制霸好莱坞

Fortunately, by 2001, computers were already widely used in Los Angeles. The manager's office at Hollywood Star had one with internet access. Also fortunate was the fact that Jenny Jane had always performed well at work—never late, never leaving early. So, while Johnny's expression was a bit sour, he still unlocked the office for her to send an email.

"This is a one-time thing. Don't let it happen again," he warned. "And don't spread it around."

"Thanks, Old Johnny," Jenny grinned at him. "You better not spread it either."

Johnny snorted. "If you mean Jessica, don't worry. I'm not looking to dig my own grave."

It wasn't that Jessica couldn't handle the news—more that, from Johnny's perspective, he wanted both of his top waitresses to stick around for as long as possible. Jenny's progress would definitely stir something in Jessica, possibly pushing her to leave Hollywood Star sooner. Jenny was very familiar with this kind of competitive mindset, and clearly, Johnny wasn't a stranger to it either.

Once she confirmed that Dave had received the email, Jenny didn't ask any further questions. She continued working and only called him after her shift ended.

"It's for CSI," Dave said as soon as he picked up. He sounded excited. "They need someone to play a criminal. There are some appearance and acting requirements. Originally, they had scheduled Kirsten Dunst, but for some reason, she can't do it anymore. They need a replacement immediately—this is the first episode of season two, and they can't afford any delays. So, they're holding another audition. I've got a friend on the production team, and I just talked to him about it—I recommended you."

A guest role on CSI? That was a great opportunity. Jenny perked up. "Dave, I don't even know what to say."

"Don't say anything yet. It's just a chance," Dave chuckled. "Your résumé still has to pass the initial screening, so it's up to luck." Then he added regretfully, "Too bad I'll be in New York that day, so I won't be around. Good luck."

After chatting a little more, Jenny hung up and stared at her phone in deep thought before slipping it into her pocket.

She hadn't expected Dave to bring her an opportunity so soon. She had originally planned to rely on him once Buffy the Vampire Slayer started its new season. Each episode would need minor roles, and auditions for those would happen right before shooting. These kinds of one-time background roles—also called "day players"—were different from the more significant supporting roles that got cast earlier in the season. She had hoped to get one or two guest appearances, just enough to officially enter the industry. From there, she could look for supporting roles in independent films, try to join the Screen Actors Guild, and find an agent.

But before Buffy even started, Dave had already gotten her an audition for a special criminal role on CSI. He said her résumé had to pass screening, but with his recommendation as an assistant casting director, Jenny knew she would definitely get an audition. Personal connections worked the same way everywhere—if Dave's friend truly valued their friendship, there was no way he'd refuse to do this small favor.

The only problem was that Dave didn't know much about the role. Jenny had heard of CSI but had never watched it. In her previous life, she didn't like gory scenes, so she had never followed the show. Her memories had nothing to reference, so all she could do was refine her acting skills while waiting for more details.

About three days later, she received a call for the audition. They gave her the time, location, and a description of the character. Even Jenny started to feel a little nervous. She knew a lot about the entertainment industry's unspoken rules, but in her past life, she had gotten married right after graduating college and had barely attended any auditions. The few times she had, they were just casual experiences with classmates. This was her first time pinning all her hopes on a single audition.

No wonder so many actors struggled with mental health issues. If you went into every audition full of hope only to get rejected over and over, how could you not start to break down? It was no surprise Jessica didn't like talking about her auditions. She might be popular at Hollywood Star, even earning better tips than Jenny sometimes, but every failed audition was a direct blow to her self-esteem. The contrast between her waitressing success and her acting failures must have been hard to swallow.

For the audition, Jenny arranged to have the day off. The night before, she went to bed early, woke up on time, and arrived right on schedule at the CBS audition department. After checking in at the front desk, she received a visitor's pass and walked into the bustling audition area.

The office was large and spacious, filled with people moving quickly past each other. Nobody paid Jenny much attention, even though she was strikingly beautiful—after all, beautiful women were a dime a dozen in the CBS audition department. When she reached Room 3, she hesitated for a moment.

There were at least twelve or thirteen other young blonde women already waiting—all of them stunning, all in their prime.

The setup resembled a hospital waiting room. Jenny smirked to herself—this felt like a waiting room for a plastic surgeon specializing in perfection. Then she glanced at the number of competitors and grew serious. This was just a single guest role, and yet the competition was this fierce. Hollywood's cutthroat nature was on full display.

She registered her name with the secretary, received a copy of the audition script, and sat down to read. She wasn't interested in small talk—the other auditionees were all her rivals. They were unknown actors desperate for a breakthrough, not seasoned performers with established careers. Wasting energy socializing with them was pointless.

Her role was a cunning and ruthless actress—a premeditated murderer who successfully covered up her crime and managed to escape suspicion after a battle of wits with the CSI team. That explained why the casting team had originally invited a more experienced actress for the part. This wasn't a role just any background actor could handle. If the production schedule wasn't so tight and if they had more time to find a replacement, they wouldn't have opened this audition to lower-level actors at all.

The script had plenty of room for performance. The lines were short, but the tension was high. The scene required strong acting skills.

Reading through the dialogue, Jenny quickly realized the key to this role: confidence. The character was a star, and she had to feel like a star. That meant radiating charisma, intelligence, and absolute self-assurance.

CSI was one of CBS's flagship shows. Jenny had looked up its ratings and found that the first season had consistently ranked first or second nationwide, drawing over twenty million viewers. As the first episode of the new season, the audience would be even higher. Playing a seductive yet dangerous actress in a climactic final scene with one of the leads—this was the kind of role even experienced supporting actors wouldn't take lightly.

She scanned the room again and recognized one or two familiar faces—aspiring actresses who had landed small roles before.

She took a deep breath and thought, Sorry to waste your time, ladies.

This role is mine.

Jenny Jane was confident. This part felt tailor-made for her. She was going to win it.