Chapter 116: Picking Up a Bargain

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Picking Up a Bargain

Not long after, the awards ceremony officially began.

The host took the stage, igniting the atmosphere with a humorous opening monologue, and the audience’s attention was quickly drawn to the stage. Irene also temporarily set aside the small interlude in the inner field and focused on watching the stage.

On stage, the host began to announce the nominees for "Best Breakthrough Performance (Female)." Irene perked up. This was the first nominated award for their movie.

When the host opened the winning envelope for "Best Breakthrough Performance (Female)," he deliberately prolonged his tone:

"The winner of this year’s MTV Movie Awards for Best Breakthrough Performance (Female) is — Julia Roberts! Erin Brockovich!"

The spotlight instantly hit Julia’s seat. She stood up to hug the team around her and walked onto the stage with a bright smile.

Irene sat in her original seat, a congratulatory smile on her face, and clapped her hands gently. This result was entirely within her expectations. Julia’s popularity in Hollywood was currently incomparable.

Let alone Reese Witherspoon, even the future Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman could not be compared with the current Julia.

Loren turned his head to look at her and whispered, "It’s okay. Your actors are already very excellent. Being nominated is a form of recognition."

Irene nodded, not feeling much loss in her heart.

After that, the award related to Irene was the unveiling of "Best Movie." When the host read out the name of The Matrix, thunderous applause erupted at the scene.

This movie, with its advanced world-building and visual effects, had become a phenomenon of the year. Irene smiled and clapped, thinking to herself, As expected.

Loren handed her a glass of warm water. "Don’t worry, there’s still one last award. Maybe there’s a surprise."

Irene held the water glass, her fingertips gently stroking the side of the cup.

To be honest, she didn’t have much expectation for "Best Villain" because Rachel McAdams was, after all, acting for the first time. There was a sense of freshness, but there were also many flaws. However, this award was indeed easier to pick up than other projects, as the competition was much smaller.

Therefore, she had already prepared herself for the mindset of just being a participant for the whole show, but in her heart, she felt that the MTV Movie Awards shouldn’t give her not even a single award and let her go home empty-handed.

Mel Gibson, diagonally in front, also gave a symbolic round of applause. When his eyes swept over Irene, they carried a few hints of mockery as if saying as expected, you didn’t win. Irene directly rolled her eyes at this. The other party was also empty-handed so far, so where did he get the energy to mock her?

After skipping a few more irrelevant awards, the host took out an envelope. "Next, we are going to unveil the Best Villain! The nominees are Mean Girls — Regina George! The Silence of the Lambs — Hannibal! Star Wars — Darth Vader!"

When Regina’s classic expression while flipping her blonde hair appeared on the screen, Irene saw Rachel McAdams, sitting diagonally behind her, clenching her hands so hard her fingertips turned white, holding her breath in tension.

"The winner of this year’s MTV Movie Awards for Best Villain is — Mean Girls! The performer of Regina George, Rachel McAdams!"

As soon as the words fell, there was a brief silence at the scene, followed by an explosion of enthusiastic cheers! ℯℯ𝑙.

Rachel suddenly stood up from her seat, unable to believe her ears.

Irene was even more excited than she was, standing up to give her a hug, her voice full of joy. "I knew you could do it! Rachel, congratulations!"

Rachel walked onto the stage excitedly. The moment she took the trophy, Rachel’s voice carried obvious joy and disbelief. "Thank you MTV! Thank you to all the viewers who like Regina!"

Her gaze passed through the crowd and landed precisely on Irene, her eyes full of gratitude.

"The person I want to thank the most is Director Irene. This is my first time appearing in a movie. At that time, I was still a newcomer with little fame. It was Director Irene who saw the possibilities in me and gave me the chance to play Regina. Without her discovery and guidance, there would be no me standing here today, nor this vivid Regina."

Irene’s eyes below the stage felt slightly warm. She smiled and nodded at her, her heart full of gratification. Seeing the actor she discovered standing on the podium, this sense of accomplishment even exceeded winning an award herself.

And Reese Witherspoon, sitting not far away, had a professional smile on her face, clapping her hands hard, but her fingertips were almost digging into her palms.

Her gaze was fixed on Rachel on the stage, a flash of undisguised jealousy in her eyes.

Even though she also starred in Irene’s movies and was even the female lead in two consecutive films, such a glorious moment belonged to a newcomer who had just entered the industry.

Her heart felt as painful as if it were being pricked by needles, and the smile at the corner of her mouth was so stiff it almost couldn’t be maintained.

"I also want to thank the entire team of Mean Girls. Thank you all for tolerating my greenness and growing with me." Rachel’s speech continued.

"Finally, I want to say to all the newcomers like me, as long as you keep your passion, one day you will be seen. Thank you everyone!"

There was thunderous applause from the audience, and Irene stood up to clap vigorously.

After the awards ceremony, Irene, Rachel, and Loren walked out of the theater together.

The night in Los Angeles was breezy and starry, and the flashes were still chasing them to take photos.

Rachel held the trophy tightly, occasionally smiling at Irene. Not far away, Reese Witherspoon, looking at the three people surrounded by the media, turned around with a gloomy face and got into the car. She remembered her agent saying that Fox would submit Mean Girls for the Golden Globe Awards.

It’s just a small MTV Movie Award, and it’s even a villain! I will definitely get a Golden Globe nomination!

Irene and Loren arrived at the interview area side by side and were immediately surrounded by reporters in the center. The flashes were so dense that people could hardly open their eyes.

"Director Irene! Congratulations to Mean Girls for winning the Best Villain award! But both Best Movie and Best Breakthrough Performance were unfortunately lost. Do you feel it’s a pity?" a reporter asked first, the question direct and sharp.

Irene stopped her pace, her face still wearing a perfect smile.

"I don’t feel it’s a pity at all. In fact, from the moment we were nominated, I felt it was a great recognition. Julia Roberts’ performance in Erin Brockovich is textbook-level, and the innovation and influence of The Matrix are even more obvious to all. These excellent works and actors deserve all the honors."

Another reporter immediately followed up: "You mentioned the people around you on stage just now. Can you say more about your relationship with Mr. Loren? Did you worry that making the relationship public this time would affect your career?"

Irene smiled and looked at Loren.

"We get along very well together. Moreover, the nature of our work doesn’t conflict, and we have time to accompany each other. I believe a good relationship is a boost to a career, not a hindrance. Having someone who understands and supports you by your side actually allows me to focus more on creation."