As she walked past the entrance of 20th Century Fox with her bag, Irene noticed a young man in a black suit standing by the curb. His hair was disheveled, and he held a cigarette. He was speaking loudly and profanely, which caused her to frown.
Irene intended to continue walking to avoid the conversation, but she heard the name Shelly Ovitz mentioned. Recalling the call that had not been returned the previous night, she decided to wait until he finished and inquire.
Shelly Ovitz had not slept. One of the actors he represented had been involved in an incident, and he had received a reprimand from senior management at 20th Century Fox that morning. He was in a poor mood.
Despite Irene’s presence, he addressed her dismissively. "I do not accept resumes here. If you wish to sign with the agency, go to the front desk."
Irene paused. She took a breath and said, "Hello, I am Irene Coppola. I heard you mention the name Shelly Ovitz. I have business with him, but I have not been able to reach him by phone. Do you have another way to contact him?"
"Irene Coppola?" The name seemed familiar. Shelly discarded his cigarette and crushed it underfoot. He looked her over: brown hair in a high ponytail, wearing a white dress and carrying an LV bag. He concluded she might be an aspiring actress referred by a client.
"Sir?" Irene prompted when he did not respond.
The man ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "I am Shelly Ovitz. I have a moment now. We can speak at the café next door." He turned and walked in that direction.
Irene hesitated. His manner did not match her expectations for an agent. However, lacking alternatives, she decided to proceed and followed him.
They entered the café. Given its proximity to the Fox Building, it was frequented by entertainment professionals. The seating was arranged with sufficient space and greenery between tables, which provided privacy for conversations.
Shelly selected a window seat. While waiting for service, he considered that he currently lacked a marketable female client. If this woman was cooperative, he might consider representing her.
When ordering, Irene requested a cappuccino. Shelly ordered a double espresso iced Americano.
"I need something to stimulate my thinking," he said.
"What happened, if you are able to discuss it?" Irene asked, indicating she was open to hearing about his situation.
"There is no restriction on discussing it. One of the minor actors I represent was reported by a competitor for drug use on set last night. I spent the night managing the consequences, and I came to Fox today to determine whether the matter could be resolved." His tone was detached. He evidently intended to terminate the relationship.
"You have not slept? Which production enforces such standards? I understood such incidents were common in Hollywood."
"They are common, provided they do not affect work. This actor believed that a role in Titanic granted him latitude." The coffee arrived, and he consumed more than half of it immediately. Irene found the bitterness almost palpable.
"It appears that even a major production cannot shield everyone. Is he finished?"
"The production can, but only if he were Leonardo DiCaprio. He is a minor supporting actor with few lines. There are many such actors in Hollywood. Rather than maintaining discretion, he became overconfident after a small success. I will not expend further resources on him." He finished the iced Americano without a change in expression.
"Let us not discuss the actor. What about you? Do you have a resume? Any acting experience? Your appearance is acceptable, but CAA does not sign individuals without consideration. Furthermore, your look does not align with current market preferences. You might require cosmetic adjustments."
Irene was taken aback. She restrained herself and said, "I am not an actress seeking representation. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Irene Coppola, and I intend to become a director."
"A director? You?"
Irene detected amusement in his voice.
"I assumed that a CAA agent would understand the concept of professional courtesy, but I appear to have overestimated you. Since you have no interest in a professional discussion, I will inform my father of the reason and request that Mr. Michael Ovitz refer another agent."
She would not dismiss CAA due to one interaction. If this agent was unsuitable, she could request another, possibly a female agent.
Irene stood to leave.
Upon hearing his uncle’s name, Shelly recognized that she was not a typical aspiring entrant to Hollywood.
"Wait, Miss Coppola. I recall now. My mistake. My uncle mentioned you. I apologize. My judgment is impaired by lack of sleep. What did you want to discuss?"
Shelly composed himself and reviewed what he knew about the Coppola family.
"Has Mr. Ovitz recalled who I am?" Irene paused.
"Yes. Director Coppola’s youngest daughter. Why are you seeking me?"
"I want to direct a music video for Jive Records, but I do not have contacts at the label. I wanted to ask whether you could provide an introduction."
Ordinarily, she would not pursue an association with him, but if he could facilitate the introduction, she would tolerate the interaction.
"To be direct, aside from the Coppola name, do you have any completed work?" Shelly did not understand the basis for her confidence.
Irene was not offended. His statement was factual. She had no portfolio or reel.
"If I had existing work, I would contact them directly and would not require an agent. Is it not an agent’s role to assist clients in developing opportunities?"
"Well said. And the rationale? I know individuals at Jive, but I cannot present just anyone as a candidate to direct a music video."
"I have a friend named Britney who is about to debut. I want to direct her first music video."
Shelly searched his memory. "Britney. Yes, there is such an artist. I understand Jive has expectations for her. But what is your connection? You are not attempting to undermine her debut, are you?"
Hollywood contained many false friendships, particularly among young women. He considered it more likely that she intended to interfere with Britney’s debut than to assist.
Irene shook her head. "Mr. Ovitz, I do not engage in actions that harm others without benefit to myself. Damaging someone’s career requires that I could replace them, and I have no expertise in music. Britney is my closest friend."
"Provide your reasoning and objective. Do not rely on ’best friend’ as an explanation."
"The reasoning is straightforward. I believe Britney will achieve significant popularity. The market currently lacks a young female teen idol who combines a strong image, distinctiveness, and talent. She meets those criteria. I am confident her debut will be successful."
Shelly raised an eyebrow. Her enthusiasm made it seem as though she were the one debuting. He wondered whether there was an additional relationship between them.
"And then?"
"I can use the opportunity to produce a high-quality music video for her and establish my reputation through that work."
"You are certain she will succeed? And that your music video will benefit from her success?" Shelly did not understand the source of her confidence.
Irene did not elaborate. She could not explain her knowledge of the industry’s trajectory over the next two decades.
"This is an initial step. My actual project is this." She removed a notebook from her bag. It contained a brief script she had developed after reviewing Legally Blonde the previous night. This was her primary objective.
Shelly took it and began reading the first page. Irene stirred her coffee and waited.
She looked out the window. The success of Titanic had restored 20th Century Fox’s financial position.
Pedestrians passed on the street, including several actors Irene recognized from major films.
Script analysis was a standard skill for a CAA agent. Shelly required less than ten minutes to read the synopsis of the script titled Legally Blonde.
"A competent script. Although incomplete, the characters are distinct and the plot is light without being formulaic. If you wrote this, I underestimated you."
"You need not doubt it. I wrote it," Irene said firmly.
"I understand your plan: use the music video as a foundation, leverage the teen idol phenomenon to gain visibility with that demographic, and then use this script to enter Hollywood formally. At your age, I did not have such a structured approach."
"Thank you. I assume Mr. Ovitz will assist with this matter?" Irene had confidence in Legally Blonde. Few teen films achieved over one hundred million dollars at the North American box office.
"I will do what I can," Shelly said, offering a practiced smile.
Irene finished her coffee. "I will not occupy more of your time, Mr. Ovitz. I look forward to hearing from you." She stood and left.