Chapter 221: I Don't Accept

Standing in the aisle between the prison bars, Duke looked across at Charlize Theron. The actress's aura had noticeably changed. Though she had been relegated to playing minor eye-candy roles over the past few years, ICM's systematic training had clearly paid off.

Her role in Chicago was also just a pretty face.

"You're a rich girl, still arrogant and insufferably haughty even after being arrested," Duke said, briefly outlining the role. "Pay special attention to your expression and your walk—show the character's pride and sense of superiority. Sally, your looks aren't an issue; I need a powerful aura that naturally commands everyone's attention."

"You can also think of it as the arrogance of new money," he added.

The wealthy Miss Baxter, played by Charlize Theron, looked just as glamorous and extravagant as the constantly kicking, hip-twisting, coquettish Roxie and Velma. Yet she couldn't shake off that heavy nouveau riche vibe of 1920s and 30s America.

They were essentially the epitome of America between the end of World War I and the Great Depression.

"Don't worry, Duke," Charlize Theron promised earnestly. "I won't let you down."

She had prepared meticulously for the role. Judging by the script, Miss Baxter's screen time in the final cut would definitely not exceed five minutes, but she was incredibly eye-catching—enough to steal the spotlight from the leading lady!

The role needed to completely overshadow the similarly blonde and blue-eyed female lead in very little time. Only then would the plot be convincing; after all, she had to draw everyone's attention away, leaving Roxie out in the cold and sparking the subsequent fake pregnancy storyline.

Deep down, Charlize wanted the role of Roxie, but she knew she lacked the acting chops and experience. Her tall, broad figure completely clashed with Roxie's petite and delicate frame in Chicago, and her singing and dancing were also issues. Still, with Duke willing to give her Miss Baxter, Charlize understood this was an opportunity. It was an incredibly easy role to shine in, and the difficulty wasn't high. She just needed to push the eye-candy aspect to its absolute limit.

With preparations complete, Duke ran only one test take before officially starting the shoot. Although Charlize Theron's acting was currently just average, she displayed a unique, natural advantage when handling a character this fiercely glamorous and vulgar.

On camera, Charlize Theron walked into the prison surrounded by a circle of reporters and police. She was arrogant, sexy, crazy, and even a little desperate. Combined with her stunning appearance, she possessed a wild, exceptionally eye-catching aura, much like a magnificent, doomed flower. In just a short time, even Tom Cruise walking beside her was overshadowed, reduced to just another part of the background.

When the shoot finished, Naomi Watts, who had served as background dressing on the other side, didn't look too pleased. Duke couldn't be bothered with the petty drama between these actresses. As long as they didn't hold up production, they could tear at each other all they wanted.

The idea of actresses with direct, competitive rivalries cheerfully getting along existed only in imagination. Having been in Hollywood for so long, Duke saw it clearly: in this regard, whether they were superstars, A-listers, or actresses still climbing the ladder, they were all a bunch of bitches.

Of course, these actresses also knew where Duke's bottom line was. With Naomi Watts and Catherine Zeta-Jones as prior examples, any infighting would be kept to an absolute minimum.

That duet dance scene with continuous outtakes hadn't just drained a massive amount of stamina from the two female leads. Anyone could imagine what it felt like to dance in nearly five-inch heels, feet rubbed raw into bloody blisters, yet having to pretend everything was fine and throw themselves wholeheartedly into the routine over and over to meet Duke's strict demands.

This was both Duke ensuring the shot met his standards and a disguised form of punishment. With his current status, never mind Naomi Watts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, even Nancy Josephson couldn't say a word against it.

Once all the shots were finished, Charlize Theron didn't take off her makeup; instead, she tried to approach Duke, only to be stopped by Tina Fey. Just in her early twenties, Charlize clearly wasn't as slick as Catherine Zeta-Jones. She glared coldly at Tina Fey, looking as if she might slap her at any moment.

"Something the matter?" Duke asked, having naturally noticed the exchange.

"No." Charlize Theron's cold expression instantly dissolved into a brilliant smile. "I just wanted to come over and chat with you for a bit."

Duke looked at her.

Charlize Theron wasn't stupid; she immediately turned to Tina Fey and said, "Sorry, Tina. Let's grab coffee together sometime."

"You've improved a lot," Duke said.

It was working hours, and Duke didn't have the energy to chat much with Charlize. "There's still room for growth. During post-production, I'll see about keeping more of your shots."

"Tina." Duke nodded toward his assistant.

Tina Fey immediately made an inviting gesture for Charlize to leave.

Charlize Theron waved at them and headed toward the dressing room.

Overall, Duke was very satisfied with the shots he had gotten of Charlize Theron. She was already showing hints of the powerful aura she would have in the future. It felt only slightly affected, but paired with her gorgeous looks, it perfectly matched the vibe of the American nouveau riche of that era.

