Chapter 4 Dave

Jenny works at a restaurant called "Hollywood Star." As you can imagine, it's not very close to Hollywood, and although it's not high-end, there is a slight chance of a big celebrity coming to eat here. The restaurant has been open for a long time, the food is good, and there are a few celebrity photos hanging on the walls. Jenny probably chose to work here because of the proximity to the entertainment industry.

As for her, she stayed here after time-traveling because the pay at this restaurant is decent. Even though she has been approached by two people claiming to be talent scouts within a month, she is not interested. As someone who studied film in college and has kept in touch with many classmates after graduating, she knows that most stories of being discovered on the street are just publicity stunts.

Maybe in the early days of the film industry, people didn't realize how beneficial it could be to become a movie star, so the production companies sent talent scouts to discover talented young men and women on the streets. But in 2001? Even adult film stars compete fiercely with each other. At least in the film industry, talent scouts are no longer needed.

However, some record labels still look for new talent, and of course, the advertising and modeling industries still maintain the traditional "talent scout" system. But the legitimate talent scouts are employees of the companies and have business cards. The so-called talent scouts who approach her in the restaurant are just looking to deceive and cheat, and they might even be after money.

Although this kind of scam has been around since the 1920s, and even appeared in the movie "Chicago" that will be released in the next two years, where the leading lady Roxie was easily deceived by a salesman claiming to be a relative of a film producer, it is still going strong. In Los Angeles, there are too many men and women who are full of hope and dreams of becoming a star, working in restaurants and waiting for opportunities.

Jenny is not one of them. In fact, another hostess at Hollywood Star also has ambitions to enter the entertainment industry, but her goal is more practical. She wants to start in the advertising industry as a model and then strive for roles in TV dramas.

It's a good idea, but it's meaningless to Chen Zhen. The reason is simple - she doesn't have that much time.

She time-traveled to 2024, and it's now 2001. She only has 24 years left, and after 24 years, her advantage will disappear. She won't know which movies will be successful and which ones will flop. To make the most of this foresight advantage, she can't start with TV dramas and then transition to the big screen. After all, there are hardly any female actors who have made it big in Hollywood after starting in TV dramas.

A successful TV show like "Friends" takes seven to eight years to film and characterizes the actors in the eyes of the audience, which is very disadvantageous for the actors themselves, not to mention how difficult it is to transition from the TV drama circle to the movie industry.

Of course, no one can dominate Hollywood by being an ad model, model, adult film actor, reality show star, or singer.

The only way to dominate Hollywood is through movies. She can only start with movies to have a faint hope of completing this task at least 70% to 80% within 24 years. As for how to reach the top... Chen Zhen hasn't even thought about it. She doesn't even know how to quantify this goal.

Even just the short-term goal of "acting in movies" is enough for her to think about for a while.

Jenny has served a few customers and received generous tips with a sweet smile. Seeing that most of the customers in her area are eating, she takes a break and leans against the counter to rest her tired legs. She starts mechanically analyzing the path she should take next.

To become an actor, of course, you need to find an agent. Agents have access to audition opportunities and know various audition news. They can submit audition applications for her and connect her with various performance opportunities. If she is favored by the agent and the agent is willing to recommend her, she may even receive special attention during auditions...

However, the problem is that the more capable the agent is, the more picky they are with their clients. At her current level, the best agent she can find might only be able to get her supporting roles in TV dramas, and that would still be considered lucky if the agent sees potential in her. If she is not favored, she might have to start with modeling or extras in TV dramas.

It's not that Chen Zhen is being too picky, but in the entertainment industry, the first work is very important. Even if it is an independent film that will never be released, as long as you act in a movie, the chances of getting the next movie role are relatively high. After a few roles, she can try to take on supporting roles in small productions, then leading roles in small productions, and finally leading roles in big productions. Unless she is extremely lucky and meets a benefactor who can skip a few steps, most Hollywood actors and actresses have climbed up the ladder step by step.

Then the vicious cycle repeats: to get movie auditions, she needs to find better agents, but better agents have higher standards for clients. Her current qualifications are not enough to attract attention from others. Even if she wants to rely on her talent, she won't get the opportunity.

It's just like the vicious cycle in the actors' guild - the guild provides many benefits, such as insurance and minimum wage negotiations, as well as opportunities for performances and agent introductions. To join the actors' guild, she needs a relatively high-value performance contract. But if she doesn't join the guild, it's difficult to get a high-paying performance contract.

For outsiders without relevant connections, the entertainment industry is very closed-off, and it is extremely difficult to break into the industry.

Of course, this is also normal. If it were easy, the industry would have been overcrowded a long time ago. The higher the returns in an industry, the higher the barriers to entry. The film industry, as the top level of the entertainment industry, is especially so. If Jenny Jane is willing to become a model, it would be much easier. She could simply take a few photos, send resumes all over the world, and there will always be magazines that would want her.

The restaurant experienced a small lunch rush at 12 o'clock noon. Jenny Jane carried a tray, wearing a professional smile, and collected tips from the customers. In the gaps between serving dishes and settling bills, she was still figuring out her next steps. Her golden finger is only in terms of acting skills, and based on the current situation, she is not a prodigy overnight. If she wants to enter the entertainment industry, sorry, she can't be confident.

