Actor in Hollywood

From the 1980s all the way to the third decade of the 21st century, Tom Cruise has undoubtedly become a significant symbol of Hollywood. Despite the ups and downs, and the crises in his career, he has managed to sustain his brilliance. This is a skill—relying on luck alone is not enough.

However, what's somewhat surprising is that Tom Cruise's reputation among Hollywood staff isn't as positive as one might imagine, at least not with casting directors.

Thinking about it seriously, it's not hard to understand why.

The reason isn't complicated.

In the future, Tom Cruise would take control of all major decisions on a film set, from directors to main co-stars to writers, to secure as much of the profit share as possible. All these roles would be handpicked and personally negotiated by him, meaning the casting directors' jobs would be reduced to selecting minor roles only.

Casting directors wouldn't have much of a role, so it's hard to imagine them liking Tom.

Of course, that's in the future. Right now, actors participating in box office profits aren't mainstream in Hollywood. The $20 million club is still the norm, and Tom Cruise doesn't yet have absolute control. But he's already started interfering with productions bit by bit.

He needs to be the absolute lead in his projects, so other supporting roles are not allowed to feature A-list actors. Even well-known supporting actors are rarely used, as the spotlight should be entirely on him, even if it's not for profit-sharing reasons.

This is a business strategy.

This summer's premiere of "Spider-Man," where Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt appeared one after the other, made the media extremely excited.

The reason lies in the 1994 film "Interview with the Vampire," where Tom and Brad co-starred. Back then, Kirsten Dunst, who was still a child, shot to fame because of this movie.

However, Tom and Brad fought fiercely over screen time on set, and when the movie was released, Brad faced a lot of criticism while Tom stole the spotlight, leading to a fallout between the two.

Since then, Tom and Brad have tried to avoid each other as much as possible.

Eight years later, thanks to "Spider-Man," thanks to Kirsten, and more importantly, thanks to Anson, the three main actors of "Interview with the Vampire" reunited, instantly igniting media enthusiasm. Even though the two never shared a frame, just appearing on the same stage created quite a buzz.

In fact, it wasn't just Brad; later on, Tom also cut ties with almost all other A-list actors and had multiple conflicts with casting directors, writers, directors, and producers. This all paved the way for Tom gradually turning his projects into one-man shows.

Fighting for screen time has always been a timeless topic in the entertainment industry.

So, when faced with Anson's recent joke, Marcia didn't respond directly, but the disdain hidden in her expression and tone was still palpable.

But.

Small talk remained just that—small talk.

Anson merely mentioned it in passing and didn't press further. After exchanging a knowing glance, the afternoon's auditions officially began.

Later events indirectly proved Marcia's foresight:

The real drama was yet to come.

Not long ago, Anson himself was one of the many actors frequently auditioning, just like James Franco and Chris Evans, who are still going to auditions. So, it's not surprising to see future stars or familiar faces in the audition lineup.

Anson has also slowly gotten used to this.

However, the reality was slightly different.

Seeing those future shining stars on the big screen, still young and raw like unpolished gems, nervously auditioning with awkward and clumsy performances to win a role—it felt a bit surreal, even slightly absurd.

Moreover, the familiar faces were far more than expected. It was hard to tell whether there were too many Hollywood productions or too few, leading to young actors grabbing any chance to make an appearance, or perhaps it was a combination of both.

In any case, it was dizzying.

For instance, Megan Fox.

This future global sensation, thanks to her sexy role in "Transformers," still appeared youthful. At just sixteen, she had a fresh, plain look, dressed conservatively, like a modest Catholic schoolgirl.

Anson admitted he didn't recognize her at first. After double-checking her name on the resume, he could barely match the face to her future image. Yet, it was hard to imagine that this girl would later become famous for her sex appeal—her current aura and facial features were far from the impression she'd leave in the future.

However, her beauty was undeniable. She had already appeared in two productions, and just last month, she participated in the filming of "Bad Boys II" starring Will Smith.

Unfortunately, Megan was still playing minor roles and trying to find more acting opportunities.

Moreover, her lack of acting talent was apparent, with her stiff, expressionless performance style shocking everyone. Even her basic line delivery was poor.

This was a true example of a "pretty face" in Hollywood, and even Anson and Eva had to admit defeat—

One thing's for sure: Hollywood can always use another pretty face. And then another.

If Megan were to appear in "The Butterfly Effect," she'd only be a tool—incapable of carrying any character weight or conveying any storyline.

Upon reflection, Michael Bay's use of Megan in "Transformers" was a stroke of genius. That was the correct way to showcase her.

Then there was Amanda Seyfried.

This seventeen-year-old girl already had noticeable large eyes on the big screen, but in real life, they were even more striking.

She looked like a Barbie doll.

Before her breakout role in "Mean Girls" in 2004, Amanda was more active in television, appearing in shows like "Veronica Mars" and "House M.D." It wasn't until "Mamma Mia!" that she truly made her mark and established herself in the film industry.

Her roles in "Letters to Juliet," "Red Riding Hood," "In Time," "Les Misérables," "Ted 2," and "Mank" all showcased her presence.

Throughout her career, Amanda often played the beautiful "pretty face" in various films, until David Fincher's "Mank" finally allowed people to see her acting talent.

Somewhat surprisingly, Amanda's audition already hinted at her thoughtfulness.

She prepared a monologue from the classic play "Death of a Salesman," showing her attempt to delve into the character and dissect the lines.

Although her performance was a bit raw, it was clear she had put in serious preparation, even though her experience was limited to soap operas, with no big-screen experience yet.

Anson was deeply impressed by her.

After all, Anson himself had climbed the ranks through auditions just like this.

From what Anson knows of the distant future, Amanda's roles are still mostly limited to sweet yet slightly sinister characters, like a fox. This made Anson wonder:

If given some space, could she bring out the nuances and depth of a character?