From Hollywood to Media Empire

In the parking lot of the Peninsula Hotel, Charles was about to drive off.

"Charles, wait!" Naomi Watts hurried over from behind.

"What's up, Naomi?" Charles asked in confusion.

"I want to leave too. How about we grab dinner together?" Naomi Watts actually wanted to ask Charles about Brokeback Mountain.

"Let's go to a bar," Charles wasn't in a hurry and had all evening free.

In a private room at a bar near West Hollywood, Charles and Naomi started chatting.

Sure enough, Naomi Watts wanted to know about Brokeback Mountain. Naomi, like Mel Gibson, was part of the Hollywood Australian crew. Although Mel is American and Naomi is British, they both grew up in Australia and entered the entertainment industry there before making it to Hollywood.

The Hollywood Australian crew really stick together; directors and actors always prefer working with their own.

"We haven't started preparing yet. It should be developed next year. The director hasn't been decided, but I already have someone in mind," Charles said, then he asked about Heath Ledger's acting style.

"That's right, he's a method actor. He immerses himself in the character, making his performance very fitting. But you know the downside," Naomi explained.

Charles nodded. There are three main acting methods: Method Acting, Experiential Acting, and Traditional Acting. Traditional Acting is the most common; most actors belong to this group. Experiential Acting is less common but tends to be the most intense. Method Acting falls somewhere in between.

Heath Ledger was an Experiential Actor, similar to the British actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who also fully immersed himself in his roles, viewing himself as the character. Experiential Actors tend to put their life on the line for their roles, living the characters in a very literal sense.

"British and Australian actors have the best compatibility in Hollywood compared to other European actors. They speak the same language, which gives them an advantage. I have no bias against foreign actors," Charles said. In fact, he preferred British and Australian actors over American ones because they were cheaper and just as talented.

"Heath is a great actor, and he's very dedicated. If possible, you should let him audition," Naomi eagerly suggested.

Charles nodded. Heath was indeed one of his top choices for Brokeback Mountain.

Late at night, Charles drove Naomi back to her place in Inglewood.

When the car stopped in her driveway, Naomi leaned over and kissed Charles. "You drank quite a bit. Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I live in Santa Monica. It's not far from here," Charles assured her.

"Come in for a cup of coffee?" Naomi offered.

"Oh, alright then," Charles agreed.

After following Naomi inside, Charles took off his jacket and sat on the sofa. Naomi made a cup of coffee and handed it to him, sitting down next to him with a smile. "Back in LA, huh? Seems like I didn't see any ladies around you?"

"Things have been pretty busy. Mostly working on Carpe Productions, renovating, moving, and shooting movies," Charles shrugged. He was too busy to get involved with women.

Women might only slow down how fast Charles was making money right now.

"So, how long has it been since you... you know?" Naomi asked.

"How long?" Charles was momentarily stunned, then looked at Naomi. Since coming back from Budapest in late July, it hadn't been that long. Gently, he ran his hand through Naomi's golden hair and leaned in for a kiss.

After the kiss, Naomi, a bit breathless, laughed, "Charles, if Mrs. Carpe finds out I slept with you, she'll probably terminate my contract."

"Then you'd better perform well."

The next day at noon, Charles woke up and disentangled himself from Naomi's arms. Glancing at her sleepy face, he said, "It's already late. I need to get to the office."

"Oh, be careful on your way. I still need more sleep," Naomi responded with a nasal tone, pulling the blankets over her fair body.

Once she heard the sound of a car starting outside, Naomi opened her eyes. Her face flushed, she touched her cheeks.

"Oh God, really...?" she murmured. She had a wonderful night. Heath Ledger seemed interested in dating her, and with Ned Kelly coming up, she had planned to give it a shot.

She was 11 years older than Heath, and asking Charles about Brokeback Mountain wasn't just because Heath was Australian.

"Well, Charles Carpe surely has a way with women. Young, handsome, talented, and now he owns a movie company worth millions!" Naomi muttered to herself, then laughed and shook her head. A fling or a few nights was fine, but nothing more.

On the other side, Charles headed to the office and began searching through the Writers Guild copyright database.

The guild comprises the West Coast Writers Guild in Los Angeles and the East Coast Writers Guild in New York. The idea for Wedding Crashers was not registered in either database.

Though the two guilds operate separately, they belong to the same association.

Since it wasn't registered, it was his.

"John and Jeremy were two close work partners with a shared hobby - crashing weddings! Regardless of the ceremony type - Jewish, Italian, Irish, Indian, Chinese - they managed to blend in just to target the bridesmaids...

"The plot of Wedding Crashers is simple: two playboys crash weddings to hook up with bridesmaids until they meet their true love at one wedding."

With the concept in mind, he just needed to get writers to develop it into a screenplay.

Within two days, Charles had Dona register the idea for Wedding Crashers with the Writers Guild.

Now, Wedding Crashers became part of Carpe Productions' repertoire.

*****

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