Chapter 190: The Female Oil Worker  

In The Finest Hours, the male lead's girlfriend, Miriam, is the female lead, but she's more of a decorative role with limited screen time. On the other hand, the second female lead, Rachel, shines with far more personality and charm. 

Rachel is a female oil worker on the tanker. When the storm hits, she steps up, assisting the acting captain, Ray Sybert, in leading the crew through a series of self-rescue efforts. 

She's tough, brave, calm, and composed—a woman whose steady performance in a crisis is every bit as impressive as any man's. Supporting Ray Sybert with coordination and leadership, she proves she's just as capable as anyone else. 

This feminist character aligns perfectly with today's mainstream values, adding depth and layers to Rachel's role. 

Compared to the ornamental female lead, the second female lead is the film's biggest highlight for female characters. 

A role like this can't be played by someone too delicate or overly glamorous. More importantly, the actress has to be willing to look unglamorous and endure hardship. 

Enduring hardship is a basic requirement for Hollywood actresses, but looking unglamorous? That's a tough sell for most who rely on their beauty to play decorative roles. 

Unless you're someone like Nicole Kidman, with unshakable confidence, exceptional charisma, and acting chops to match, you'd be willing to embrace an unglamorous role, like she did in The Hours. 

Now, Nicole Kidman had moved out of Dunn's home. Fortunately, he'd found a new companion—Charlize Theron. 

That evening, Dunn continued his unabashedly indulgent lifestyle, entwined with Charlize Theron and Sophie Marceau. From the sofa to the dining table, from the corner to the windowsill, the three of them went at it for over an hour before finally settling down, lying side by side on the soft bed, basking in the afterglow. 

Sophie Marceau murmured in admiration, "Dunn, you're incredible. You're the most impressive man I've ever met!" 

Charlize Theron chimed in with a compliment, "Yeah, just now… I was practically floating." 

Dunn wrapped an arm around each of them, pulling the two beauties close with a grin. "I still think that time with Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio was the most thrilling!" 

Charlize Theron giggled. "I'm game for that, no problem. But… you might have to deal with Miss Portman throwing a fit again." 

Dunn's expression stiffened slightly. 

Noticing his discomfort, Sophie Marceau quickly changed the subject. "By the way, I heard… Mel was at the audition for The Finest Hours this afternoon?" 

Charlize Theron's eyes lit up. "The Finest Hours? Cameron's new film?" 

"Yeah, you didn't see the papers?" 

"I… did." 

Charlize Theron's face suddenly fell. 

She was already a second-tier actress in Hollywood, having starred in several commercial films, all as decorative roles. She was desperate for a breakout to reach A-list status, which was why she'd gotten close to Dunn. 

Sure, The Finest Hours was a commercial film, but with James Cameron directing, it was far from ordinary. Even playing a decorative role in this movie could catapult her to A-list status. 

But Dunn hadn't even mentioned the film to her, which left her feeling a bit disappointed. 

Oblivious to Charlize's expression, Dunn sighed. "Yeah, Mel… he passed the audition." 

"What?" Sophie Marceau gasped, sitting up and revealing her stunning figure to Dunn. She looked at him in surprise. "You mean Mel's going to film The Finest Hours on top of Braveheart?" 

Dunn gave a wry smile. "Exactly. You don't know how hard I tried to talk him out of it this afternoon, but that guy's stubborn as a mule. He insisted on joining, even offering to take a pay cut." 

In Braveheart, Mel Gibson's salary was $25 million. On top of starring as the lead, he was also a producer with some casting influence. 

In The Finest Hours, Mel Gibson was the second male lead, not a producer, and his salary? A mere $15 million—still the highest in the cast! 

Director James Cameron's salary was only $10 million. 

Of course, Cameron had a bigger additional contract, earning him 10% of the film's global box office. 

This was the fifth-largest contract in Hollywood history for producers, directors, and actors! 

The top spot went to Steven Spielberg for Jurassic Park, with a $20 million salary plus a 20% global box office share—the ultimate deal. 

Tied for second were Mel Gibson in Braveheart and Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, both securing "20/20" deals—$20 million plus 20% of the box office—though they took on more roles as self-producing, directing, and acting. 

Third was Dunn Walker, director of Titanic, with a massive $15 million plus 15% box office share. 

