Chapter 483: A Little Interlude

Chapter 483: Chapter 483: A Little Interlude

Throughout the entire audition preparation period, Irene’s emotions remained calm and restrained, showing not a single trace on the surface as she continued to advance various procedures methodically.

With her sharp observation skills, Natalie Portman obviously also perceived the impropriety of this parachuted operation, knowing full well that her sudden appearance would inevitably cause the chief director, Irene Coppola, to harbor misgivings, let alone the fact that she and Irene had no friendship to speak of.

Therefore, during the break before her turn to audition, Natalie deliberately avoided the crowd, found Irene resting alone, and took the initiative to initiate their first private contact.

At this moment, Natalie Portman’s attitude was humble and sincere, her words filled with admiration and respect, without a shred of the arrogance and sense of superiority typical of a parachuted candidate.

She spoke softly, her tone earnest and candid: "Irene, I am very sorry to disturb you abruptly."

Without waiting for Irene to respond, she took the initiative to take all the fault upon herself, earnestly explaining: "First of all, I want to solemnly say sorry to you. I am your loyal audience, and every single work you have directed has been repeatedly watched by me no less than three times. From the camera language, story core, character shaping to commercial pacing, every single detail makes me incomparably admire you, and I have always looked forward to an opportunity to work with you."

"This time, when I learned the news that The Devil Wears Prada was opening auditions, there were only a few short days left before the audition date, making the time far too rushed."

Natalie’s gaze was sincere, her tone full of apology,

"I truly cherish this rare opportunity for cooperation too much, and wanted so badly to participate in your project and hone my acting skills under your lens. In a moment of impatience,

I privately obtained the qualification to enter this audition through circle connections. The whole process was entirely due to my personal selfishness and rashness, and has nothing to do with the Condé Nast Group. It was I who begged for their networking resources to be able to parachute onto the candidate list.

All the problems lie with me; I hope you will not blame the partners because of this, and not let my rash action affect the tacit cooperation between both parties."

This speech was comprehensive, decent, humble in attitude, and appropriate in measure.

It not only sincerely expressed her admiration and desire for cooperation, but also actively took on all responsibility, perfectly resolving the embarrassment of Condé Nast’s overstepping probe and preserving the decency of both parties to the maximum extent.

If it were replaced by a male director who is easily moved by flattery, there is a high probability that he would be moved by such a sincere, admiring, humble, and sensible attitude, develop a favorable impression, and relax his standards.

But Irene was not like that.

As an onlooker possessing memories of two lifetimes who could view the flashy surface of the entertainment industry from multiple angles, deep down she actually held inherent cognitive awareness and an objective review of Natalie Portman.

In her past life, the controversies surrounding Natalie in the entertainment industry never stopped.

She was skilled at holding high the banner of feminism and shaping an independent, clear-headed female persona, constantly outputting female viewpoints in the public view to win favor and public opinion dividends.

However, when it came down to actual actions, she rarely provided substantial help and support for women’s rights, vulnerable actresses in the industry, or grassroots female groups.

Most of the time, it was just vocal speeches focusing only on the level of public opinion, rather than truly bringing actual benefits to women.

Of course, Irene could not use a saint’s standard to demand a great contribution from an actress, but since the other party had raised the banner of feminism, she should put in some effort rather than just talking about it with her mouth.

Therefore, although she had entered Hollywood for a long time, she had never proactively interacted with this post-80s leading actress representative.

Compared to Natalie Portman, who better fit the aesthetic of the niche elite circle, she preferred Scarlett Johansson, whom she had worked with before.

Of course, Irene, who had deeply cultivated the industry for many years, had now also forgotten those past youthful biases, and forged a mature handling pattern and professional literacy that a mature adult should have.

Personal character impressions and past public controversies would not affect her professional judgment, let alone cause her to bring personal emotions into her work.

Therefore, facing Natalie’s sincere apology and genuine admiration, Irene’s expression was calm and graceful, accepting everything frankly and naturally.

She did not put on the airs of a backer and director, but merely nodded faintly, her tone calm and appropriate: "I know your thoughts, and I understand your feelings. Just prepare well for the audition, and I will treat every candidate’s performance fairly."

Amidst the other party’s grateful gaze, Irene returned to her seat.

After Natalie Portman took the initiative to apologize and took on all responsibility for the parachuted audition, the brief undercurrents at the audition site for The Devil Wears Prada were quietly smoothed out.

The on-site staff performed their respective duties, and the waiting actors adjusted their states and thoroughly read the audition clips in turn.

Meryl Streep, the actress playing Miranda, the core female second lead and fashion devil of the film, sat to the side of the judging panel.

She was Irene’s predetermined choice from the early stage of the project and did not need to participate in any audition assessments.

Today, she made a special trip to arrive at the scene not to take an exam, but specifically to help read lines and cooperate with the candidate actors to complete the audition clips.

Before the official audition for the female lead Andy, Elizabeth Newhouse finally rushed to the scene.

"I am so sorry, Irene. The flight delay almost made me miss it. It did not delay your affairs, did it?"

Irene gently shook her head: "It is fine. You came just in time; the auditions are about to start."

Elizabeth Newhouse took her seat beside Irene and Sophia.

When she came in, she had also seen Natalie Portman.

She was also completely speechless at the operation of the group’s senior management privately parachuting an actor to test Irene.

She had only learned of these outrageous operations by the group’s senior management before boarding the plane.

She had been friends with Irene for a while.

The other party looked easy to get along with, but was a person with very strong bottom lines.

Such overstepping behavior of acting first and reporting later was extremely likely to make Irene harbor misgivings.

She did not want to lose a friend whom she could talk to and achieve mutual success with.

"Irene, I want to say sorry to you on behalf of the people in our group. The group temporarily pushed a candidate to your team without communicating with you in advance; it was our lack of consideration."

"Many old-timers inside the group feel that Natalie’s status, public recognition, and general audience appeal are better suited for the top fashion positioning of this film."

Elizabeth’s tone was sincere, without concealing the group’s true considerations,

"They worry that Anne Hathaway’s past sweet princess persona is too solidified to support the texture of the workplace transformation in Vogue, whereas Natalie’s high-intelligence elite persona and international visibility can make the film’s fashion tone stronger and overseas box office more guaranteed.

I did not forcibly interfere with your casting rights; I am just giving you a heads-up in advance, hoping you will not develop an estrangement because of the group senior management’s arbitrary actions. No matter who you finally settle on, I will respect your decision one hundred percent."

Irene listened quietly and was not too angry after all.

After all, the other party did not rely on group resources to exert pressure or forcibly demand her to compromise, but only mediated in the middle, explained the reasons, and maintained the friendship and cooperative decency of both parties to the maximum extent.