surfer girls in Jaws 3D are as well known as Burger King. We can all thank you, Ronald."

   "This is the credit for Burger King's huge investment, and it is also the quality of the two of you." Ronald didn't want to take credit. "What about you? Elizabeth? I saw your updated resume, and it seems that you are not very active in film and television dramas."

   "I have applied to Harvard and transferred from Wesleyan College. My advertising career is mentioned in my application, which should be of great help." Elizabeth also smiled and thanked Ronald for his support.

"Also, my application will take some time. If...I mean if..." Elizabeth Shue grabbed Leigh Thompson's hand, "if I get the role, can you tell me earlier that I need to work with The school needs to do more communication to postpone the admission.”

   "I will." Ronald agreed, knowing that it was a very rare opportunity to enter Harvard, and he would tell Elizabeth Sue the final result in advance as much as possible, so as not to delay the other party.

  Girls in the entertainment industry, many of them graduated from high school, or have not graduated yet, they became actors. But there are also a small number of actors who have higher education experience, or even an Ivy League degree.

   "Ronald, I also want to get some inside information early..." Lee Thompson saw that Elizabeth Sue had also opened up, and wanted Ronald to inform herself of the audition result in advance.

   "You're different, it's useless for me to give you advance notice," Ronald said after taking a sip of water. During the preparatory stage of the crew, he did not want to use alcohol and tobacco to boost his energy.

   "Why?" Leigh Thompson groaned.

"Because you still have a casting for 'Red Dawn', even if I choose you, I'm afraid you will abandon me and go to fight with Fidel's paratroopers." Ronald made a joke, "Red Dawn" The film tells the story of men and women fighting guerrillas against Cuban paratroopers.

  Lee Thompson blushed. "You never asked me to do a movie, Ronald."

   "I'm just kidding, Li. I don't have the final say on the casting, I'd be happy if the producers picked any of you."

   Ronald was also infected with Evelson's flowery problem without knowing it.

   "By the way, why is 'Red Dawn' so attractive? It seems that all young Hollywood actors have auditioned." Ronald showed a look of envy.

   "First of all, it's a big production. Second, everyone wants to play the director John Milius' movie." Leigh Thompson analyzed Ronald earnestly.

   "But, female guerrilla? Come on." Ronald felt as if these actors were short-sighted, even if it was a big production, who would want to play a female guerrilla? The guerrillas can't be very beautiful in the camera, what's the picture?

"Oh, Ronald. You don't know the life of our actors. Our actors have a very short acting time in a movie. After the filming, we go to audition for the next one. When the movie we shoot is released, we may be in the middle. Two more films have been made, and I have forgotten the plot of the movie that was released.

   So my agent said, plan your career. 'Red Dawn' is the new work of the best-selling director, and MGM itself invested more than 15 million in the filming.

   There are very few such big productions now, and the agent said that as long as he can appear, he will be able to improve his position in the future. Unlike 'Longwei Kid', ... forget it, let's not talk about it. "

  Lee Thompson was halfway through, then picked up the straw and started drinking a cocktail.

   "What did he say?" Ronald knew it wasn't a good word, but he still wanted to hear what the industry agents really thought about his film. In this circle, most of them are flattery in person, and few people will express their true views.

   "Yes, Li, we are all friends, there is nothing we can't say." Elizabeth Sue helped.

"Okay, but that's what my agent said. He said Hollywood is rumoured that your movie is just a small-production exploitative film to scam a layman like Weintraub out of money, just make the cost a bit higher. , you can make a lot of money.

   So many agents are not optimistic about your project, and there are many actresses who are reluctant to audition for your film. "

"So why are you here?" Ronald took a sip. This kind of rumor is really boring. He has always only helped producers save money, and has never cheated producers like Michael Cimino. people.

   "Me? I like this character a little bit, and then I was able to enter the film and television industry because you gave me my first chance."

"Thank you, I will urge the producer to give you an answer as soon as possible. But please do me a favor, if you have progress in 'Red Dawn', please let me know as soon as possible, I am ready to find other women actor."

  The three friends sat for a while, Ronald left to work on the project first.

   As he was leaving, he remembered and asked Leigh Thompson, "How is Dennis?"

   "He just finished a movie about how one person can manipulate other people's thoughts through dreams. Now, he's preparing for the next project." Leigh Thompson talked about her boyfriend Dennis Quaid with a smile on her face.

  Dennis Quaid's acting career is developing well, and the two often find time to get together during filming intervals.

  Ronald smiled, it was a personal choice, and outsiders could not intervene. That's what America's values ​​are, and choosing a mate is also a competition, and there's no sympathy for the losers.

   But the two Burger King girls had other options, Ronald felt that he had to prepare. He found the phone and called Weintraub.

   "Hey, Weintraub is here."

   Ronald heard voices coming from the receiver, as if Weintraub was in a meeting.

   "It's me, Ronald. There's a small chance that both girls won't be in the show, and I think we'll have to start a backup plan."

   "Come to the office tomorrow to talk more, we really should keep looking."

   (end of this chapter)