Actor in Hollywood

If anyone suggested that Darren meticulously arranged this entire scene for Anson, David would be the first to shoot it down—

Totally unnecessary.

Honestly, there was no need.

This was just an audition for a guest role in a TV series, not an audition for the leading man in *Titanic*. Even if Anson had a stone face, as long as he wasn't hideously unattractive, it wouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, with Darren backing him, Anson could easily land the role based on his looks alone.

An audition?

Just a formality.

Even David himself had come up with the idea on the spur of the moment, a complete surprise, with no expectations but ending up with two hundred percent of the surprise.

"So, was that your audition performance?" David asked, scrutinizing Anson.

Anson found it a bit hard to read—

This was his first time performing, and even more so, performing for someone else. There was an inexplicable sense of exposure, an awkward mix of excitement and embarrassment.

Unconsciously, he couldn't help but feel a little anticipation.

Facing David's gaze, Anson hid his emotions and made a joke, "Or do I need to sing? I can try to find my pitch now."

"Ha." A flicker of admiration passed through David's eyes. "So, your parents?"

"Oh, no, they're not divorced. I don't want to judge their marriage, but at least for now, they're still together." This was the truth.

However, before he traveled through time, Anson's parents did divorce during his final year of high school and told him, "It's not your fault."

David didn't know this. All he saw was the performance that had just blurred the lines between reality and fiction, and a spark of curiosity lit up in his eyes as he began to probe further.

"But why didn't you choose a classic scene?" David asked directly.

Anson spread his hands, "I know my limits. I'm not Jack Nicholson or Robert De Niro. Besides, the role we're discussing isn't from *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*."

"Ha." David laughed again, not even realizing that he was nodding in appreciation—

Many actors think that auditions test their acting skills, but that's not usually the case. Most of the time, auditions test an actor's presence and vibe, occasionally the connections and abilities of their agent, and only a small part is about fundamental skills. After all, casting directors aren't acting coaches.

David gave Anson a long look. "Is there a role you'd like to try?"

Anson's smile widened, "The most interesting thing about being an actor is opening up possibilities, embarking on adventures that aren't possible in real life. So, there's no need to put reins on a job like this, right?"

He humbly suggested that he didn't have the privilege of choosing roles, yet he wrapped it in a dignified manner that didn't come off as off-putting.

"Haha." David laughed heartily, "Young man, you've got guts and drive. This old man here is thoroughly envious. Alright, I've got it. Let's explore the possibilities for an actor."

The audition ended there.

An audition that wasn't necessary in the first place ended up lasting a full twenty-five minutes, far exceeding David's expectations.

After the performance, there were more pleasantries and jokes, with Anson's wit and humor leaving a deep impression on David. It was hard to believe this young man was only eighteen.

As David watched Anson's back as he left the office, an idea sparked in his mind, rapidly growing before his eyes—

Ring. Ring ring ring.

The ringtone of David's personal phone interrupted his thoughts. He glanced at the caller ID to see if it was worth picking up, and when he saw a familiar name, his smile widened.

"Hey, Darren, why are you calling in person? Afraid I'll bully the kid?"

The call was from Darren Star. The voice on the other end sounded both exasperated and resigned. "Yes, I'm worried you'll scare the kid."

David: ???

David: ???

Darren retorted with exasperation, "I just asked you to give him a small role, a couple of lines, a tiny bit of screen time. That's enough. The kid's never acted before, and giving him a big role right from the start is just unnecessary pressure. What happens then?"

David, slightly resigned, tried to explain, "Darren—"

But Darren didn't let him finish, "A small role doesn't even need an audition. It's just a word, but now it's almost noon, and there's no news from you or him. Old man, tell me honestly, what are you scheming now? His parents are no nobodies, so don't mess around."

David wanted to keep teasing his old friend, but he was concerned Darren might not handle it well with his high blood pressure. "Darren, Anson is excellent."

Darren paused, "What?"

David couldn't contain his excitement, "I mean, he's really outstanding."

"At first, I thought just like you—give him a small role, let him get used to the camera and the set atmosphere, and then we could think about bigger things later. Even Leonardo DiCaprio started with a small role in *Growing Pains*."

"But,"

David began to feel a surge of excitement as he continued.

"Darren, I have a bold idea."

"What if Anson guest-stars in an episode of *Friends* alongside Jennifer? What do you think?"

David's idea was to turn the situation to their advantage.

Since the writing team had already deviated from the original script by creating an episode for a young guest actor, it would be difficult to scrap everything and start over now. Instead of dealing with the hassle of renegotiating with Bruce Willis's agent, why not cast Anson in the episode?

This way, everything would be simplified, and all their problems would be resolved smoothly.

Perhaps, going with the flow could lead to an unexpectedly brilliant outcome—

Actually, even if David didn't say it outright, the pressure on his shoulders was palpable throughout Hollywood. *Friends*' seventh season was still dominating the ratings, but its lead was being rapidly eroded.

NBC's other shows like *Will & Grace*, *Frasier*, *The West Wing*, *Law & Order*, and *ER* were all climbing in ratings, not to mention the fierce competition from other networks. *Friends*' position as the flagship show was on shaky ground.

For all TV series, crossing the 100-episode mark after the fifth season usually led to a decline and the looming threat of cancellation.

The main reason is that once a series surpasses 100 episodes, it can be sold as a package to other platforms for syndication. At the same time, the show's vitality tends to hit a bottleneck. Naturally, the perspective of both the creative team and the network towards the series begins to shift.

*Friends* was no exception.

Just recently, after the winter hiatus, David had attended a meeting with NBC executives to discuss the show's future as it approached its seventh season.

For the first time ever, an NBC executive suggested, "If the show starts losing its spark, should we consider how to wrap it up? Instead of dragging it out, wouldn't it be better to think about how to give it a dignified ending?"

Of course, this didn't mean NBC was actually ready to part with their crown jewel—they probably weren't—but it showed that the thought had crossed their minds.

Besides, NBC was currently at its peak, with multiple successful shows airing.

So, David had been pondering—

Perhaps taking a different approach could yield unexpected results?