Dreams of Stardom (Hollywood SI)

Chapter 136: Ch-129



Hi Troy,

I hope this email finds you well! I'm not the best at writing emails, so apologies if this comes across as a bit direct.

I tried calling you but couldn't get through—did you happen to change your phone number since we last spoke? When you have some time, please give me a call. I'd love to catch up and also discuss an idea for a potential project.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Best regards

Toni Collette

XXXX-XXXX

It had been years since I last met Toni face-to-face. After the awards buzz for [The Sixth Sense] faded, we went our separate ways, each consumed by our careers. The last time we met was after [Billy Elliot], when I visited her home to thank her for teaching me ballet. Seeing her email now filled me with excitement at the prospect of meeting her again and reminiscing about the good old days. Oh my God! I sound like an old geezer—and I'm only 16! I guess that's what happens when you start working at nine.

I quickly dialed the number Toni had included in her email. It was an international call to the U.S., which meant sky-high charges, but I'd stopped caring about trivialities like that years ago.

"Hello?" came Toni Collette's familiar voice.

"Hey, Toni! It's me, Troy. I just got your email," I said enthusiastically.

"Oh my God!" Toni exclaimed. "I sent that email, like, five minutes ago. I thought you'd probably be busy with something and wouldn't call back for days."

"I just finished filming my latest project yesterday, so I was free today," I replied.

"It's so nice to hear from you, Troy," Toni said warmly. "Whenever I see you on TV or in one of your films, I can't believe how much you've grown up over the years."

"Same here," I said with a laugh. "Whenever I look back at [The Sixth Sense], I can't believe that was me."

A brief silence followed, but then inspiration struck. "Hey, Toni, if you're free, would you like to come over to London for a few weeks? Bring your family along—it could be a fun outing for them."

"Ah," she hesitated. "Actually, that's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I'm not really free—or rather, I wasn't supposed to be. I was attached to this indie movie that was supposed to start shooting in a few weeks, but the producers pulled the funding at the last minute. They think the film doesn't have a big enough name to draw audience.

"It's such a great script, about a dysfunctional family. There's even a role for a teenage boy. The casting and pre-production were all finalized—the director had even cast the teenage role—but if you were to join the cast, they're willing to recast because it would secure funding. They're the ones who suggested I reach out to you."

I'd learned over the years that superstardom often carried more weight with producers than acting talent. Sometimes, they'd push a film with a particular star, even if the actor wasn't right for the role.

"I can join the cast only if they finish shooting by the end of June," I said. "The [Harry Potter] shoot begins in July, and I can't delay it under any circumstances."

"That won't be an issue," Toni assured me. "They plan to wrap everything up in less than a month. We'd just need to start rehearsals with you as soon as possible. So, if you could come over..."

"Woah," I interrupted. "I need to know more about the film and my role first. I'll only do it if it's good."

"Of course," Toni agreed easily. "The film is called [Little Miss Sunshine]. It's named after a fictional beauty pageant that the youngest daughter of the family, Olive, is participating in. You'll play Dwayne, her brother and my son, who has taken a vow of silence until he becomes a fighter pilot. Don't worry, he breaks his vow in the film, so you won't be silent throughout. It might sound like a supporting role, but in reality, there's no lead role. This is an ensemble film, and five of the six main characters have almost equal screen time."

I could tell Toni was overexplaining about it being an ensemble film because actors at my level typically avoided supporting roles. But it didn't matter. None of that mattered because I had to do this film. As soon as I heard the name [Little Miss Sunshine], I knew it could become one of the best projects of my career. A feel-good, heartfelt movie that would go on to win a ton of awards. Not only that, it was a certified classic, destined to be cherished by audiences for decades to come.

As much as I wanted to say yes immediately, I knew it wouldn't make sense for Toni if I said yes right now without giving it proper thought.

"If you don't mind," Toni continued, "I'll share your email with Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the co-directors. They'll send you the script."

"Send me their phone numbers too," I said. "I want to talk to them if I'm going to work with them—but let them know I'll call only after reading the script."

"Definitely."

We chatted briefly before Toni ended the call. It didn't take long for Jonathan Dayton to send me an email with the script attached as a PDF.

Even though I technically didn't need to read the script—I already knew how brilliant it was—I decided to go through it anyway. After all, this timeline could have some differences, and I wanted to see if anything had changed because of my presence here.

For the next few hours, I stayed glued to my computer, reading the script cover to cover. The dialogue was masterfully written, leaving no doubt in my mind that it would win serious awards. Everything more or less matched with what I remembered—except for one crucial part: the climax.

The original version of the movie had the iconic scene where the family pushes the honking van through the parking lot before smashing through the toll booth gate. That moment was quintessential [Little Miss Sunshine]—pure chaos and charm. Even though I hadn't witnessed it firsthand in this life, just imagining it brought a smile to my face.

But the version I was reading had a different ending. The family sat at a rest stop, having lunch and reminiscing about Grandpa. It was... okay-ish, but definitely lacked the magic of the original scene.

I decided I'd need to bring this up with the screenwriter and directors. I didn't know if they'd even be open to changes in this timeline—or if Paul Dano, who originally played Dwayne, had influenced the previous version somehow.

Whatever the case may be, I would get them to change it. I would also—

A sudden knock on the door interrupted my concentration.

"Come in," I called out.

Mum stepped in almost immediately, her curious gaze fixed on me as she approached and sat beside me. "What are you doing, Troy?" she asked. "Did you forget you were supposed to come with me to help with shopping?"

I winced at the reminder. For some reason, Mum had decided we needed to visit a luxury designer boutique in Paris, and she wanted my input to choose dresses. If there's one thing I'm terrible at, it's women's fashion. I honestly can't tell the difference between a good dress and a better one.

"I never said I'd go with you," I replied matter-of-factly. "Why don't you take Evan instead?"

"Because he has his GCSEs to prepare for," she countered. "It's the whole reason we're not on our annual vacation right now. Once his exams are over, you and your father will be busy with [Harry Potter]. He's already tied up with pre-production. So, I thought this would be the perfect time for some mother-son bonding. We could even extend our trip to Paris for a few days and do some fun activities."

Her hopeful glint almost made me cave. Almost.

"Actually, I have work to do," I said, gesturing toward my screen. "Toni Collette just sent me a script for a movie. I absolutely loved it, and they'll wrap shooting before [Harry Potter] starts. I'm considering going to L.A. to meet the producers. If you want mother-son time, you could come with me and we can have it there."

"I can't come with you," Mum replied, her expression falling slightly. "Because we weren't planning a holiday, I took on an extra writing project for the BBC, which starts next week."

"Then come for a week," I suggested. "You can fly back later. Whatever designer you're looking for probably has a branch in L.A. We can spend time together there while I work."

"Why do you even need to take on another film so soon?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. "You've already shot three films that are releasing this year. Even between Perks and the musical, you worked nonstop on the songs and script. At this pace, you're going to burn yourself out, son."

"I don't think so," I replied firmly. "I love making movies. This isn't about money—it's a small-budget indie film. I'm doing it because I genuinely loved the script. If I passed on this and it turned out to be something big, I'd regret it forever. If we already had vacation plans, I wouldn't even consider it. But a few days in Paris isn't enough to make me abandon this opportunity."

Mum closed her eyes for a moment, as if weighing her options, then opened them with a sigh. "Alright," she said. "Let's go to L.A."

I cheered mentally, but before I could voice my excitement, she added something that stumped me.

"But you have to promise me that you'll take at least a two-month break when filming of the next two [Harry Potter] movies is over."

"I—"

"I can't dictate what you do," Mum interrupted, cutting me off. "You're practically an adult now. Heck, you could even get emancipated since you're financially independent, if it weren't for your American citizenship that's under process. That said, you need to take better care of yourself, son. You have your entire life ahead of you to act in good films. Don't cram everything into just a few years."

Mum wouldn't understand, but I had to do as many good films as possible before the series was over if I wanted to step out of Harry Potter's shadow. I completely got why actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey avoided sequels. No fan ran up to either of them chanting their character names because their diverse filmographies made it hard to associate them with just one role.

That was also why I'd agreed to fake-date Rihanna. If the media linked my name with hers, the public would start recognizing me rather than just thinking of me as Harry Potter.

Ever since Tobias had backed out of being my manager, I'd had to be proactive and handle these things myself which may seem easy given my future knowledge, but it was a difficult job. The worst part was that I couldn't tell Mum any of this—she'd absolutely insist I drop the film.

On second thought, taking a break next year might not be so bad.

"Okay," I relented. "I promise I'll take at least a break after I'm done with the sixth [Harry Potter] film."

"Good," Mum said, nodding with approval as she stood up and playfully ruffled my hair. "I guess I'd better start packing if we're heading to L.A.?"

"Wait, I haven't even talked to the directors yet."

Mum gave me a bewildered look. "And you've already made plans to go to L.A.? What if they don't give you the role?"

I laughed at her insinuation. "As if! They need me to get the funding for the movie. From the script, I can tell they've probably seen my work in [The Perks of Being a Wallflower], which is why they're offering this role to me. But I still need to confirm everything."

"Whatever you say, love. Just don't get too cocky that you'll get this role at all costs."

"Okay."

(Break)

Los Angeles, May 2005

Two days later, I sat across from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the joint directors of [Little Miss Sunshine], along with Michael Arndt, the screenwriter. Jonathan and Valerie were in their mid-to-late forties, while Arndt seemed slightly younger.

Tobias sat beside me, strictly in the capacity of an assistant this time, diligently taking notes about the meeting.

"It's so good to see you, Troy," Valerie said excitedly. "I'm a big fan of your work."

I inclined my head politely. "Thanks. Before we get into things, I need to ask—did you decide to cast me on your own, or is someone pushing you into this? Because if you're being forced, I'll gladly step back and let you cast your original choice."

The last thing I wanted was to be in a position where the directors didn't truly want me in the role. A film like that was doomed to fail from the start, with a toxic atmosphere on set.

"No," Jonathan said quickly, shaking his head. "We genuinely want you for this role. Ever since my wife and I saw your latest film, we haven't been able to stop thinking about how perfect you'd be for it."

"I agree completely," Michael Arndt added.

"Which film was that? [The Perks of Being a Wallflower]?" I asked, a bit skeptical. As much as I loved [Perks], the character of Charlie was the polar opposite of Dwayne in [Little Miss Sunshine].

"No," Valerie replied, shaking her head. "It was [Brick]. We were at Sundance in January, and your performance blew us away. The energy and grit you brought to that film are exactly what we're looking for in Dwayne."

That made much more sense. I nodded, feeling reassured. "Alright, let's talk more about the film before I meet with the producers."

"We'd love that," Jonathan said eagerly.

"To start with," I began, "I think we should have an alternate climax ready. Have you thought about that, Michael?"

For a moment, Arndt's expression faltered, betraying a flicker of displeasure. He quickly composed himself. "Why do you feel that's necessary?"

"Don't get me wrong," I said carefully. "I love the script, and I'll still do the film even if the ending stays the same. But everything else in the story feels so iconic that the family having a meal together doesn't quite match up for me. It's too subdued. I'm not asking you to scrap the original ending—just write an alternative as well. We can film both and decide later which works best."

The more I spoke, the more I could see Michael warming up to the idea, his initial resistance giving way to thoughtful consideration.

"I agree with Troy," Valerie chimed in suddenly. "I've had my own reservations about the climax, but everyone else seemed confident it was good so I didn't voice my thoughts."

"Fine," Michael relented. "I'll think up some alternatives."

"I already have a few ideas," I said with a grin.

_____________________________________________

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