System in Hollywood

At first, he actually intended for Megan to audition for the role. However, since Annie had been diligently serving him for quite some time, he felt it was only fair to give her a chance as a reward. So, he allowed her to audition.

But if Annie's performance ended up being terrible, he had no choice but to replace her and find someone else for the role.

What surprised him, however, was that despite her previous failures in auditioning for *The Princess Diaries*, *Gifted*, and *Resident Evil*, Annie didn't get discouraged. Instead, she really focused on improving her acting skills. Compared to her performance months ago in the *Gifted* audition, her current level of acting was worlds apart.

"Well, well, is she about to show me a 'long time no see' type of transformation?" Wayne smiled slightly as he watched Annie's much more spirited eyes, the fitting expressions, tone, and body movements. He couldn't help but feel amused.

"Nancy, what do you think?" he asked.

"Fantastic! It completely exceeded my expectations!" Nancy Meyers replied straightforwardly. "When she first came in, I was worried that her image and vibe wouldn't fit the role of 'Regina,' because she looks like a quiet princess. But once she started acting, she portrayed the character with such detail and precision. Wayne, your eye for talent is truly impressive."

Wayne smiled and accepted her compliment. Then he turned to Annie and said, "Congratulations, Annie, you passed the audition."

"That's great! Darling, thank you!" Annie immediately rushed forward excitedly, wrapping her arms around Wayne's neck and giving him a strong kiss on the cheek.

Everyone in the room smiled kindly at the scene, but what they were actually thinking was anyone's guess.

Although Annie was genuinely excited, she wasn't *that* excited. After all, it was only the role of the second female lead. Her over-the-top enthusiasm just now was all an act.

She thought she had fooled everyone, but in reality, with her limited cunning and acting skills, she could probably only fool people like Hannah and Tina Fey.

Nancy Meyers, along with Sarah and Melanie, had been in Hollywood for decades—they were no easy targets. Even Wayne, with his formal education in film and previous experience teaching at a film school, could easily see through her. While his acting skills weren't extraordinary, his sharp eye was almost on par with Nancy Meyers'.

"Don't relax just yet. Keep preparing seriously, understand?" Wayne said.

"Of course, darling, I'll do whatever you say."

Annie knew when to stop. She didn't want to waste more of anyone's time, so after politely thanking Nancy and the others, she left the audition room with a spring in her step, still brimming with excitement.

"She really is perfect for the role of 'Regina,' that b***h," Hannah quipped, relying on her intuition to comment.

Wayne just smiled, not saying anything in response.

Next up was Martina, auditioning for the third female lead, 'Janice.'

This time, there were no surprises.

'Janice' was originally the only girl in school who dared to stand up to 'Regina.' In the original version, she was rough around the edges, with a non-mainstream look. After the main character, 'Cady,' transferred in, Janice befriended her and encouraged her to take down Regina. She did things like mix foot cream into Regina's moisturizer and feed her high-calorie junk food. Clearly, she wasn't a good girl either.

In Wayne's version of *Mean Girls*, he removed the non-mainstream appearance but kept Janice's rough personality.

Martina had a sweet and delicate look, so playing 'Janice' was even more challenging for her than it was for Annie to play 'Regina.'

Even after consulting with a professional stylist beforehand, who gave Martina a smoky eye look and a more gender-neutral hairstyle, her appearance barely fit the character.

As for her acting during the audition…

Nancy Meyers just couldn't give her a pass this time. After all, she was the director of this film, and if the movie flopped, she'd be the one taking the blame.

Wayne couldn't help but think, "If only young Kristen was five years older."

Undoubtedly, if Kristen Stewart played 'Janice,' with a smoky eye, slicked-back hair, and a black leather jacket, she would have nailed the role with at least a 90% match.

Unfortunately, young Kristen was only 11 years old at the time, though she already had a bit of a tomboyish look.

It's worth noting that Kristen often came by on weekends or holidays to bring Wayne homemade treats, and her baking skills were improving. Her mother, Mrs. Stewart, would use the opportunity to visit as well, engaging in some "deeper conversations" with Wayne when she wasn't busy with work.

"Alright, Ms. Garcia, you can step out now," Melanie, taking on the role of the "bad guy," said with a smile after a brief exchange.

Martina wasn't clueless—she knew she had blown the audition.

Though disappointed, she forced a smile, thanked everyone politely, and left the room.

"I thought she'd beg you for help," Hannah teased Wayne, leaning closer.

Unlike Annie, Martina didn't ask Wayne to put in a good word for her. She didn't even glance his way, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, which made Hannah think slightly better of her.

"Alright, go call in the next person for the audition, and grab me a cup of coffee while you're at it," Wayne gave her a playful glare, sending her off as he returned to flipping through the audition list, deep in thought.

If possible, he still preferred to "keep it in the family," so…

"Maybe I should switch Megan and Martina's roles?"

The next audition was for Amanda Seyfried, who was trying out for the fourth female lead, 'Karen,' one of Regina's ditzy followers.

Though Amanda was two years younger than she was when she originally played this role, she still had no problem pulling it off.

(End of Chapter)