"Director Gilbert, would you like to grab a cup of coffee together later?" Angelina Jolie flashed what she believed was a sweet smile, blocking Gilbert, who was heading toward the parking lot.
Gilbert found it odd. "And you are?"
Angelina was stunned—Gilbert didn't even know who she was.
She had no choice but to reintroduce herself. "I'm Angelina Jolie, an actress."
"Oh." Gilbert finally realized why she looked familiar—so it was Jolie. In his previous life, she had been quite well-known.
His impression of her mainly came from Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which he had found rather entertaining.
However, no matter how famous she was, Gilbert had no time for distractions. So, he simply said, "Sorry, Miss Jolie, I'm busy. Maybe next time."
Angelina Jolie was smart enough to know that pressing too hard would only irritate Gilbert. So, she played along and remained pleasant, smiling again.
"Then, could I at least get your contact information? I'll call you next time."
Gilbert raised an eyebrow, not bothering to reply, and walked away.
Angelina saw that Gilbert wasn't even willing to engage in small talk. She was about to push further to get his contact information when his assistant, Anna, stepped in to block her.
At that moment, Angelina understood—Gilbert had no interest in speaking with her. She frowned, thinking hard, unable to figure out what she had done wrong.
On the drive back, Gilbert asked Anna, "How did the initial auditions go?"
Anna replied, "Very smoothly. Thirteen actors have been shortlisted for the final round."
"Is Jolie among them?"
"She is…"
Gilbert waved his hand dismissively. "Remove her from the list. She's not the right fit for the role."
Anna noted it in her work log and immediately called the casting director to relay the decision.
Just like that, with a few words, an actress lost her chance at the role. But in truth, Gilbert was doing Jolie a favor—she simply wasn't suited for the part of Arwen.
Pursuing this role would only be a waste of time.
During the initial auditions, Gilbert rarely paid attention to the process. The actors he had personally invited were exempt from the first round and went straight to the final auditions.
As it turned out, his handpicked choices all fit their roles perfectly and passed the audition process with ease.
In particular, the casting of the Elven Prince Legolas was a major success. Orlando Bloom's appearance was stunning—so much so that Charles Roven gasped in amazement, declaring that Bloom was Legolas. He also admired Gilbert's keen eye.
As an experienced producer, Roven had never even heard of this actor before. How had Gilbert discovered him?
Gilbert merely smiled and said nothing. He had an advantage—of course he knew.
However, when it came to casting Arwen, Gilbert found himself in a dilemma after eliminating Liv Tyler.
Looking at the shortlist for the final auditions, he could find flaws in every candidate—either their looks weren't quite right, or their demeanor didn't match.
At times, Gilbert wondered: Was there truly no perfect girl in this world who could embody his vision of an Elven princess?
Unfortunately, the Elven princess couldn't be Asian. If she could, Gilbert might have considered casting a beautiful Chinese actress instead.
There were some actresses who came close to his ideal. If Nicole Kidman hadn't had children and were ten years younger, if Naomi Watts were a little taller, or if Charlize Theron toned down her powerful aura…
Scarlett Johansson, upon hearing that The Lord of the Rings featured an Elven princess, eagerly approached Gilbert, pleading for the role.
"Gilbert, I think I'd be perfect for the role of Arwen. Just let me play her!" Scarlett clung to Gilbert's arm, playfully begging.
Gilbert sighed. "Scarlett, you already act like a princess—I've spoiled you like one."
"Hehe," Scarlett giggled happily at his words. She continued shaking his arm. "Exactly! I have experience being a princess. That makes me the perfect choice for the Elven princess!"
Gilbert rejected her outright. "No. You're too young—not even fifteen yet. And you…"
He gestured at her height. Scarlett pouted. Height was an issue—she was rather petite. And as for her age, that went without saying. She was still too youthful.
Scarlett glanced down at her chest and mumbled, "I've been drinking so much milk, but it only makes that part grow… My height isn't changing at all!"
Gilbert was both amused and exasperated. This girl—what on earth was going on in her head every day?
Despite Scarlett's persistent pleading, Gilbert firmly eliminated her from consideration. He didn't even give her a chance to audition.
To be honest, if he had to pick someone more suitable, even Sophie Marceau—who was currently staying at Melon Manor with nothing else to do—would be a better choice than Scarlett. If she were ten years younger, she would have fit Gilbert's ideal image of an Elven princess.
However, Scarlett's antics did give Gilbert a new idea—he didn't necessarily have to choose an actress in her twenties who was already famous.
A younger actress, around seventeen or eighteen, could work just as well.
Following this train of thought, Gilbert's attention landed on none other than the seventeen-year-old Anne Hathaway.
