Chapter 224: Baldness and Tea

Ridley Scott was a top Hollywood director who made excellent movies like Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator.

His brother Tony Scott was also a notable action movie director, known for films like Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Enemy of the State, and Man on Fire.

This year, Ridley Scott's crime drama American Gangster was released.

Tony Scott also had a mind-bending action movie starring Denzel Washington, Deja Vu, which was set to be released. The screenplay for Deja Vu sold for $4.5 million, making it the most expensive original script at the time, acquired by Disney.

Ridley Scott's 41-year-old son, Jake Scott, was also a TV director.

"Who would've thought Ridley Scott's youngest daughter wants to be a director too? That makes four filmmakers in their family!" Charles held Emily Blunt in his arms as they lay on a bed in a villa on Knightsbridge in London, still surprised by what they learned at the party earlier.

Emily Blunt, blushing, leaned against Charles and laughed, "Ridley Scott and Tony Scott are already big names in Hollywood."

Charles nodded, "They must have been influenced by their family from a young age. Jordan Scott, their daughter, studied under her father for a long time and collaborated with him on TV series before directing short films on her own."

However, Jordan Scott mentioned at the party that she was looking for suitable material for her first feature film.

She seemed particularly interested in adapting the novel Cracks by famous South African writer Sheila Kohler into a screenplay.

Charles was a bit taken aback by this. He didn't expect that the future drama film Cracks, starring Eva Green, would be directed by Ridley Scott's daughter, Jordan Scott.

"Charles, I heard you spend a lot of time in France. Don't you like England?" Emily Blunt asked, propping up her head.

Charles was a bit startled, "Do I really spend that much time in France?"

Emily Blunt nodded.

"There's the Cannes Film Festival in France; it's the second-largest film festival after the Oscars!"

"Italy has the Venice Film Festival, but you didn't go to Italy either?"

"Hehe, movies. Capet Pictures just finished a French film, La Vie en Rose. I also previously commissioned EuropaCorp to develop films."

Emily Blunt nodded. Britain was basically the same as Hollywood, being part of the English-speaking world, whereas French films needed to tap into the French-speaking market.

"Anne Hathaway was filming Becoming Jane in London recently, and I visited her on set. They just wrapped filming this month!"

Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway became friends after working together on The Devil Wears Prada and kept in touch regularly.

"It's just a romance movie. They shot it from March to mid-June, almost four months. No wonder back in the day, director James Cameron flipped the British crew's tea tables while filming Titanic," Charles said, kissing the lady on her lips.

"The Brits sure are laid back when it comes to work!"

The British afternoon tea culture really was a long-standing opulence sustained by centuries of global exploitation.

"No way!" Emily Blunt explained with a smirk, "British tea culture does have a deep influence, but it doesn't affect the work pace that much."

"So you're saying James Cameron's a workaholic?" Charles laughed.

"Being a workaholic is good," Emily Blunt continued, "Capet Pictures has worked with many British filmmakers, right? Charles, didn't you say you prefer working with British actors?" Emily Blunt said, whispering in Charles's ear, "Especially pretty actresses, right?"

"How do you know?" Charles said, rolling over and pressing the lady down, kissing her chest.

"Just at the party, I saw you were quite familiar with Catherine Zeta-Jones, and there's also Kate Beckinsale from your past work and Keira Knightley who is currently collaborating with you!"

Charles lifted his head and smiled, "Aren't you a pretty British actress too?"

That evening at the party, Charles did chat with Catherine Zeta-Jones. However, Catherine Zeta-Jones wasn't as stunningly beautiful as she used to be.

Charles noticed last year in Los Angeles that Catherine Zeta-Jones had aged. At the October premiere of The Legend of Zorro, she already looked quite old.

"Let me tell you why I don't stay long in England. It's because I'm afraid of going bald. Not only are there no non-bald men in England, but even foreigners who stay long also start going bald.

Men go bald, and women age fast!"

Emily Blunt looked awkwardly at Charles on top of her, "It's mostly because of the hard water quality in England!"

That's true. The rate of male baldness in England is the highest globally.

Charles shook his head, "Who knows, even dogs shed more if they stay long here."

"Charles, you make England sound like it has nothing good," Emily Blunt laughed. Charles always liked to come up with ridiculous reasons.

If it wasn't criticizing English afternoon tea culture, it was saying British people go bald...

Emily Blunt ran her hand through Charles's golden hair, "You're still young; you definitely won't go bald. Besides, you mostly live in the US. Even if you stayed in the UK for years, you wouldn't go bald!"

Charles shook his head vigorously, like a rattle, refusing, "Look at how many foreign students in London are already bald?"

Emily Blunt sighed, patting Charles's back, "Aren't you going to rest? Are you worried about the box office performance of The Devil Wears Prada?" Emily asked.

"Not at all. With The Da Vinci Code doing so well, Capet Pictures has no worries."

Charles wasn't concerned about that. 

"This The Devil Wears Prada will make Anne Hathaway very famous. You might get some attention, but it won't be as much as Anne Hathaway," Charles said, looking at Emily Blunt. "Just wait for your chance. I don't have any suitable roles for you right now."

"I know, Charles. This is only my first Hollywood movie. Getting noticed would already be enough," Emily Blunt said, wrapping her arms around Charles's neck and giving him a kiss.

Charles didn't just stay passive; he responded actively, intertwining his fingers with the lady beneath him, beginning another round of lovemaking.

*****

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