In truth, ever since he began writing the script, the first actor Duke had in mind was Charlize Theron. Although Lucy Liu had been more suited to the setting of a Hawaiian nouveau riche heiress, her completely overshadowing Roxie lacked a certain degree of believability.

When audiences saw her, they would inevitably think that she wasn't any more elegant or beautiful than Roxie, so why was everyone chasing after her? Then they would remember it was just a movie setting and force themselves to accept it, which would immediately break their immersion.

Duke had even once maliciously wondered if Renee Zellweger, who was already an A-list star at the time, had bullied rookie director Rob Marshall on set, ultimately leading to such a bizarre casting choice for the role.

Of course, that was just his wild imagination. Given Rob Marshall's greenhorn status back then, he wouldn't have had much say in casting such a role anyway. Moreover, Lucy Liu's small eyes, flat nose, and freckled face perfectly fit the West's standard, stereotypical image of an Asian beauty.

"Moving sets!" Duke had Tina Fey notify everyone.

The crew transitioned from the soundstage's prison area back to the theater area. The stage here had undergone numerous adjustments, with the backdrops and curtains completely replaced. Next up was a group dance scene, and the focal point of this ensemble routine was the film's male lead—Tom Cruise.

Cruise, who had just played a background extra in Charlize Theron's scene, had already changed his costume and had his makeup redone.

Despite having seen countless of his movies and hearing endlessly about his resounding fame, this could be considered Duke's first time formally witnessing Tom Cruise's live acting.

Left to his own impressions, what stood out most about Tom Cruise? He was proud, arrogant, haughty, and even occasionally muddle-headed and prone to blunders.

Any actor who achieved fame too early and enjoyed such a smooth path to superstardom would likely end up just like Cruise. People weren't machines; they were constantly influenced by their environment. How many could truly avoid letting fame and fortune go to their heads?

But even Tom Cruise understood the importance of hard work. For the past six months, he had dedicated three hours every day to dance and vocal lessons. Although he sometimes made unreasonable demands, he still put his heart into completing his work. Even the most muddle-headed person understood the sheer ferocity of competition in this industry—without hard work, the only outcome was elimination.

Take the scene they were about to shoot, for example. Not counting his initial practice time, Tom Cruise had rehearsed with the backup dancers at least seven times in the week before shooting began, basically maintaining a pace of one rehearsal per day.

"Tom, I've already said everything that needed saying at the prep meeting," Duke said.

With an actor like Tom Cruise, saying too much would only backfire. Duke simply gave him a brief reminder. "Let's aim to get this in one take."

"Just watch me, Duke," Tom Cruise replied.

His thorough preparations had given Tom Cruise plenty of confidence.

The gorgeous stage, the dazzling lights, the glamorous backup dancers, and the handsome, dashing Tom Cruise—who looked more like a playboy—combined to create a deeply visually striking and luxurious scene.

Even though Tom Cruise still wore his eternally unchanging expression, he was undeniably giving it his all. From his slightly exaggerated and incredibly expressive body language, it was clear he had done a lot of prep work for the role. While his singing voice couldn't compare to a professional singer or a musical theater actor, it was still leagues better than Richard Gere's original duck-like squawk.

In Duke's eyes, the standout performance in the original film had been Catherine Zeta-Jones, even if the camera angles had made her look more broad-shouldered and heavily built than in any other movie she'd done. Next was Renee Zellweger. But Richard Gere's portrayal of the lawyer Billy had been downright terrible, especially his singing and dancing. If Cruise was an amateur, Gere could only be considered a toddler-level amateur.

The film had enjoyed a half-year-long preparation period for its musical numbers, and the results were now on full display. Tom Cruise managed to handle Billy's introductory song and dance with relative ease, and Duke immediately called it a print.

The musical sequences were the hardest parts to shoot. The film hid nothing but thick mockery beneath its surface; there was no profoundly deep theme to it. In terms of pure substance, this movie couldn't even compare to Saving Private Ryan. Aside from the singing and dancing, Duke could handle the dramatic scenes fairly easily. The shooting schedule had been continuously delayed specifically because of the musical numbers.

"Great job, Tom!" Duke praised.

They were collaborating right now, so it wasn't the time to stir up conflict. Both Duke and Cruise temporarily set aside their differences. Pat Kingsley, in particular, acted as an excellent buffer between the two.

"I heard you're planning to attend the yacht club this weekend?" Cruise asked about a completely different matter.

"Yeah, I've got a small dock at my house." Duke temporarily set aside the work in his hands. "I'm looking to buy a decent small offshore yacht, so I'm planning to go take a look with Kate."

"You and Kate..."

Hearing Tom Cruise's slightly curious question, Duke shrugged without answering. This was one of the public outings Penny Kalis had planned for the two of them after consulting his opinion.