Using contacts

If last night's incident hadn't happened, Lyman wouldn't have thought so deeply.

In reality, he was a bit chauvinistic. He always thought that the matters of making money and working outside should be handled by him, but he hadn't really considered Eva's feelings.

He hadn't thought about whether Eva would be willing to accept the traditional "men work outside, women work inside" mindset.

Clearly, she was afraid, to the extent that she said those heartbreaking words about quitting acting and staying with him.

He admitted that he had been a bit too self-centered.

...

Passing through the living room and onto the bedroom balcony, Lyman sat on a chair, and his phone kept ringing.

"Hello, Mr. Jackson... Oh, I'm doing alright... Nothing, I just wanted to ask if you know of any friends starting a film?"

"They've started one? Are they looking for a male role... Oh, sorry to bother you... Heh, is it bad timing? No worries... Yeah, that's fine. Let's have a drink together next time. Bye."

Lyman hung up the phone and dialed another number.

"Hello, Kevin, how have you been lately?"

"... Not yet, I guess it'll take another three or four days... Hey, today isn't about discussing my business. I wanted to ask if you have any good projects? Are they in need of a female actress... Great, if you hear anything, let John know too... Thanks a lot."

Of all the phone calls, the ones to CAA seemed somewhat reliable, at least there was some hope. Unlike the other producers and directors he had contacted before, some of them hadn't even started a film, while others had already finalized their cast, and some hadn't even considered a female role.

So, what could be done?

He threw his phone aside, pressed his temples, and gradually felt relaxation washing over his entire body. He couldn't help but sigh.

Speaking of which, it had been a week since they had a proper "communication."

"Million Dollar Baby" had temporarily halted filming due to Clint Eastwood's health issues.

Eva was busy running auditions every day, so she didn't have much time to overthink things.

However, when she came back occasionally and lay on a bed, she could still sense her unsettled feelings. She would often mention going for auditions with John and not making it. To be honest, she really wanted to act.

This might be due to certain pressures of her status, making her particularly eager.

Besides acting, she didn't know how to do anything else. She couldn't manage an entire film set like René, nor did she possess Thomas's exceptional photography skills.

If she were to immerse herself in the trivialities of daily life and accompany Lyman, he would consider it quite cruel.

However, Lyman hadn't been able to start a new film recently. Furthermore, even if he did start one, the role wouldn't be significant enough. He couldn't rely solely on one director's job offer to sustain himself.

For an actor's career, that was extremely unhealthy.

After thinking it over, he decided to help.

In reality, he did have some social capital with others, but he hadn't thought about it much before. He hadn't considered helping Eva find acting opportunities. Now, when he thought about it, he realized he hadn't been utilizing his resources effectively.

Currently, he had some value in the industry, and he was basking in the glory of an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the third position on the annual box office rankings. Indeed, many people saw him as a valuable connection, and you never knew when you might need to leverage that.

Therefore, some industry insiders, including those he had collaborated with in the past, as well as the film production companies and investors who understood his character, considered him a reliable person. When they wanted to do someone a favor, they felt confident entrusting it to him.

This is how all these big and small circles work, isn't it?

You owe me a favor, I owe him a favor, and we all have our entanglements. That's the nature of shared interest circles.

Peter Jackson, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Bay... Well, everyone who had some dealings with him, who he could still have a conversation with, he contacted. There might be some opportunities, and he could potentially get Eva into a film, giving her a fresh start.

These people were quite familiar with Lyman, and even if they didn't have immediate opportunities, they could still express their willingness to help and inquire around.

While Lyman was comforted by this, he was also anxiously waiting for any news.

After closing his eyes for a while, suddenly, his phone, which was lying nearby, rang.

He pressed the button, and it was a call from Kevin Howen.

...

"I'm back."

Eva had just entered the house and shouted from downstairs.

Kicking off her shoes and slipping into more comfortable slippers, she dashed up to the second floor.

"Why the hurry?"

Seeing her approach, Lyman said.

"I'm happy! I got a commercial shoot today, and it went pretty well."

"What's up with you?" Lyman moved her head a few inches to the side.

But Eva remained resolute and planted a bright red lipstick mark on his face.

"Haha," she triumphantly laughed, playing a little prank on him.

Lyman couldn't do anything about her and said with resignation, "Let's go downstairs for lunch."

"Okay."

"You, even in broad daylight, you're eating a vegetable salad. You should eat more meat; it's good for your health."

At the dining table, a chef who could prepare Italian and French cuisine was waiting nearby. Seeing Eva eating such a light meal again, Lyman couldn't help but remind her.

"I've gained some weight recently, so I need to lose weight," she said firmly.

"Come on, with your figure, you're not overweight at all."

Lyman wasn't very hungry, but he accompanied her while she ate. He made small talk and then suddenly smiled, "Oh, by the way, this morning, Kevin called me and said there's a film missing a role, and it seems to be the leading actress..."

"What film, what film?" When it came to movies, she forgot about eating and quickly interrupted.

"It's a disaster film."

Lyman continued, "It's about the Earth undergoing massive climate changes due to greenhouse effects, and the world is about to enter a new ice age. Tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes are wreaking havoc globally. People are displaced and fleeing everywhere. Moreover, it's an ensemble cast, but as for the female role, there are only two relatively important ones. One is already cast, a Japanese actress, and the other originally had a candidate, but the director wasn't quite satisfied. So, Kevin said, let you give it a try."

"Really?" Eva beamed. She had been idle for a while, and finally, a role opportunity came up. Naturally, she was excited.

"You better make the most of it."

"Of course, I understand. You've worked hard; I love you so much." Eva pounced on him again, embraced his neck, and left another mark.

For someone with Lyman's personality, taking the initiative to seek opportunities for her, wasn't it all for her sake?

"Tell me more, tell me more. Is there room for performance in that movie?"

"Well, it's a disaster film, so how would I know if there's room for performance, but I think there should be."

"Ha, that's okay. I was just asking."

"Let's go this afternoon; I've made an appointment with someone."

"Okay, okay." She nodded eagerly.