Fourth was Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, who, as producer and star, landed $20 million plus 10% of the global box office. 

Star Wars director George Lucas didn't make the list, as he negotiated for higher merchandise profits with distributor 20th Century Fox, forgoing a $20 million salary. 

Sophie Marceau said softly, "Mel's a big star. He should be able to handle it…" 

"Let's hope so." Dunn sighed, noticing Charlize Theron, who was leaning against him, seemed a bit distracted. He chuckled. "There's a role in The Finest Hours for a female oil worker. It requires looking unglamorous. Interested?" 

"Huh? Me?" 

Like Sophie, Charlize sat up abruptly. 

Dunn smiled. "Of course. Didn't you say you're tired of playing decorative roles? This one's perfect. It's the second female lead, but the part's substantial—way more compelling than the female lead." 

"I'm in! Of course, I'm in!" 

Charlize threw herself into Dunn's arms, thrilled. She'd faced so much public scrutiny to get close to Dunn—wasn't this the moment she'd been waiting for? 

The second female lead, not a decorative role, in a $200 million blockbuster produced by Dunn and directed by James Cameron! 

Dunn patted her back gently. "You've got my recommendation, but James has to approve. His opinion matters, got it?" 

Charlize took a deep breath, looking determined. "I understand. I'll make sure he's impressed." 

Dunn gritted his teeth, glaring at her. "What are you thinking? James is a straight arrow!" 

"Huh?" 

Charlize blinked in confusion. 

Sophie Marceau burst out laughing, shaking with amusement. "Even if you're willing, Dunn wouldn't be. Right? You're his girl now, and when it comes to this, Dunn's pretty possessive." 

Dunn declared firmly, "Damn right. That's my line in the sand!" 

The next day, auditions continued. 

The moment James Cameron saw Dunn, he frowned and shouted, "Dunn, you promised me you'd recommend a solid second female lead!" 

Before he could finish, he noticed a rugged, sturdy woman trailing behind Dunn—a female oil worker. 

She wore a slightly grimy blue uniform, her hair greasy as if it hadn't been washed in a week. Her skin looked weathered and rough from long hours in the sun and wind. Stepping into the room, she had the air of an unpolished, working-class woman, curiously glancing around with little regard for manners. 

Worse, she reeked of pungent diesel fuel. 

"Here she is!" Dunn grinned, gesturing to her. 

The female oil worker snapped to attention, flashing a toothy smile. "You're Director Cameron? When's Terminator 4 coming out? I'd love to catch it!" 

"Sorry, I won't be directing a fourth one," Cameron shot back curtly before grabbing Dunn and heading toward the break room. 

"What's up? No audition?" Dunn asked, barely hiding his amusement as he played dumb. 

Cameron's eyes blazed. "Dunn, is that woman a relative of yours? No offense, but even if you're the investor, you can't just do whatever you want with my film!" 

"What's the problem?" 

Cameron fumed. "What's the problem? I asked you to recommend a second female lead, and you bring me an actual oil worker? Are you messing with me? Trying to sabotage this movie?" 

Dunn, caught off guard by Cameron's intense reaction, coughed heavily. "James, I think… you've got the wrong idea." 

"Wrong idea? Hmph, you better hope so!" Known as a set tyrant, Cameron didn't mince words, not even for Dunn. "Take that woman and leave. I need an actress, not some blue-collar worker you dragged out of an oil rig!" 

Just then, a clear, pleasant voice came from outside, melodic and bright. "Mr. Cameron, may I come in?" 

Cameron froze. 

This was the break room, adjacent to the audition space. 

And in the audition space… 

The only person there had been the female oil worker. 

But that voice… 

Cameron's eyes widened as he stared at Dunn, as if he'd seen a ghost. 

Dunn burst out laughing, delighted by Cameron's stunned expression. "Come on in!" he called out. 

The sharp scent of diesel filled the air again. 

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Cameron. I'm Charlize Theron, an actress. That was… my first audition. If you're not satisfied, I'm happy to do a second round." 

Charlize Theron… 

Cameron had heard the name. He knew she was a model-turned-actress, a stunning blonde with long legs, and… tangled up with Dunn. 

But he never would've guessed that the gritty oil worker in front of him was the glamorous Charlize Theron! 

What a shock!