Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Her character was only shown in the mental hospital once, and she figured she could scream without forcing herself to endure something terrible.
“Yes. Reid is taking this production seriously,” Jay said, adjusting his glasses. “His character hates his sister, so he hates you.”
It took all she had to not roll her eyes. “I think that has to do with more than the character.” This would get her nowhere.
She’d come into the production planning to do anything she had to do. So why had she ignored what Jay wanted?
West freaking Rycroft, of course.
When Jay asked if she wanted to spend time in an asylum, she’d thought about how she would explain that to West, and it sounded so ridiculous she’d said no.
Before Meeting West, she would have gone all wide-eyed and thanked him for teaching her to be a better actress.
After Meeting West, she knew she had a process, too, and it wasn’t to act like a jackhole because of a character she was playing.
Her mom and stepdad had been in the business too long. She didn’t spend enough time with her sister and brother-in-law, so being around West, his brother and Martin, and all their friends had been a revelation.
If she’d never met West, she wouldn’t be sitting here on the cusp of being fired. She would be a sheep following this guy’s every word, but she would have a career.
“I know not everybody gets along.” Jay sat back, seeming to relax. “That’s a good thing, in my opinion. I think there’s a lot of drama to be found in real-life conflict.”
“You mentioned something about the press picking up some stories about conflict on the set. Shouldn’t we be worried about that?” She couldn’t help but think about what Channing had said. The tabloids were one thing. Industry news was another, and Ally was absolutely the one with the most to lose.
She’d meant everything she’d said earlier. They did hide behind her. She was the chum they threw into the water to distract the sharks while they swam away to the next project.
If it got out that she was the reason for production problems, there might not be another project for her.
Jay waved that off. “You know all publicity is good publicity. If it gets people talking about the movie, I don’t mind it.”
“It’s not good publicity for me,” she pointed out.
“I disagree, but I think we should talk about how it affects the production. You have to deal with the tabloids on your own. I can’t do anything about it. Now while I think you should be a bit kinder to Reid, I don’t entirely hate the vibe you two have. The friction between the two of you actually works. I’ve watched your rehearsals, and I think you and Reid have an odd chemistry that’s going to pop on screen. That’s not the part of your performance I’m worried about.”
Ally’s gut tightened. How close was she to losing this job?
The last couple of weeks seemed like a dream. Beyond a couple of nasty DMs online, it appeared her stalker had gotten a life or something. All had been quiet on that front, and she’d been able to sink into the relationship with West. She’d felt more like herself than she had in years. Even the paparazzi didn’t bother her. If they wanted pics of her and her superhot boyfriend, have at it. Though she’d had to warn Martin that they would never go away if he kept bringing them coffee and cookies. They would have a whole pack of stray photogs to feed soon.
Except Martin wouldn’t be in LA with her.
She forced herself to focus. “What part of my performance are you worried about?”
His fingers tapped on the notepad he held on his lap. “I think you understand Delia’s isolation. You have her compassion down. What you are missing is her fear. I thought you held back in rehearsals. This is where actually experiencing what she went through would be helpful.”
Yes, traumatizing herself for art sounded so fun. It was supposed to be acting. She held her tongue on that part. It wouldn’t help her. Instead, she chose to defend her portrayal based on historical evidence. “All of the accounts I’ve read claim Delia was afraid, but she was also calm and tried to use reason to explain what was happening to her. That’s what makes it so tragic. Her brother was trying to make her look insane, and when she would question him, he gaslighted her.”
Jay shook his head. “That’s not going to work for my vision. I’m making a statement here, Allyson, and your portrayal is the centerpiece. Of all the Crownes, Delia’s story is the most tragic. The audience needs to feel the horror of what is being done to her. Your restrained performance in rehearsals is not what I’m looking for. I don’t understand it. Is it that you don’t trust me enough to open yourself?”