制霸好莱坞

It had been a while since filming Pirates of the Caribbean began. Although it was a major movie, Jenny handled it with ease. She was the type who worked hard without appearing to strain herself; she didn't even need to constantly re-watch Keira Knightley's performance. After a few auditions in the performance space, she nearly conquered the role of Elizabeth Swan—and she won Gore's approval easily at the script reading.

Unlike the linear character development of TV series, a film's lead role demands real "combat" experience: interpreting the script, embodying the character, and establishing relationships between roles. While some avant-garde directors begin shooting without a final script—leaving character relationships to be discovered through countless retakes (think Wong Kar-wai)—most commercial film crews must finalize role interpretations, script dialogues, and audition processes before filming. Sets are prepared, props arranged, and locations secured; filming is expensive, and adjustments during production are far more economical than repeated NGs once shooting has begun.

At this point, Jerry was ready to take a vacation. For a producer of his caliber, he needn't personally solve every on-set problem—unless budgets overspend or key players clash. There were countless assistant and executive producers handling food, clothing, housing, and transportation for the crew, as well as an endless list of minor issues. Each department's daily tasks were dictated by the director, who often maintained a fixed team for blockbuster productions like Pirates of the Caribbean. With hundreds of actors and over a hundred crew members, coordination was essential to ensure everyone was in the right place at the right time.

Because Jenny understood these processes, she had never aspired to be a director or screenwriter. The idea of "plundering" someone else's labor was not only morally questionable—it was impractical. In Hollywood, thousands of great scripts languish in libraries, many written years ago yet never filmed. Even if you tried to re-create one, copyright registrations and the risk of plagiarism lawsuits made it nearly impossible. The fine would be enormous, and your reputation ruined.

Being a director was even more out of the question. Watching a great film doesn't mean you can shoot one. A director might know a shot is good, but unless you can build the scene or capture it on film yourself, even with an unlimited budget and an experienced team, you might never replicate that magic. Many good films fail due to poor marketing, and even if you could re-create a film perfectly, its commercial performance might still fall short. Plagiarism in film is a risk that deprives others of the chance to create original works.

But acting was entirely different. Two actors playing the same role can produce entirely different performances. Although it might sound shameless, after landing the role Jenny believed that her performance in the performing arts space was like "polishing jade with heavenly stones." Rather than copying the original actor's portrayal, she used it as a reference to develop her own ideas. For example, Keira Knightley's evolving performance in the Pirates series had given Jenny much inspiration.

Judging by Keira's resume, she was self-taught and had not received formal training in London's West End. She continuously honed her skills in various films; as a result, her performance in Pirates of the Caribbean 1 was far from perfect—she relied mostly on personal charm. There were times when it seemed she wasn't fully in the play; her love scene with the blacksmith felt stiff, and she struggled to adapt to the film's humor.

Pirates of the Caribbean tells the story of Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner's son, who embarks on a quest to recapture the Black Pearl amid Britain's war on piracy. The film splits into two storylines: one following Captain Jack and his ragtag crew, and the other from Elizabeth's perspective after she's plundered by pirates. The film's allure lies in its blend of absurdity and seriousness. On one hand, epic battles and the British Navy chasing pirates offer a realistic backdrop; on the other, the humor—embodied by Captain Jack's unpredictable antics—creates a delightful tension between life-and-death stakes and laugh-out-loud moments.

The entire series is driven by this duality, and it's this blend that made Johnny Depp a superstar. In contrast, actors like Orlando and Keira, though talented, have not managed to break free from the role of the "normal" supporting characters that only enhance Captain Jack's unconventional charm.

Specifically regarding Keira: in Pirates 1, her performance was even less effective than Orlando's. Orlando's interactions with Captain Jack, combined with a script that favored Jack's absurd humor, meant that Keira's Elizabeth was relegated to being more of a plot device—a beautiful vase to confirm her looks. But Keira's potential wasn't limited to that; her performance matured in Pirates 2 and Pirates 3, and her character eventually developed a unique charm. Yet, her serious temperament and imperfect smile meant she couldn't match the seamless blend of comedy and drama that Depp achieved.

For Jenny, the boudoir scene was challenging. Not being British, she lacked the innate, nonchalant aristocratic air of British actresses. To tackle this, she decided to rely on her "empathy gold finger"—a technique she'd refined in the performance space—to convey the character's inner world. While Keira's performance was restrained, Jenny opted for an approach full of rich expressions, dynamic body language, and engaging eye movements. Even if her changes sometimes felt out of sync with her co-stars, she remained committed to her vision. Ultimately, Jenny reasoned that as long as she performed better than Keira, any extra praise was well-earned.

After reviewing the script and Keira's performances, Jenny developed her own interpretation of Elizabeth: a young woman with an adventurous spirit, whose mind becomes excited in desperate situations. Though initially naive, spoiled, and timid, behind that façade lies a bold, cautious, and cunning Elizabeth who gradually reveals her sense of humor and romance. In public, she maintains the polished demeanor of a young lady, but in private, her true nature is exposed through vivid expressions and lively gestures.

Jenny even prepared a 70-page character report—a document far more detailed than those submitted by Johnny or Josh. When Gore read it, he agreed with her interpretation. From that point on, all Jenny had to do was rise early, use every spare moment during makeup and waiting to rehearse scenes in her mind, and through repeated playback and refinement, she would discover the performance that best fit the film's style. It was like being a sniper, testing angles until she found the perfect shot.

On set, Jenny rarely failed to deliver—her performance improvements even earned some crew members to remark that her work was far beyond that of a high school graduate or a one-year veteran. Notably, though Jenny had left New York, Mary had not resigned; instead, she became Jenny's long-term assistant. Mary once confided, "After listening to Mr. Virgili's speech, I measured my own chances—and mine are even lower than zero at my current weight." Still, Mary remained passionate about the performing arts. Though she no longer aspired to act, she wanted to stay in the industry and carve out her own path. She eventually changed her career path, aiming to secure Jenny's long-term assistant position—a common move for those at the lower rungs of the industry.

