Cathy Crew wears a headset and stands next to a video
camera. In front of the camera stands Lils.
CATHY
Do you know why you're here?
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
No you don't. That's a lie. That's
your first lie. No more lies. Do you
know why you're here?
LILS
No.
CATHY
You're here because Gus is not happy.
LILS
Gus?
CATHY
Gus. The director. He's not happy.
They're forcing him to take a movie
star. A movie star that he doesn't
want. He's not happy and he's trying
to find a replacement. He's going to
fight.
LILS
What movie star?
CATHY
That's none of your business. Concern
yourself with your business. Do you
know what your business is?
LILS
No.
CATHY
That's your second lie. You're an
actor. You are an actor, aren't you?
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
What's your name?
LILS
Lils.
CATHY
Lils. Lils is not a name. It's short
for something, like Lilian or Lily or
Lilith. What's your name?
LILS
It's just Lils, honest.
CATHY
I don't believe you.
LILS
It's true.
CATHY
It doesn't matter that it's true. You
must make me belive its true -- whether
it is or isn't is irrelevant. That's
the job of the actor. Are you off
book?
LILS
Sort of.
CATHY
You either are or you aren't Gus
doesn't want amateurs. He's not
interested in amateurs. He needs a
real pro, someone he can work with,
someone he can trust. Are you that
person?
LILS
I hope so.
CATHY
Are you off book?
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
This has to be good. If you're good, I
look good. If I look good, that means
Gus is happy. You want Gus to be
happy?
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
Then we have an understanding. Look
into the camera.
LILS
You want me to play to the camera?
CATHY
What's your character?
LILS
My character?
CATHY
Your character. Your character.
LILS
Oh, I'm a reporter.
CATHY
So you look into the camera. It's your
job. That's what you do.
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
Look into the camera, and when I say
action, you start. Got that?
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
We'll start with a rehearsal. Action.
LILS
Should I start now?
CATHY
You need to listen. I said when I say
action, you start. I said action. Now
I'll say it again. Action.
LILS
(to the camera)
My name is Suzanne Maretto. No. Wait.
I'm sorry. Suzanne Maretto is my
married name. My own name is...
CATHY
Cut. What are you doing?
LILS
I'm talking to the camera.
CATHY
That's the problem. Nobody talks to a
camera. The camera can't hear you.
The camera is an inanimate object.
LILS
You told me to talk to the camera.
CATHY
No I didn't. I said look at the
camera. You are talking to your fans,
your public, the viewing public.
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
Action.
LILS
Should I start from the beginning?
CATHY
Yes. Yes. Action.
LILS
My name is Suzanne Maretto. No. Wait.
I'm sorry. Suzanne Maretto is my
married name. My own name is Suzanne
Stone. That's my professional name.
It's not like I have negative feelings
about the name Maretto.
CATHY
Cut. What do you want?
LILS
What do I want?
CATHY
Your objective, your intention, your
motivation. Why are you talking to
your public? This is acting 101 stuff.
You are an actor?
LILS
Yes.
CATHY
Where did you train?
LILS
It's on my resume.
CATHY
I don't read resumes. Resumes are
bullshit. Resumes are fictional
accounts of actors' fantasies. Where
did you train?
LILS
UCLA.
CATHY
That's not training. That's a beauty
school. Is that all you're interested
in? Gus doesn't like beauty queens.
They're weak, they're shallow. Is
being beautiful all you're interested
in?
LILS
No.
CATHY
What do you want?
LILS
I want my public to like me.
CATHY
Good. That's something. Use it.
Action.
LILS
My name is Suzanne Maretto. No. Wait.
I'm sorry. Suzanne Maretto is my
married name. My own name is Suzanne
Stone. That's my professional name.
It's not like I have negative feelings
about the name Maretto. Maretto is the
name after all of my husband who I
loved very, very much, and also, of
course, of his parents, Joe and Angela
Maretto -- and of his lovely and
talented sister, Janice Maretto -- who
have been like a second mother and
father to me and I regard as I do my
own family -- particularly since my
recent tragedy, and who just knowing
and being related to them have given me
what I think is a very precious and
valuable insight into the different
kinds of ethnic relationships that are
part of the very things that I've been
trying to explore as a member of the
professional media.
INT. OFFICE GUS AND LILS DAY
Gus sits at his desk. Lils sits in a chair opposite Gus.
GUS
I'm told you have something.
LILS
What is it that I have?
GUS
I'm told that you're green, that you
don't have much of any technique, that
you may not understand the work ethic
of an actor. But that you have
something. Frankly, sitting here,
across this table, I don't see it. I
don't see what you have. Your name is
Lils Lockhart? Sounds phoney. Doesn't
sound like a real name. What's your
real name?
LILS
It's Lils Lockhart.
GUS
Don't get an attitude. Attitude will
kill an actor. Attitude will poison
your heart.
LILS
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...
GUS
Don't do a dance with me Lils Lockhart.
I don't dance with my actors. I
direct. I direct. Do you know what a
director is?
LILS
Yes.
GUS
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