If things don't work out, she might as well not go back... She could start from modeling and then transition to TV dramas. With the help of her talent, she can still make a living. As for her son, although he is the source of her motivation to go back, objectively speaking, her ex-husband is still quite caring towards their child. With his grandparents around, their child will not be deprived of money and love.

Of course, this is only a last resort. If she can't find any words to comfort herself, Chen Zhen still wants to reach the top and go back as soon as possible. But for now, she doesn't have a good way to break through. She can only work on getting her body in shape for the camera and wait for the right opportunity.

If things don't work out, she can start with community theaters. Although the competition in stage plays is fierce, the pay is relatively low, and the entry requirements are also lower. She can start by getting small roles in community theaters and then look for supporting roles in larger theaters. She doesn't necessarily need a leading role, as the exposure from supporting roles should be enough for her to make some friends...

After the lunch hour ended, Jenny also welcomed her own lunch break, but it wouldn't be very long because customers would continue to come in for coffee and some snacks throughout the afternoon. She could sit behind the bar and rest, but occasionally she would need to come out and serve the customers.

For lunch, she ate chicken salad, which was far from oil and vinegar dressing and salad sauce. Many women who wanted to lose weight thought that eating salad was dieting, but they didn't realize that the calories in oil and vinegar dressing and salad sauce were not much less than a large piece of red meat. Since Jenny decided to lose weight, she wouldn't let herself suffer in vain.

Not only that, she was now consciously controlling her taste and abstaining from all sweet drinks. In the United States, due to the cheapness of corn syrup, sugary drinks were extremely fierce, and drinking them would lead to high sodium intake. People who often drink sweet drinks are very prone to health imbalances, especially in the United States where there are many people in "food deserts". Due to ignorance and the desire for cheapness, they buy a large amount of sweet drinks that are cheaper than water. As a result, they become so overweight that their movements become difficult, and they also develop three high problems.

Of course, the middle class can understand the disadvantages of consuming sweet drinks, but the dietary habits and physical constitution they have formed over the years make it easy for them to gain weight and difficult to lose weight. In this kind of dietary environment, maintaining one's figure is like living the life of an ascetic.

At least Johnny shook his head when he saw Jenny's diet plan. "This extreme weight loss method will make you pass out, Jen. What happened to you? Before, you used to have a piece of my devil's cake every day and said it was the meaning of your survival. But now, let alone cake, you don't even eat hamburgers."

On the first day she came to work after crossing over, she did have a piece of devil's cake, which was the most popular dessert in Hollywood. However, Chen Zhen couldn't even eat half of it - due to the fact that white people's taste buds are not sensitive to sweetness, desserts in Hollywood, or all desserts in the United States, are at least twice as sweet as those in China. And Chen Zhen should have brought her taste bud system with her. She almost vomited after eating less than half of the cake.

As for hamburgers, the mustard sauce and mayonnaise inside are also high in calories, and almost all sauces have excessive salt and sugar. The pasta sauce sold in supermarkets contains more sugar than two pieces of Oreo. Jenny smiled and said, "I may have an audition, John, so I'm dieting."

Johnny sighed and patted Jenny's shoulder. "I don't know whether to hope for your success or failure."

He was not surprised by Jenny's desire to enter Hollywood. In Los Angeles, especially in the neighborhoods near Hollywood, this was not surprising at all.

Also, because Jenny inherited Chen Zhen's taste buds, she was relatively accustomed to a light diet. She was also used to the hunger that was almost always present, giving her stomach a slight pain... She cherished a plate of salad and, through the window where the dishes were sent out, saw that there were customers coming in. She patted her skirt, stood up, and said to her colleague, "Kevin, I'll take care of this customer."

Kevin, the male waiter she partnered with, hadn't finished eating yet, but he gave Jenny a grateful glance for her care.

Jenny didn't pay attention to this. She picked up the menu, adjusted the smile on her face in the mirror, and walked towards the window. "Hi, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon." Her customer looked up and gave her a smile. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"Same as usual?" Jenny asked.

This was his seventh consecutive day coming in for coffee in the afternoon, and Jenny had already remembered his order, which was a necessary trick for waiters to earn tips.

"Same as usual," the customer said.

Jenny brought a mocha with no sugar, double milk, and whipped cream on top, sprinkled with a lot of cinnamon powder, and said, "The weather is nice today, and you seem to be in a good mood."

"I had a very pleasant day, how about you?" The customer's eyes sparkled with joy.

Having a small chat with customers is also a skill for tipping, but today Jenny didn't talk to him for that reason. She shrugged and said, "I have an audition in a couple of days, and I've been a bit nervous these days, but everything else is fine."

The male customer hesitated for a moment, but quickly realized and nodded, "You came to Los Angeles with a dream, right?"

"So far, my dream hasn't been going very smoothly," Jenny pouted and gestured to her uniform, then smiled at the male customer, "Anyway -"

"I'm Dave," the male customer said.

"OK, anyway, Dave, have a nice day," Jenny winked at him and smiled, "If you need anything, just let me know."

She picked up the tray and left gracefully, discreetly observing Dave through the mirrored decorative columns that were visible throughout the restaurant.

He couldn't take his eyes off her figure.

Good sign. Jenny thought: I better keep working the day shift next week.