Jenny also realized it was naive to reject Cesare's idea of hiring a manager. Now, she needed someone to answer calls during filming and handle simple communications. For example, when PR Judy called to confirm an interview during filming, Mary could promptly check the shooting schedule and finalize arrangements. Mary's asking price was modest, and she was known for her diligence. After consulting with Cesare, Jenny signed a one-year employment contract with Mary, along with a confidentiality clause to protect her personal and professional life. In practice, Mary's work often overlapped with a manager's duties—handling meals, managing bags—so Jenny continued to do most things herself, refusing to let anyone call her a big shot.

Overall, her reputation on the Pirates of the Caribbean set was rising. Initially, even the scriptwriter had doubts about Jenny's performance. After all, Keira was British, and no one had confirmed if Jenny's British accent was authentic. Plus, Cesare's mother managed Disney's production department, so insiders had plenty to speculate about. Many believed Jenny got the role only because of her powerful agent. The harshest nickname Mary heard was "Virgieri's bitch," but once filming began, the tea-room gossip quickly faded, replaced by buzz about the box office storm she created on Broadway.

After more than a month of filming, the only negative nickname Jenny had been given was "Sleeping Jenny." This nickname arose from her frequent downtime on set—spent waiting for makeup and during long breaks—which made it seem like she was always closing her eyes, barely working at full capacity. Though this was not inherently wrong, it made her seem less approachable. Yet, Jenny deliberately maintained an unsociable on-set image to avoid too many interactions with Gore, whose attention she did not want to invite. She only chatted with Josh during breaks, creating an air of mutual affection. However, after a month, Jenny and Josh had few intersecting scenes. Josh's demeanor toward her was distant and polite, as if he were maintaining basic social decorum. Jenny even suspected his relaxed manner at Jerry's house might have been a façade to deceive upper management. In truth, he might be a homosexual with misogynistic tendencies.

Although they had a contract, its enforcement was flexible. Jenny couldn't keep trying to please someone who didn't genuinely like her, so their relationship remained at a stalemate. Initially, she planned to let the film company apply pressure before getting close to Josh. Ultimately, the evolution of this situation wasn't solely due to rigid social interactions.

After shooting some indoor scenes in LA, the crew moved to the Caribbean coast for outdoor filming. They chose a remote island without accommodation, so the crew traveled daily between the set and their residence by speedboat. Johnny and Jeffrey each had a personal speedboat, while Jenny and Josh shared one for two, along with some assistants. Because the island had no signal, Mary usually stayed on shore, and Jenny traveled alone. For several days, the speedboat was filled with tense silence.

Jenny felt seasick and chose to retreat into the performance space during the return trip to avoid awkward moments with Josh. That night, a heavy storm battered the sea. Jenny, a little frightened, did not want to show weakness in front of Josh. However, as soon as she sat down, she dozed off. When she awoke, the speedboat had begun taking on water. The rough winds and waves had scratched the hull. Life jackets were available, so panic was unnecessary—at least initially. Rescue boats should have been alerted by now, but then, the worst happened: as Jenny regained consciousness, a life jacket fell through a hole in the boat.

Now she was truly panicked—darkness, fierce wind and waves, and a sinking boat. Her five senses were overwhelmed, and the surrounding chaos was dizzying. Jenny knew she had to act quickly. She could barely reach Josh's hand; any forceful hold might prevent his own swimming. If he hugged her too tightly, both could be dragged down.

Jenny had faced many low points in her life, but at that moment, she felt utterly abandoned by the world. No matter her ambitions or love, they meant nothing in the face of nature's might. All she had left was a fierce survival instinct and a strong determination to stay with Josh.

"Josh!" A wave slammed into Jenny, pushing her back several meters. She screamed in terror, "Josh! God, Josh! Where are you?"

In the next moment, another wave pushed her forward, and she heard Josh cry, "Jennifer!" Soon, sharp whistles and repeated calls of "Jennifer!" helped her orient herself. Jenny gathered her wits and swam in the direction of Josh. Despite the relentless push of the waves, she managed to make progress.

When Jenny finally reached Josh amid the hazy light of the sinking boat, she was relieved to find he was only a few meters away. Clinging to a lifebuoy that Josh still wore, she cried out, "I'm sorry!"

Josh quickly explained, "Jennifer, I can't hold on for long without the lifebuoy, or else we'll both be in danger."

"Oh my God, thank goodness you're okay!" Jenny cried, clinging tightly to the lifebuoy. In that moment, all that mattered was survival—she would rather face death with Josh than drown alone.

"Calm down, it's okay, Jennifer. We're safe now," Josh reassured her, pulling her close as he struggled to maintain balance. "The captain has called for rescue; the wind and waves are fierce, but once they subside, the Coast Guard will send a ship. We're near a known route—rescue is on its way."

Gradually, Jenny's panic subsided as she listened to Josh's calm instructions. The ship was sinking deeper, and darkness engulfed them, but the familiar rope and lifebuoy anchored her to reality. Jenny realized that despite the chaos, she had reached a point of trust in Josh—a trust that made his presence invaluable.

"Don't call me Jennifer," she managed, "Call me Jenny—that's my real name."

Author's Note:If you've ever complained about poor signal with China Mobile, you'll find that mobile phone reception in the United States can be even worse. It's entirely normal for there to be no signal in elevators, subways, basements, or rural areas—so normal, in fact, that Americans often joke about it. Remember the running joke in Criminal Minds about no signal at the worst possible moment?