Though there was only a three-year gap between seventeen and fourteen, it marked a critical transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
At seventeen, one already possessed a rare sense of maturity while still retaining the innocence of youth. In terms of appearance and temperament, Anne Hathaway was quite outstanding.
Except for one thing—her mouth was slightly large, and her smile could sometimes appear less flattering.
Additionally, Anne Hathaway had brown eyes, which, paired with her bright and cheerful facial features, gave her a sweet look.
But the impression Arwen should leave was more of a cool elegance, exuding a noble and goddess-like aura. So, the question of temperament depended on Gilbert's ability to guide and shape her performance.
Still, this was already one of the closest-to-perfect candidates. No actress could be a hundred percent ideal, and Gilbert decided not to obsess over the details.
It was just a pity that Taylor Swift was still too young—otherwise, she would have been a fitting choice. He also wondered what Taylor's acting would be like.
At this time, Anne Hathaway had just finished filming a TV series called Get Real, which featured another actor who would later become well-known—Jesse Eisenberg.
However, the show had poor ratings and was canceled after just one season.
That didn't stop Anne Hathaway from starting to gain attention, and she was recommended to Gilbert by Disney producer Cathy Child.
Anne Hathaway never expected to receive the opportunity to work with a famous director like Gilbert, which made her extremely excited.
She put in a great deal of preparation for the audition.
First, she carefully read all the Lord of the Rings novels, even though she wasn't a fan of the series.
Knowing she was auditioning for Arwen, she specifically studied all the character's scenes in the books and even wrote a character profile, analyzing Arwen in depth.
On the day of the audition, Anne Hathaway felt a bit nervous seeing so many actresses coming and going—all familiar faces in Hollywood.
Her agent accompanied her to the audition. While Anne was getting her makeup done, the agent couldn't help but praise her, "My God, Jacqueline, you look stunning."
Anne looked at the headpiece on her head and the necklace around her neck, glittering against her fair skin. Even she was mesmerized.
Thanks to the makeup artist's skillful work, a modern American schoolgirl had been transformed into a classical beauty, exuding the elegance of a European medieval princess.
Anne Hathaway was polite and could tell the makeup artist was exceptionally skilled.
So, she sincerely thanked her, "Thank you, ma'am, for giving me such a beautiful look."
"You're welcome," the makeup artist waved her off, urging her to move along before calling out, "Next! Jessica Chastain…"
Once Anne Hathaway was ready, she waited outside the audition hall.
Inside, auditions were still ongoing, and all the actresses waiting their turn remained silent, mentally preparing.
Anne Hathaway also kept quiet, observing the other prepared actresses and trying to gauge who her strongest competitors might be.
"Jacqueline, do you want some water?" her agent asked.
Anne Hathaway shook her head. "No, thanks. I don't want to ruin my makeup."
She didn't even dare open her mouth too wide while speaking, afraid that excessive facial movement might cause her makeup to smudge.
Water was provided for the actors at the audition, but no one touched it. If they drank, they only drank from bottles their assistants had brought.
The reason was simple—sometimes, even water could be tampered with, potentially ruining an actress's audition.
Incidents like that were common in Hollywood, so actresses were particularly cautious.
After several actresses finished their auditions, it was soon Anne Hathaway's turn.
Encouraged by her agent, Anne Hathaway took a deep breath to steady herself before stepping into the audition hall.
Inside, the first thing she noticed was Gilbert, the legendary Hollywood director, seated in the center, flipping through some documents.
The people on either side of him were likely producers, but Anne Hathaway didn't recognize them.
As soon as she walked in, her focus was on Gilbert, completely ignoring everyone else. She understood that the man in the center was the one who would decide her fate.
"Anne Hathaway…" Gilbert glanced at her résumé—just two thin pages.
Compared to the thick résumés of other actresses, it looked quite modest.
Then he looked at her costume—pretty good, she already had that princess-like aura.
Anne Hathaway began introducing herself, "Hello, everyone, I'm Anne Hathaway…"
Before she could finish, Gilbert interrupted her, "Time is tight. Let's get started right away. Give her script number three."
Anne Hathaway, momentarily caught off guard by Gilbert's abruptness, took the script in a daze.
Gilbert continued, "You have three minutes to review the script, and then we'll begin the audition."
"Oh!" Anne Hathaway, still a bit confused, quickly lowered her head and began reading.
The scene was a dialogue between Arwen and Aragorn—a romantic exchange. This meant she would be performing alongside whoever was cast as Aragorn.
But from what she had seen earlier, there didn't seem to be any actors present.
So… who was she going to perform with?
Anne Hathaway was puzzled.
...
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (30 chpater)
MV Director (30 chapter)....
Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapter)
Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu