Chapter 27: Audition.
The acoustic guitar notes rose and fell in short bursts. The boy holding the instrument alternated between bright-eyed excitement and closed-eye concentration. Every so often he scribbled on the sheet music in front of him, and when inspiration struck he would quickly jot down a few lines of lyrics.
Pat Kingsley sat across from him, leafing through a messy stack of pages. As someone who had spent years in the entertainment industry, she knew enough to hum a few bars here and there, but most of the pieces were too fragmented to form complete songs.
With a soft sigh, Pat couldn't help offering some advice. In her opinion Ryan was learning too many things and spreading himself too thin. It wasn't good for his future.
In this era, it was almost impossible for anyone to become the next Barbra Streisand by trying to master everything at once.
Ryan shook his head noncommittally. His mind had already moved on to something else. The on-set tyrant had surprisingly sent him an audition invitation. As for the role—who else could it be but the future savior?
"Ryan, have you decided?" Pat asked when he finally set the guitar aside.
"When do they start shooting?" he replied.
"If casting goes smoothly, mid to late October." Pat could read some of his thoughts. "Are you… planning to accept the invitation?"
"Why not?" Ryan smiled. "It's only an audition. James Cameron might not even like me."
It was probably because of their conversation at the The Sixth Sense premiere. Clearly he had left an impression on the future King of the World. The director had invited him straight to the second round of auditions for John Connor.
Pat Kingsley quickly replied to the Terminator 2 production team. A thin script for the John Connor role soon arrived. After flipping through it, Ryan smiled. There were some differences from the movie he remembered, but the main storyline remained unchanged.
…
"Jim, I still don't understand why you added him to the second round of auditions." As the film's producer, Anne Hurd clearly wasn't thrilled with her ex-husband's decision. "Yes, Ryan Jenkins gave an incredible performance in The Sixth Sense, and I agree no other child actor could have done better. But don't forget his gloomy aura—it's completely wrong for John Connor!"
"Anne, you've never actually met Ryan, have you?" When she nodded, James Cameron wagged a finger. "I met him at the Sixth Sense premiere. The entire T-1000 concept came from him. The real Ryan is nothing like the character in that movie. He's bright, cheerful, and extremely smart for his age. This is just an audition."
"The T-1000 idea came from him?" Anne Hurd focused on that part.
"Yes. How did he put it?" Cameron thought for a moment. "A shape-shifting liquid-metal robot as sleek as a Porsche. Don't doubt it—Arnold and Mario were both there."
"Fine." Anne Hurd checked her watch. "Let's get ready. The auditions are about to start."
North Hollywood—the place where he had lived for nearly seven years after being reborn. Ryan sighed inwardly. He adjusted the rearview mirror and looked at the messy light-brown side-part hairstyle that covered most of his forehead, then pursed his lips.
Combined with the deliberately distressed jeans, the look screamed rebellious teenager.
"Ryan, you know something? You look completely different right now," Pat said after opening the car door for him.
Ryan shrugged. He had specifically asked the stylist to create this look. Since he had agreed to the audition, he might as well go all in.
They entered the T2 production office that James Cameron had set up for Terminator 2.
A staff member led them to the waiting area outside the audition room. After finding seats, Ryan scanned the other candidates, especially looking for the face he remembered.
However, after looking several times, he couldn't find him. Did my butterfly effect make him disappear? he wondered.
Waiting was boring. After chatting with Pat for a while, Ryan let his mind wander as usual.
"Ryan! It's your turn." Pat's voice finally pulled him back.
Ryan collected himself, straightened his clothes, and followed the staff into the audition room. This was his first real audition, so he couldn't help feeling curious.
Hollywood was full of wild stories about what happened in audition rooms. Although things had cleaned up somewhat since the 1980s, certain situations still occurred when both parties were willing.
"I'm Ryan Jenkins, born in 1980. So far I've appeared in The Sixth Sense…"
Ryan shook his funny side-part hairstyle, showing none of the gloomy aura from The Sixth Sense. He looked bright, cheerful, and just the right amount of rebellious.
"A little young," Anne Hurd muttered, but she couldn't deny that the boy's appearance didn't match his actual age. His current vibe was worlds apart from the character in The Sixth Sense.
"Ryan, how do you see the character of John Connor?" James Cameron asked.
"Rebellious on the outside, but still innocent and kind at heart." Ryan answered without hesitation.
The people behind the long table all nodded subconsciously.
"And what do you think of the movie itself?" Anne Hurd asked.
"Although I've only read part of the script, I can see the direction it's going. Unlike the first Terminator, which relied mostly on blood and action, this script clearly adds more thought. Questions like 'Will humanity be destroyed by the technology it creates?' What would a robot do once it develops human emotions? It perfectly blends science fiction with philosophical ideas…"
Even though the people across the table were gradually opening their mouths in surprise, Ryan didn't stop. Drawing from his memories of the film's reception in his previous life as Alex and the portion of the script he had read, he spoke confidently for several minutes before finally falling silent.
"My God, everything Ryan just said matches my vision exactly," Cameron said, slamming his fist into his palm.
"Ryan, are you really only ten years old?" Mario Kassar asked with genuine astonishment.
"I think that's pretty well known by now."
Ryan spread his hands and looked at James Cameron. The two had spoken several times already. Before using the T-1000 concept, Cameron had called to ask permission. Ryan had naturally agreed.
After the questions came the actual performance in front of the camera. For Ryan, who had gone through the intense experience of The Sixth Sense and knew Terminator 2 inside and out, it wasn't difficult.
The satisfied smiles on the judges' faces after he finished the scene with the assistant told him everything he needed to know.
"Ryan, I heard you signed a contract with Touchstone Pictures. Is that correct?" Anne Hurd asked, her expression turning serious.
"Yes." Ryan nodded. "If everything goes according to plan, I'll be heading to Canada with the crew in a few days."
"I see." The group exchanged troubled looks.
"Actually, Director Columbus expects to finish all the shooting in about a month and a half," Ryan added.
"Alright then," Anne Hurd said. "That's all for today. We'll let you know as soon as possible."
As Ryan and Pat walked out discussing the audition, he noticed they were the last ones.
The hallway was now empty. When they reached the front desk of the T2 office, they suddenly saw a small argument taking place.
"Sir, we just had a family emergency and arrived a little late. Can you please give us a chance?"
"A little late? You're over two hours late. The auditions are finished. I'm sorry, but that's it."
The staff member refused without hesitation.
"Edward, say something!"
The boy with a hairstyle very similar to Ryan's pressed his lips together tightly. "Forget it. Even if I got the role, what's the point? I'd just be another tool for them to fight over. I don't want to stay in that house another second. Let's go."
The boy turned and walked away without looking back. The middle-aged man—probably his agent—hurried after him.
Ryan took in the entire scene but felt nothing. Ever since he started writing, he had already changed many people's fates. One more didn't matter.
"Pat, let's go."
Inside the audition room, the team hadn't left yet. After watching the tape one more time, they all had the same clear choice in mind.
"Jim, who do you think is best?" Mario Kassar asked.
"What about you?" Cameron turned to his ex-wife. "Anne, Mario—I see the same answer in your eyes that I have."
"Doesn't he seem a little young? And if Touchstone's shooting schedule runs into problems, it could affect us!" Even though Anne Hurd had accepted the choice, she still raised some concerns.
"Those are all solvable issues, aren't they?"
Before Ryan left Los Angeles, the good news came through Pat Kingsley. Along with it arrived a thick stack of scripts. As long as Pat's negotiations with Carolco Pictures went smoothly, he would officially become the future savior.
"Nicole, don't worry. I'm not a little kid anymore. I know how to take care of myself."
At the boarding gate, Ryan hugged Nicole Kidman tightly. Honestly, he didn't want to be apart from her for so long. But not only was he starting Home Alone, Nicole would soon be traveling between Seattle and New York for the exterior shoots of Sleepless in Seattle.
Perhaps because of the strong momentum of history, even though Ryan had made no suggestions about the director or cast, Miramax had still brought in Nora Ephron to direct and Tom Hanks to star.
"Ryan, remember to call me every day," Nicole instructed seriously.